Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
sun. When he saw so much company near him, he raised himself a
little, and vouchsafed to look upon Alexander; and when he kindly
asked him whether he wanted anything, "Yes," said he, "I would
have you stand from between me and the sun." Alexander was so
struck at this answer, and surprised at the greatness of the man,
who had taken so little notice of him, that as he went away, he
told his followers who were laughing at the moroseness of the
philosopher, that if he were not Alexander, he would choose to be
Diogenes.
Then he went to Delphi, to consult Apollo concerning the success
of the war he had undertaken, and happening to come on one of the
forbidden days, when it was esteemed improper to give any answers
from the oracle, he sent messengers to desire the priestess to do
her office; and when she refused, on the plea of a law to the
contrary, he went up himself, and began to draw her by force into
the temple, until tired and overcome with his importunity, "My
son," said she, "thou art invincible." Alexander taking hold of
what she spoke, declared he had received such an answer as he
wished for, and that it was needless to consult the god any
further. Among other prodigies that attended the departure of his
army, the image of Orpheus at Libethra, made of cypress-wood, was
seen to sweat in great abundance, to the discouragement of many.
But Aristander told him, that far from presaging any ill to him,
it signified he should perform acts so important and glorious as
would make the poets and musicians of future ages labor and sweat
to describe and celebrate them.
His army, by their computation who make the smallest amount,
consisted of thirty thousand foot, and four thousand horse; and
those who make the most of it, speak but of forty-three thousand
foot, and three thousand horse. Aristobulus says, he had not a
fund of above seventy talents for their pay, nor had he more than
thirty days' provision, if we may believe Duris; Onesicritus tells
us, he was two hundred talents in debt. However narrow and
disproportionable the beginnings of so vast an undertaking might
seem to be, yet he would not embark his army until he had informed
himself particularly what means his friends had to enable them to
follow him, and supplied what they wanted, by giving good farms to
some, a village to one, and the revenue of some hamlet or harbor
town to another. So that at last he had portioned out or engaged
almost all the royal property; which giving Perdiccas an occasion
to ask him what he would leave himself, he replied, his hopes.
"Your soldiers," replied Perdiccas, "will be your partners in
those," and refused to accept of the estate he had assigned him.
Some others of his friends did the like, but to those who
willingly received, or desired assistance of him, he liberally
granted it, as far as his patrimony in Macedonia would reach, the
most part of which was spent in these donations.
With such vigorous resolutions, and his mind thus disposed, he
passed the Hellespont, and at Troy sacrificed to Minerva, and
honored the memory of the heroes who were buried there, with
solemn libations; especially Achilles, whose gravestone he
anointed, and with his friends, as the ancient custom is, ran
naked about his sepulchre, and crowned it with garlands, declaring
how happy he esteemed him, in having while he lived so faithful a
friend, and when he was dead, so famous a poet to proclaim his
actions. While he was viewing the rest of the antiquities and
curiosities of the place, being told he might see Paris's harp, if
he pleased, he said, he thought it not worth looking on, but he
should be glad to see that of Achilles, to which he used to sing
the glories and great actions of brave men.
In the meantime Darius's captains having collected large forces,
were encamped on the further bank of the river Granicus, and it
was necessary to fight, as it were, in the gate of Asia for an
entrance into it. The depth of the river, with the unevenness and
difficult ascent of the opposite bank, which was to be gained by
main force, was apprehended by most, and some pronounced it an
improper time to engage, because it was unusual for the kings of
Macedonia to march with their forces in the month called Daesius.
