Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

260 PERSIAN FLEET BESIEGED.of their courage, he was fain to offer them a truce on conditionof their taking service under himself. He also pai-donedthe surviving citizens of Miletus, and granted the city itsfreedom. The other inhabitants were sold as slaves.The Persian fleet daily offered battle to Nicanor, which thelatter as often declined. At night they returned to, andanchored near. Mount Mycale, whence they had to send tothe Maeander, over ten miles distant, for water. Alexandertried a scheme to drive them from their position without battle.He sent Philotas, w^th some horse and three brigades ofinfantry, to occupy their landing-place, and to patrol the shorenear by to prevent them fi'om getting their usual supply,as well as keep them from foraging, and thus, as it were,besiege their fleet. The Persians were soon forced to sail forSamos, whence, after they had revictualed, they returned.Having exhausted every effort to bring the Macedonians tobattle by parading each day in line at the mouth of the harbor,they essayed to cut out some of the Greek galleys, whilethe sailors were ashore gathering fuel and provisions — a dailynecessity in olden times — and sent five ships into the roadsteadbetween Lade and the mainland to surprise the fleet unmanned.By thus sailing into the harbor, they believed theymight get between the army and the fleet. They came closeto being successful in their effort, for the Macedonian shipswere nearly all, for the moment, without their crews. Perceivingthis, Alexander, who happened to be on hand, hastilyassembled what sailors were to be found, gave chase to thesefive galleys with ten of his own which he quickly manned,drove them off, and captured one. The Persians, chagrined bythis slight disaster, and seeing no chance of disturbing Alexander'shold on the place, decided to leave the vicinity ofMiletus, This they soon did, sailing for Samos, and havingaccomplished no result whatever, despite their superior num-