He charged them, and there was a general flight, and presently a
cry that Darius was taken. Alexander galloped up and found the unhappy
king on the ground, speechless and dying, pierced with javelins by his
own subjects, who would not let him fall alive into the enemy's hands,
and supported by a Macedonian soldier, who had given him drink, and heard
his words of gratitude to Alexander for his kindness to his family, and
his hopes that the conqueror would avenge his death, and become sovereign
of the world. Alexander threw his own mantle over the body, and caused
it to be embalmed, and buried in the sepulchres of the Persian kings.

Now that the victory was gained, the Greeks wanted to go home, and keep
all the empire subject to them; but this was not Alexander's plan. He
meant to spread Greek wisdom and training over all the world, and to rule
Persians as well as Greeks for their own good. So, though he let the
Greek allies go home with pay, rewards, and honours, he kept his
Macedonians, and called himself by the Persian title, Shah in Shah, King
of Kings, crowned himself with the Persian crown, and wore royal robes on
state occasions. The Macedonians could not bear the sight, especially
the nobles, who had lived on almost equal terms with him. There were
murmurs, and Parmenio was accused of being engaged in a plot, and put to
death. It was the first sad stain on Alexander's life, and he fell into
a fierce and angry mood, being fretted, as it seems, by the murmurs of
the Macedonians, and harassed by the difficulties of the wild mountainous
country on the borders of Persia, where he had to hunt down the last
Persians who held out against him. At a town called Cyropolis, a stone
thrown from the walls struck him on the back of the neck, and for some
days after he could not see clearly, so that some harm had probably been
done to his brain. A few days later he was foolish enough to indulge in
a wine-drinking banquet, at which some flatterers began to praise him in
such an absurd manner that Clitus, the son of his good foster-mother
Lanika, broke out in anger at his sitting still to listen to them.
"Listen to truth," he said, "or else ask no freemen to join you, but
surround yourself with slaves."

Alexander, beside himself with rage, leaped up, feeling for his dagger to
kill Clitus, but it was not in his belt, and they were both dragged
backwards and held by their friends, until Alexander broke loose,
snatched a p