Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/163

 LETTERS BETWEEN ALEXANDER AND DARIUS. 131 eient invasion of Greece by Xerxes. He tlien alleged varioua complaints against Darius, whom he accused of having instigated the assassination of Philip as -well as the hostilities of the anti- Macedonian cities in Greece. "Now (continued he), by the grace of the gods, I have been victorious, first over your satraps, next over yourself. I have taken care of all who submit to me, and made them satisfied with their lot. Come yourself to me also, as to the master of all Asia. Come without fear of suffer- ing harm ; ask me, and you shall receive back your mother and wife, and anything else which you please. When next you write to me, however, address me not as an equal, but as lord of Asia and of all that belongs to you ; otherwise I shall deal with you as a wrong-doer. If you intend to contest the kingdom with me, stand and fight for it, and do not run away. I shall march forward against you, wherever you may be."* This memorable correspondence, which led to no result, is of importance only as it marks the character of Alexander, with whom fighting and conquering were both the business and the luxury of life, and to whom all assumption of equality and inde- pendence with himself, even on the part of other kings — every thing short of submission and obedience — appeared in the light of wrong and insult to be avenged. The recital of comj- arative injuries, on each side, was mere unmeaning pretence. 1'lie real and only question was (as Alexander himself had put ic in his message to the captive Sisygambis^) which of the two should be master of Asia. The decision of this question, already sufficiently advanced on the morrow after the battle of Issus, was placed almost beyond doubt by the rapid and unopposed successes of Alexander among most of the Phenician cities. The last hopes of Persia now turned chiefly upon the sentiments of these Phenicians. The greater part of the Persian fleet in the ^gean was composed of Phenician triremes, partly from the coast of Syria, partly from ' Arrian, ii. 14 ; Curtius, iv. i. 10 ; Diodor. xvii. 39. I give the substance of tliis correspondence from Arrian. Both Curtius and Diodorus represent Darius as offering great sunns of money and large cessions of terri'iovy, in excliange for the restitution of the captives. Arrian says nothiiijj of the kind. * Arrian, ii. 12, 5.