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

XXX.DARIUS. MARCH TO JULY, B. C. 330.Alexander followed Darius to Ecbatana, but the Great King retired to theCaspian Gates. At Ecbatana Alexander established his treasury, and depositedhere some four hundred million dollars.This city was a central strategicpoint of great value, and Parmenio was left incommand with a strong garrison.Darius still had money, weapons, officers, troops. He could at the CaspianGates easily bar to Alexander the entrance to the eastern quarter of hiskingdom. But there was treason in his camp. From Ecbatana Alexanderheaded his column and pushed on to Rhagas, at the rate of twenty miles a day.Here he ascertained that Bessus and others had seized Darius, and held himprisoner, purposing to enjoy their several satrapies as kings.Taking the cavalry,and mounting a few phalangites, he pushed on ahead with but two days'provisions.Marching three nights and two days, with a rest of but a few hours,he came to a village where Bessus had camped the day before. He had exhaustedmen and horses. From here, selecting five hundred officers and men,— the best and strongest apart from rank, — he marched across a desert tractof fifty miles during the afternoon and night, and at daybreak came upon theenemy.Only sixty men had been able to keep up with him when he reached andcharged in upon their thousands. But the very fact that he was Alexandersaved him. The enemy dispersed. He had marched four hundred mUes ineleven days. Alexander came too late. Darius had been murdered by the conspirators,and these had fled, each to his own satrapy.Darius had fled to Ecbatana, in Media, five hundred milesfrom Persepolis, and remained there awaiting events. Theexact position of this ancient city, where the kings of Persiawere wont to spend part of the summer months (the sj^ringwas passed at Susa, and the rest of the year at Babylon), isdisputed. It has been identified as Hamadan, and also assome fifty miles to the west of this place. Questions oftopography constantly present the same difficulty. Its situationwas at all events at the foot of Mount Orontes, six thou-