Daniel and the Revelation - Uriah Smith.pdf

absolute lord of the Persian empire to the utmost extent that it was ever
possessed by any of its own kings.
44
"And another third kingdom of brass shall bear rule over all the earth," said
the prophet. So few and brief are the inspired words which involved in their
fulfilment a change of the world's rulers. In the ever-changing political
kaleidoscope, Grecia now comes into the field of vision, to be, for a time,
the all- absorbing object of attention, as the third of what are called the great
universal empires of the earth.
After the fatal battle which decided the fate of the empire, Darius still
endeavored to rally the shattered remnants of his army, and make a stand
for his kingdom and his rights. But he could not gather, out of all the host of
his recently so numerous and well-appointed army, a force with which he
deemed it prudent to hazard another engagement with the victorious
Grecians. Alexander pursued him on the wings of the wind. Time after time
did Darius barely elude the grasp of his swiftly following foe. At length two
traitors, Bessus and Nabarzanes, seized the unfortunate prince, shut him up
in a close cart, and fled with him as their prisoner toward Bactria. It was
their purpose, if Alexander pursued them, to purchase their own safety by
delivering up their king. Hereupon Alexander, learning of Darius's
dangerous position in the hands of the traitors, immediately put himself
with the lightest part of his army upon a forced pursuit. After several days'
hard march, he came up with the traitors. They urged Darius to mount on
horseback for a more speedy flight. Upon his refusing to do this, they gave
him several mortal wounds, and left him dying in his cart, while they
mounted their steeds and rode away.
When Alexander came up, he beheld only the lifeless form of the Persian
king. As he gazed upon the corpse, he might have learned a profitable
lesson of the instability of human fortune. Here was a man who but a few
months before, possessing many noble and generous qualities, was seated
upon the throne of universal empire. Disaster, overthrow, and desertion had
come suddenly upon him. His kingdom had been conquered, his treasure
seized, and his family reduced to captivity. And now, brutally slain by the
hand of traitors, he lay a bloody corpse in a rude cart. The sight of the
melancholy spectacle drew tears even from the eyes of Alexander, familiar
though he was with all the horrible vicissitudes and bloody scenes of war.
Throwing his cloak over the body, he commanded it to be conveyed to the
captive ladies of Susa, himself furnishing the necessary means for a royal