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

TOWARDS EGYPT. 347usual vengeance, and one which, however much in accordancewith the spirit o£ the age, we can wish untrue of Alexander.The siege had lasted two months.Enormous stores of spices were captured here at Gaza,which was the chief market for such goods. Alexander issaid to have sent Leonidas, his ancient tutor, five hundredtalents' weight of frankincense and one hundred of myrrh, inmemory of a rejjroof once given him. When as a boy he was,at a sacrifice, throwing incense by the handful into the fire,Leonidas had said to him that until he had conquered theland of spices he must be more sparing. Alexander nowaccompanied his gift with the hope that Leonidas would nolonger be a churl to the gods.The study of numismatics furnishes us with many of ourhistorical facts. The coinage of Asia Minor and Syria showsus that, while Alexander restored to the territories west ofthe Taurus their liberties, the cities being left on the samefooting as those of Greece, those east and south of the Tauruswere treated as possessions of tis own. The coins of thelatter countries bear the impress of Alexander as king ; thoseof the former are not so issued. Syria and Phoenicia wereaccordingly left under a strong government, and Alexanderheaded for the country of the Nile.It was early December, just a year after the battle of Issus,when Alexander started on his Egyjitian expedition. Inseven days he reached Pelusium, whither he had ordered hisfleet under command of Hephaestion, so that it might meethim on his arrival. Though recently conquered, Egypt hadno bond whatsoever with its Persian masters, nor was thereany desire for an armed conflict with the Macedonians. TheEgyptians were a peaceful folk. The occupation of a newconqueror seemed quite immaterial to population and rulersalike. The Persian Satrap Mazaces, in lieu of receiving as