Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/220

 138 HISTORY OF GEKECE. now unusually multiplied and prolonged. Public solemnities were celebrated, together with theatrical exhibitions by artists who joined the army from Greece. But the change of most im- portance in Alexander's conduct was, that he now began to feel and act manifestly as successor of Darius on the Persian throne ; to disdain the comparative simplicity of Macedonian habits, and to assume the pomp, the ostentatious apparatus of luxuries, and even the dress, of a Persian king. To many of Alexander's soldiers, the conquest of Persia ap • peared to be consummated and the war finished, by the death of Darius. They were reluctant to exchange the repose and en- joyments of Hekatompylus for fresh fatigues ; but Alexander, assembling the select regiments, addressed to them an emphatic appeal which revived the ardor of all.^ His first march was, across one of the passes from the south to the north of Mount Elburz, into Hyrkania, the region bordering the south-eastern corner of the Caspian Sea. Here he found no resistance ; the Hyrkanian satrap Phrataphernes, together with Nabarzanes, Artabazus, and other eminent Persians, surrendered themselves to him, and were favorably received. The Greek mercenaries, 1500 in number, who had served with Darius, but had retired when that monarch was placed under arrest by Bessus, sent en- voys requesting to be allowed to surrender on capitulation. But Alexander — reproaching them with guilt for having taken ser- vice with the Persians, in contravention of the vote passed by the Hellenic synod — required them to surrender at discretion ; which they expressed their readiness to do, praying that an officer might be despatched to conduct them to him in safety .3 The Macedonian Andronikus was sent for this purpose, while Alexander undertook an expedition into the mountains of the Mardi ; a name seemingly borne by several distinct tribes in parts remote from each other, but all poor and brave moun- taineers. These Mardi occupied parts of the northern slope of the range of Mount Elburz a few miles from the Caspian Sea (Mazanderan and Ghilan). Alexander pursued them into all ' This was attested by his own letters to Antipater, which Plutarch had seen (Plutarch, Alexand. 47). Curtius composes a long speech for Alex* der (vi. 7, 9). * Arrian, iii. 23, 15.