But Alexander broke through these scruples, telling; them they
should call it a second Artemisius. And when Parmenio advised him
not to attempt anything that day, because it was late, he told
him that he should disgrace the Hellespont, should he fear the
Granicus. And so without more saying, he immediately took the
river with thirteen troops of horse, and advanced against whole
showers of darts thrown from the steep opposite side, which was
covered with armed multitudes of the enemy's horse and foot,
notwithstanding the disadvantage of the ground and the rapidity of
the stream; so that the action seemed to have more of frenzy and
desperation in it, than of prudent conduct. However, he persisted
obstinately to gain the passage, and at last with much ado making
his way up the banks, which were extremely muddy and slippery, he
had instantly to join in a mere confused hand-to-hand combat with
the enemy, before he could draw up his men, who were still passing
over, into any order. For the enemy pressed upon him with loud
and warlike outcries; and charging horse against horse, with their
lances, after they had broken and spent these, they fell to it
with their swords. And Alexander, being easily known by his
buckler, and a large plume of white feathers on each side of his
helmet, was attacked on all sides, yet escaped wounding, though
his cuirass was pierced by a javelin in one of the joinings. And
Rhoesaces and Spithridates, two Persian commanders, falling upon
him at once, he avoided one of them, and struck at Rhoesaces, who
had a good cuirass on, with such force, that his spear breaking in
his hand, he was glad to betake himself to his dagger. While they
were thus engaged, Spithridates came up on one side of him, and
raising himself upon his horse, gave him such a blow with his
battle-axe on the helmet, that he cut off the crest of it, with
one of his plumes, and the helmet was only just so far strong
enough to save him, that the edge of the weapon touched the hair
of his head. But as he was about to repeat his stroke, Clitus,
called the black Clitus, prevented him, by running him through the
body with his spear. At the same time Alexander dispatched
Rhoesaces with his sword. While the horse were thus dangerously
engaged, the Macedonian phalanx passed the river, and the foot on
each side advanced to fight. But the enemy hardly sustaining the
first onset, soon gave ground and fled, all but the mercenary
Greeks, who, making a stand upon a rising ground, desired quarter,
which Alexander, guided rather by passion than judgment, refused
to grant, and charging them himself first, had his horse (not
Bucephalas, but another) killed under him. And this obstinacy of
his to cut off these experienced desperate men, cost him the lives
of more of his own soldiers than all the battle before, besides
those who were wounded. The Persians lost in this battle twenty
thousand foot, and two thousand five hundred horse. On
Alexander's side, Aristobulus says there were not wanting above
four and thirty, of whom nine were foot-soldiers; and in memory of
them he caused so many statues of brass, of Lysippus's making, to
be erected. And that the Grecians might participate the honor of
his victory, he sent a portion of the spoils home to them,
particularly to the Athenians three hundred bucklers, and upon all
the rest he ordered this inscription to be set: "Alexander the
son of Philip, and the Grecians, except the Lacedaemonians, won
these from the barbarians who inhabit Asia." All the plate and
purple garments, and other things of the same kind that he took
from the Persians, except a very small quantity which he reserved
for himself, he sent as a present to his mother.
This battle presently made a great change of affairs to
Alexander's advantage. For Sardis itself, the chief seat of the
barbarian's power in the maritime provinces, and many other
considerable places were surrendered to him; only Halicarnassus
and Miletus stood out, which he took by force, together with the
territory about them. After which he was a little unsettled in
his opinion how to proceed. Sometimes he thought it best to find
out Darius as soon as he could, and put all to the hazard of a
battle; another while he looked upon it as a more prudent course
to make an entire reduction of the sea-coast, and not to seek the
enemy till he had first exercised his power here and made himself
secure of the resources of these provinces. While he was thus
deliberating what to do, it happened that a spring of water near
the city of Xanthus in Lycia, of its own accord swelled over its
banks, and threw up a copper plate upon the margin, in which was
engraven in ancient characters, that the time would come, when the
Persian empire should be destroyed by the Grecians. Encouraged by
this accident, he proceeded to reduce the maritime parts of
Cilicia and Phoenicia, and passed his army along the sea-coasts of
Pamphylia with such expedition that many historians have described
and extolled it with that height of admiration, as if it were no
less than a miracle, and an extraordinary effect of divine favor,
that the waves which usually come rolling in violently from the
main, and hardly ever leave so much as a narrow beach under the
steep, broken cliffs at any time uncovered, should on a sudden
retire to afford him passage. Menander, in one of his comedies,
alludes to this marvel when he says,
Was Alexander ever favored more?
Each man I wish for meets me at my door,
And should I ask for passage through the sea,
The sea I doubt not would retire for me.
But Alexander himself in his epistles mentions nothing unusual in
this at all, but says he went from Phaselis, and passed through
what they call the Ladders. At Phaselis he stayed some time, and
finding the statue of Theodectes, who was a native of this town
and was now dead, erected in the marketplace, after he had supped,
having drunk pretty plentifully, he went and danced about it, and
crowned it with garlands, honoring not ungracefully in his sport,
the memory of a philosopher whose conversation he had formerly
enjoyed, when he was Aristotle's scholar.
Then he subdued the Pisidians who made head against him, and
conquered the Phrygians, at whose chief city Gordium, which is
said to be the seat of the ancient Midas, he saw the famous
chariot fastened with cords made of the rind of the corner-tree,
which whosoever should untie, the inhabitants had a tradition,
that for him was reserved the empire of the world. Most authors
tell the story that Alexander, finding himself unable to untie the
knot, the ends of which were secretly twisted round and folded up
within it, cut it asunder with his sword. But Aristobulus tells
us it was easy for him to undo it, by only pulling the pin out of
the pole, to which the yoke was tied, and afterwards drawing off
the yoke itself from below. From hence he advanced into
Paphlagonia and Cappadocia, both which countries he soon reduced
to obedience, and then hearing of the death of Memnon, the best
commander Darius had upon the sea-coasts, who, if he had lived,
might, it was supposed, have put many impediments and difficulties
in the way of the progress of his arms, he was the rather
encouraged to carry the war into the upper provinces of Asia.
Darius was by this time upon his march from Susa, very confident,
not only in the number of his men, which amounted to six hundred
thousand, but likewise in a dream, which the Persian soothsayers