Defeating Darius
HERE was at
this time in Darius's army a Macedonian refugee, named Amyntas, one who was
pretty well acquainted with Alexander's character. This man, when he saw
Darius intended to fall upon the enemy in the passes and defiles, advised him
earnestly to keep where he was, in the open and extensive plains, it being the
advantage of a numerous army to have field-room enough when it engages with a
lesser force. Darius, instead of taking his counsel, told him he was afraid
the enemy would endeavor to run away, and so Alexander would escape out of his
hands. "That fear," replied Amyntas, "is needless, for assure yourself that
far from avoiding, you, he will make all the speed he can to meet you, and is
now most likely on his march towards you." But Amyntas's counsel was to no
purpose, for Darius immediately decamping, marched into Cilicia, at the same
time that Alexander advanced into Syria to meet him; and missing one another
in the night, they both turned back again. Alexander, greatly pleased with the
event, made all the haste he could to fight in the defiles, and Darius to
recover his former ground, and draw his army out of so disadvantageous a
place. For now he began to perceive his error in engaging himself too far in a
country in which the sea, the mountains, and the river Pinarus running through
the midst of it, would necessitate him to divide his forces, render his horse
almost unserviceable, and only cover and support the weakness of the enemy.
Fortune was not kinder to Alexander in the choice of the ground, than he was
careful to improve it to his advantage. For being much inferior in numbers, so
far from allowing himself to be outflanked, he stretched his right wing much
further out than the left wing of his enemies, and fighting there himself in
the very foremost ranks, put the barbarians to flight. In this battle he was
wounded in the thigh, Chares says by Darius, with whom he fought hand to hand.
But in the account which he gave Antipater of the battle though indeed he owns
he was wounded in the thigh with sword, though not dangerously, yet he takes
no notice who it was that wounded him.
Nothing was wanting to complete this victory, in which he overthrew above a
hundred and ten thousand of his enemies, but the taking the person of Darius,
who escaped very narrowly by flight. However, having taken his chariot and his
bow, he returned from pursuing him, and found his own men busy in pillaging
the barbarians' camp, which (though to disburden themselves, they had left
most of their baggage at Damascus) was exceedingly rich. But Darius's tent,
which was full of splendid furniture, and quantities of gold and silver, they
reserved for Alexander himself, who after he had put off his arms, went to
bathe himself, saying, "Let us now cleanse ourselves from the toils of war in
the bath of Darius." "Not so," replied one of his followers, "but in
Alexander's rather; for the property of the conquered is, and should be called
the conqueror's." Here, when he beheld the bathing vessels, the water-pots,
the pans, and the ointment boxes, all of gold, curiously wrought, and smelt
the fragrant odors with which the whole place was exquisitely perfumed, and
from thence passed into a pavilion of great size and height, where the couches
and tables and preparations for an entertainment were perfectly magnificent,
he turned to those about him and said, "This, it seems, is royalty."
Next chapter: Gentle
and temperate 
Plutarch: ALEXANDER
