Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/148

 n6 HISTORY OF GREECE. suspended. "We have already noticed the dangerous fever wh.ch threatened his life, occasioning not only a long halt, but much uneasiness among the Macedonian army. All was doubtless re- ported to the Persians, with abundant exaggerations : and when Alexander, immediately after recovery, instead of marching for- ward towards them, turned away from them to subdue the west- ern portion of Kilikia, this again was construed by Darius as an evidence of hesitation and fear. It is even asserted that Parme- nio wished to await the attack of the Persians in Kilikia, and that Alexander at first consented to do so.i At any rate, Darius, after a certain interval, contracted the persuasion, and was as- sured by his Asiatic councillors and courtiers, that the Macedo- nians, though audacious and triumphant against frontier satraps, now hung back intimidated by the approaching majesty and full muster of the empire, and that they would not stand to resist his attack. Under this impression Darius resolved upon an advance into Kilikia with all his army. Thymodes indeed, and other in- telligent Grecian advisers — together with the Macedonian exile Amyntas — deprecated his new resolution, entreating him to per- severe in his original purpose. They pledged themselves that Alexander would come forth to attack him wherever he was, and that too, speedily. They dwelt on the imprudence of fighting in the narrow defiles of Kilikia, where his numbers, and especially liis vast cavalry, would be useless. Their advice, however, was not only disregarded by Darius, but denounced by the Persian councillors as traitorous.^ Even some of the Greeks in the camp shared, and transmitted in their letters to Athens, the blind con- fidence of the monarch. The order was forthwith given for the whole army to quit the plains of Syria and march across Mount ' Curtius, iii. 7, 8. and the anti-Macedonian statesmen at Athens, received letters at this mo- ment written in high spirits, intimating that Alexander was " caught and pinned up" in Kilikia. Demosthenes ( if we may believe ^schines ) went about showing these letters, and boasting of the good news which was at hand. Josephus (Ant. Jud. xi. 8, 3) also reports the confident anticipations of Persian success, entertained by Sanballat at Samaria, as well as by all t!i« Asiatics around.
 * From ^schines (cont. Ktesiphont. p. 532) it seems that Demosthenes,