Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/200

 168 HISTOP.V OF GREFXE. thus to create a fatal break, of which Alexander availed himself for his own formidable charge in front. In spite of amplitude of space — the condition wanting at Issus, — the attacks of the Per- sians on Alexander's flanks and rear were feeble and inefficient. After all, Darius relied mainly upon his front line of battle, strengthened by the scythed chariots ; these latter being found unprofitable, there remained only the direct conflict, wherein the strong point of the Macedonians resided. On the other hand, in so far as we can follow the dispositions of Alexander, they appear the most signal example recorded in antiquity, of military genius and sagacious combination. He had really as great an available force as his enemies, because every company in his army was turned to account, either in actual com- bat, or in reserve against definite and reasonable contingences. All his successes, and this most of all, were fairly earned by his jwn genius and indefatigable effort, combined with the admirable organization of his army. But his good fortune was no less con- spicuous in the unceasing faults committed by his enemies. Ex- cept during the short period of Memnon's command, the Persian king exhibited nothing but ignorant rashness alternating with disgraceful apathy ; turning to no account his vast real power of resistance in detail — keeping back his treasures to become the booty of the victor — suffering the cities which stoutly held out to perish unassisted — and committing the whole fate of the em- pire on two successive occasions, to that very hazard which Alexander most desired. The decisive character of the victory was manifested at once by the surrender of the two great capitals of the Persian empire — Babylon and Susa. To Babylon, Alexander marched in person ; to Susa, he sent Philoxenus. As he approached Baby- lon, the satrap Mazseus met him with the keys of the city ; Bagophanes, collector of the revenue, decorated the road of march with altars, sacrifices, and scattered flowers ; while the general Babylonian population and their Chaldoean priests poured forth in crowds with acclamations and presents. Susa was yielded to Philoxenus with the same readiness, as Babylon to Alexander.^ The sum of treasure acquired at Babylon was ' Arrian, iii. 16, 5-11 ; Diodor. xvii. 64 ; Cuitius, v. 1, 17-20.