Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/212

 180 HISTORY OF GREECE. carried his victorious arms over so wide a space of Central Asia, not only added nothing to his power over the Greeks, but even withdrew him from all dealings with them, and placed him al- most beyond their cognizance. To the historian of Greece, therefore, these latter campaigns can hardly be regarded as in- cluded within the range of his subject. They deserve to be told, as examples of military skiU and energy, and as illustrating the character of the most illustrious general of antiquity — one who, though not a Greek, had become the master of all Greeks. But I shall not think it necessary to recount them in any detail, like the battles of Issus and Arbela. About six or seven months had elapsed from the battle of Ar- bela to the time when Alexander prepared to quit his most re- cent conquest — Persis proper. During all this time, Darius had remained at Ekbatana,^ the chief city of Media, clinging to the hope, that Alexander, when possessed of the three southern capitals and the best part of the Persian empire, might have reached the point of satiation, and might leave him unmolested in the more barren East. As soon as he learnt that Alexander was in movement towards him, he sent forward his harem and his baggage to Hyrkania, on the south-eastern border of the Caspian sea. Himself, with the small force around him, follow- ed in the same direction, carrying off the treasure in the city (7000 talents = £1,610,000 in amount), and passed through the Caspian Gates into the territory of Parthyene. His only chance was to escape to Baktria at the eastern extremity of the empire, ruining the country in his way for the purpose of retarding pur- ' I see no reason for doubting that the Ekhatana here meant is the mod- ern Ilamadan. See a valuable Appendix added by Dr. Tliirhvall to the sixtli volume of his History of Greece, in which tliis question is argued against Mr. Williams. Sir John Malcolm observes — " There can hardly be said to be any roads in Persia ; nor are they much required, for the use of wheel carriages has not yet been introduced into that kingdom. Nothing can be more rugged and difficult than the paths which have been cut over the mountains by which it is bounded and intersected" (ch. xxiv. vol. ii. p. 525). In tliis respect, indeed, as in others, the modern state of Persia must be inferior to the ancient ; witness the description given by Hcrodo',us of the road between Sardis and Susa.