ridemus.--Darius's displeasure at
Charidemus.--He condemns him to death.--Magnificence of Darius's
army.--Worship of the sun.--The Kinsmen.--The Immortals.--Appearance
of Darius.--Costly apparel of Darius.--His family.--Darius advances
to meet Alexander.--Map of the plain of Issus.--Mount Taurus.--Route
of Darius.--Situation of Issus.--The armies pass each
other.--Reconnoitering parties.--A camp at night.--The night
before the battle.--Sublime and solemn scenes.--Defeat of the
Persians.--Flight of Darius.--The mother and wife of Darius
taken captive.--Their grief.--Alexander's kindness to the
captives.--Hephaestion.--Alexander's interview with the queens.--A
mistake.--Boldness of Alexander's policy.--Number of Persians
slain.--Capture of immense treasure.--Negotiations.--Alexander's
message to Darius.--Grecian captives.--The Theban envoys.--Alexander's
victorious progress.

Thus far Alexander had had only the lieutenants and generals of the
Persian monarch to contend with. Darius had at first looked upon the
invasion of his vast dominions by such a mere boy, as he called him,
and by so small an army, with contempt. He sent word to his generals
in Asia Minor to seize the young fool, and send him to Persia bound
hand and foot. By the time, however, that Alexander had possessed
himself of all Asia Minor, Darius began to find that, though young, he
was no fool, and that it was not likely to be very easy to seize him.

Accordingly, Darius collected an immense army himself, and advanced to
meet the Macedonians in person. Nothing could exceed the pomp and
magnificence of his preparations. There were immense numbers of
troops, and they were of all nations. There were even a great many
Greeks among his forces, many of them enlisted from the Greeks of Asia
Minor. There were some from Greece itself--mercenaries, as they were
called; that is, soldiers who fought for pay, and who were willing to
enter into any service which would pay them best.

There were even some Greek officers and counselors in the family and
court of Darius. One of them, named Charidemus, offended the king very
much by the free opinion which he expressed of the uselessness of all
his pomp and parade in preparing for an encounter with such an enemy
as Alexander. "Perhaps," said Charidemus, "you may not be pleased with
my speaking to you plainly, but if I do not do it now, it will be too
late hereafter. This great parade and pomp, and this enormous
multitud