Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/216

 184 HISTORY OF GREECE. empire.* Under the desperate circumstances of the case, this plan was perhaps the least unpromising that could be proposed. The chance of resisting Alexander, small as it was at the best, became absolutely nothing under the command of Darius, who had twice set the example of flight from the field of battle, be- traying both his friends and his empire, even when surrounded by the full force of Persia. For brave and energetic Persians, unless they were prepared at once to submit to the invader, there was no choice but to set aside Darius ; nor does it appear that the conspirators intended at first anything worse. At a village called Thara in Parthia, they bound him in chains of gold — placed him in a covered chariot surrounded by the Baktrian troops, — and thus carried him onward, retreating as fast as they could; Bessus assuming the command. Artabazus, with the Grecian mercenaries, too feeble to prevent the proceeding, quit- ted the army in disgust, and sought refuge among the mountains of the Tapur; bordering on Hyrkania towards the Caspian Sea.^ On hearing this intelligence, Alexander strained every nerve to overtake the fugitives and get possession of the person of Da- rius. At the head of his Companion-cavalry, his light-horse, and a body of infantry picked out for their strength and activity, he put himself in instant march, with nothing but arms and two days' provisions for each man ; leaving Kraterus to bring on the main body by easier journeys. A forced march of two nights and one day, interrupted only by a shoi't midday rejiose (it was now the month of July), brought him at daybreak to the Persian camp which his informant Bagistanes had quitted. But Bessus and his troops were already beyond it, having made considerable ' Masistes, after the shocking outrage upon liis wife by Queen Amestris, was going to Baktria to organize a revolt: see Ilerodot. ix. 113 — about the importance of that satrapy. ^ Arrian, iii. 21-23. Justin (xi. 15) specifies the name of the plac« - Thara. Both he and Curtius mention tiie golden chain (Curtius, 34, 20). Probably the conspirators made use of some chains which had formed a part of the ornaments of the royal wardrobe. Among the presents given by Darius son of Ilystaspes to the surgeon Demokedes. there were two pairs of golden chains — Acjpcerat 6t] fin> Aapdo^ Tzcdiuv ^pvaicw 6vo i^evyeaiv — Herodot. iii. 130: compare iii. 15. The Persian king and grandees habitu ally wore golden chains round neck and arms.