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

ON TO SUSA. 391Susa was the more central capital of the Persian Empire,and had been the winter residence. This city now becamethe next objective, and Alexander was wont to be restless, andanxious to be on the road, as long as there was work to bedone or danger to be encountered. After the stay of a monthin Babylon to make his footing secure, — he may have fearedtoo long delay for its effect on his Macedonians, — he movedon Susa, which he reached in a march of twenty days, probablyin November. The weather was auspicious. Duringthe hot season the march could hardly have been made. Thecountry then was rich and fertile, now it is a desert.But thegeological conditions are still the same ; the meteorologicalones have not materially changed. On the way Alexanderlearned that Philoxenus, whom he had disi)atched to Susa witha light advance-corps, immediately after the late battle, hadreceived its surrender with all its treasures.These amountedto from fifty to eighty millions of our money, part ingotsand part Darics. There was besides endless wealth in jewels,stuffs and other valuables, and the statues of Harmodius andAristogiton, carried away by Xerxes, were found in the treasurehouse and restored to Athens. At Susa, too, Alexanderoffered sacrifices and celebrated games.As an almost uniform rule, Alexander rewarded what wasreally treachery toDarius, though a common Oriental habit.Arbulites, the commander of the city, had welcomed Philoxenus.His son had come to meet Alexander with a processionof camels and elephants, laden with treasures as presents tothe conqueror. Alexander made Arbulites, in consequenceof this service, viceroy of the province ; but Mazarus, a Companion,was associated with him as commander of the garrisonin the citadel, and Archelaiis as general of the force ofthree thousand men left in the city. The treasure at Susacame in good stead.Alexander was enabled to send, through