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

422 DARIUS IN CHAINS.camp. There occurred a stormy scene, in which his abdicationwas demanded, and Darius found that the ancient majestyno longer hedged the Great King's person.The dissensionwas, however, smoothed over.His nobles for the momentcurbed themselves, and craved their lord's forgiveness.the end oftheir fealty was near.While pausing at theButCaspian Gates, Alexander suddenlylearned from Bagistanes, a Babylonian, and Antibelus, son ofMazseus, who came to him from Darius' camp, seeking amnesty,that a conspiracy headed by Bessus, Barsaentes, andNabarzanes had seized the person of Darius. In vain Artabazusand his sons, who controlled the Greek mercenaries —Patron was the immediate commander—had urged the kingto place himself in their hands; for Artabazus had foreseenthis treachery. The fidelity of mercenary troops isoften remarkable.All Greek mercenaries had uniformly remainedfaithful to Darius. Like the Swiss guards of LouisXVI., these hired troops would have died to the last man indefending their master in his misfortune.But Darius, thoughsuspicious of his nobles, and willing enough to put himself inArtabazus' hands, weakly delayed his action until the threeconspirators seized him.This they did one night, bound him,as the fable goes, with golden chains, and placed him in acovered chariot, or, as Curtius says, in a cart covered withsordid skins, so that he might not be recognized.Upon hisseizure, Darius' army melted away like snow under the middaysun ; many chiefs disjjersed with their troops to their respectivehomes ; many more went over to Alexander with prayersfor mercy. Artabazus and the Greek mercenaries retirednorth into the Tarpurian mountains.This news spurred on Alexander to stiU greater speed.He formed a corps d' elite of the cavalry Companions, thehorse-archers and lancers, and some phalangites selected for