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

XXIV.TYRE. NOVEMBER, B. C. 333, TO AUGUST, B. C. 332.Issus (lid as miicli to weaken the Persian fleet by fostering desertion in thePhoenician and Cyprian contingents as to exalt Alexander's name. The kingnow moved down into Phcenicia, proposing to reduce the coast line before venturinginland. All the towns received him with open gates until he came toTyre, queen city of the coast. Here he was denied admittance, and resorted toa siege. He began a mole from the mainland to the island on which new Tyrewas built, using the forests of Lebanon and the old city of Tyre for material.This mole was two hundred feet Avide and half a mile long. On it were builttowers and sheds to protect the workmen. The Tyrians showed wonderful skillin their efforts to break up the work and once set the towers on fire with a fireship,consuming the labor of months. Alexander went to Sidon and there gottogether a fleet larger than the Tynans', returning with which he was able tocoop them up in their two harbors. He now built his mole wider and strongerand reached the city walls. But he was eventually forced to operate a breachon the seaward side, where the walls were not so strong. After a sea-fight, inwhich he was victorious, Alexander made a breach in the wall, stormed thecity, captured and sacked it, hung two thousand men and sold thirty thousandinto slavery. The city was practically destroyed. Darius now approachedAlexander with an offer of ten thousand talents, all the territory west of theEuphrates, and his daughter in marriage ; but Alexander declined the offer,claiming a right to the whole of Asia.After the battle of Issus the Persian admirals made aneffort to save what might yet perchance be snatched from theburning. Pharnabazus sailed with twelve triremes and fifteenhundred mercenaries to Chios, fearing its defection.But the cause had suffered disastrous blows in the death ofMemnon, and the defeat at Issus. There soon appearedthreatening signs of falling off among the Phoenician andCyprian allies which still more materially weakened the Persiancause at sea. For when Alexander headed towards Phoe-