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

them certain victory.ALEXANDER ADDRESSES THEM. 303He assured them that Darius had donethe very thing he most ardently desired ; that the gods hadno doubt interfered in his behidf in placing the Persianswhere their enormous forces could not manoeuvre, while theythemselves could deepen their phalanx. They must not bemisled, said he, by the idea that the enemy was in their rear.He showed them that they were the always victorious goingout to fight the always vanquished ; that they were vastlysuperior to the slaves in the ranks of Darius, who were driveninto battle by the lash, while the Greek mercenaries whofought there for a miserable stipend were little better whencontending with their countrymen ;and that the coming battlewould decide the fate of Asia ;for this was not a satrap'sarmy, but Darius and all his peoples with him. He jDraisedevery man who had shown valor and spoke modestly but confidentlyof his own ability to lead them. He bade them rememberXenophon and the glorious deeds of the Greeks inevery age. He promised them rewards such as they hadnever dreamed of, and with that consummate art which a trueleader must of necessity possess, Alexander roused his officersto the highest pitch of enthusiasm. All crowded around himeager to grasp the king's right hand and swear to do or die.No doubt also hundreds of Macedonian soldiers stood about theplace of conference whence they could hear the echo of thesestirring words, and the hot blood which the young monarch'sown brave heart-throbs sent pidsating through the arteries ofhis listeners, soon bounded along those of every man in thecommand. The interview strikingly reminds one of the glowingwords of Frederick before the battle of Leuthen, and thehearty response of his generals.The coming night Alexander countermarched towards theseashore pass in the Syrian Gates, which he had promptlyreoccupied with some cavalry and archers, and took up the