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

XXVI.ON TO BABYLON. SPRING TO SEPTEMBER, B. C. 331.Alexander now marched to Tyre and thence to Thapsacus, where he crossedthe Euphrates. The Persians expected him to move straight on Babylon andhad devastated the district in his path. But Alexander turned northerly andmarching to the Tigris crossed this river, likewise unopposed. Darius's evidentplan was to let him reach the very bowels of the land and then crush him onthe level plain by numbers. Moving down the left bank, Alexander ran acrossthe Persians drawn up on the plains of Gaugamela. He camped and gavehis men four days' rest. Parmenio advised a night attack, but Alexander refusedto "steal a victory." Darius had forces estimated between a quartermillion and one million one hundred thousand. Alexander had forty-seventhousand men. Alexander left his impedimenta in a stockaded camp in therear, so as to go into action unfettered, and addressed words of noble encouragementto his men, who were at the highest pitch of enthusiasm.So soon as spring opened, Alexander, having bridged theNile, crossed with his army and marched to Tyre, where hefound his fleet already riding at anchor. Passing throughSamaria, he deemed it necessary to chastise the inhabitantsfor having assassinated his deputy Andromachus, whom hereplaced by Memnon.In Tyre he again celebrated rites andgames at the temple of Hercules, with great splendor andpomp. Here the Athenians once more sent an embassy askingthat their fellow citizens, captured at the Granicus, bereleased, to which request, in view of the better tone of theAthenian politicalatmosphere, Alexander, according to Curtius,now acceded with gracious generosity. It is said thatDemosthenes, on this occasion, sent a letter to Alexandercraving pardon for his virulent opposition. Alexander alsodispatched a fleet to the Peloponnesus to counteract the Spar-