51

OverviewTranscribeVersionsHelp

Facsimile

Transcription

Status: Complete
Show Translation

Alexander' s answer. The burying-places of Persia.

How the Messengers of Darius gave Alexander the Letter, and his Answer.

The messengers of Darius coming then to Alexander gave
him the letter, which Alexander read soon before them all.
Then one of his chieftains, called Parmerion, said to Alexander : 'Most mighty emperor, take all the wealth which Darius A noble of covenants unto thee, and give back to him his wife and sons.' And, hearing this, Alexander called to him the messengers of Darius, and before all spoke thus, saying : * Tell ye to your emperor we wonder first that he misdeemed his mother, wife, and sons to be betrayed by our hands. If he be overcome, bid him not promise us a reward. If he bow himself to our yoke, all his honours and the majesty of God shall be laid bare to our sway. If he be not overcome, let him do us battle once again.' This said, he gave them rich gifts and sent them forth away. Then he bade the soldiers take up and gather the bodies of the dead and bury them in graves; and he bade them heal those that were wounded.

How Alexander encamped by the stream Grancus.

Then he encamped with his host by the stream of Grancus, and wintered there some days. And there he offered up victims to the gods. And about the river there were palaces, and they were the fairest, raised up with greatest skill, and Xerxes the King of the Persians had built them. Alexander, seeing them, bade them be burned. And soon after this, stirred by ruth, he gave word none should dare touch them. And there too was a most fair and very wide field in which the Kings and Deemsters of Persia were of old buried. And digging into this field the Macedonians found in the graves gemmed vases. And there they found the grave of Ninus the King of Assyria and Persia, which was hollowed out of a single amethyst, and engraven on the outside with palm-leaves and sundry kinds of birds. And so bright was the amethyst that even from the outside the man's body appeared whole. And in this place was a narrow and evil tower on which stood many men, some with cut legs, some with broken thighs, some with torn hands, and some blinded. They hearing

Notes and Questions

Nobody has written a note for this page yet

Please sign in to write a note for this page