Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/170

 138 HISTORY OF GREECE. tion the ships of the Phenician towns, Sidon, Byblus, and Ara^ dus, now subject to him. These ships, eighty in number, h<ad left the Persian admh-al and come to Sidon, there awaiting his orders ; while not long afterwards, the princes of Cyprus came thither also, tendering to him their powerful fleet of 120 ships of war.^ He was now master of a fleet of 200 sail, comprising the most part and the best part, of the Persian navy. This was the consummation of Macedonian triumph — the last real and effec- tive weapon wrested from the grasp of Persia. The prognostic afforded by the eagle near the ships at Miletus, as interjn-eted by Alexander, had now been fulfilled ; since by successful operations on land, he had conquered and brought into his power a superior Persian fleet.^ Having directed these ships to complete their equipments and training, with Macedonians as soldiers on board, Alexander put himself at the head of some light troops for an expedition of eleven days against the Arabian mountaineers on Libanus, whom he dispersed or put down, though not without some personal ex- posure and hazard.3 On returning to Sidon, he found Kleander arrived with a reinforcement of 4000 Grecian hoplites, welcome auxiliaries for prosecuting the siege. Then, going aboard his fleet in the harbor of Sidon, he sailed with it in good battle oixler to Tyre, hoping that the Tyrians would come out and fight. But they kept within, struck with surprise and consternation ; having not before known that their fellow-Phenicians were now among the besiegers. Alexander, having ascertained that the Tyrians would not accept a sea-fight, immediately caused their two har- bors to be blocked up and watched ; that on the north, towards Sidon, by the Cyprians — that on the south, towards Egypt, by the Phenicians.* 1 Ariian, ii. 20, 1-4 ; Curtius, iv. 2, 14. It evinces how strongly Ariian lOoks at everything from Alexander's point of view, when we find him tell- ing us, tlmt that monarch forgave the Phenicians and Cyprians for their adherence and past service in the Persian fleet, considering that they had acted under compulsion. Assyrian monarch Salmancser, Sidon and other Phenician towns had lent their ships to the besieger (Menander apud Joseph. Antiq. Jud. ix. 14, 2) ■* An-ian, ii. 20, 5 ; Plutarch, Alexander, 24.
 * Arrian, i. 18, 15. In the siege of Tyre (four centuries earlier) hy the
 * Arrian, ii. 20, 9-16 ; Curtius, iv. 3, 11.