ecial care to leave no provisions behind
them. In this way he thought that the army of Alexander would be
reduced by privation and want, and would, in the end, fall an easy
prey. His opinion was, however, overruled by the views of the other
commanders, and the battle of the Granicus was the consequence.

Alexander encamped to refresh his army and to take care of the
wounded. He went to see the wounded men one by one, inquired into the
circumstances of each case, and listened to each one who was able to
talk, while he gave an account of his adventures in the battle, and
the manner in which he received his wound. To be able thus to tell
their story to their general, and to see him listening to it with
interest and pleasure, filled their hearts with pride and joy; and
the whole army was inspired with the highest spirit of enthusiasm, and
with eager desires to have another opportunity occur in which they
could encounter danger and death in the service of such a leader. It
is in such traits as these that the true greatness of the soul of
Alexander shines. It must be remembered that all this time he was but
little more than twenty-one. He was but just of age.

From his encampment on the Granicus Alexander turned to the southward,
and moved along on the eastern shores of the Aegean Sea. The country
generally surrendered to him without opposition. In fact, it was
hardly Persian territory at all. The inhabitants were mainly of Greek
extraction, and had been sometimes under Greek and sometimes under
Persian rule. The conquest of the country resulted simply in a change
of the executive officer of each province. Alexander took special
pains to lead the people to feel that they had nothing to fear from
him. He would not allow the soldiers to do any injury. He protected
all private property. He took possession only of the citadels, and of
such governmental property as he found there, and he continued the
same taxes, the same laws, and the same tribunals as had existed
before his invasion. The cities and the provinces accordingly
surrendered to him as he passed along, and in a very short time all
the western part of Asia Minor submitted peacefully to his sway.

The narrative of this progress, as given by the ancient historians, is
diversified by a great variety of adventures and incidents, which give
great interest to the story, and strikingly illustrate the character
of Alexander and the spirit of the times. In some places there wo