main body of his army.

During all this time the ladies of Darius's family, who had been taken
captive at Issus, had been retained in captivity, and made to
accompany Alexander's army in its marches. Alexander refused to accede
to any of the plans and propositions which Darius made and offered for
the redemption of his wife and mother, but insisted on retaining them
as his prisoners. He, however, treated them with respect and high
consideration. He provided them with royal tents of great
magnificence, and had them conveyed from place to place, when his army
moved, with all the royal state to which they had been accustomed when
in the court of Darius.

It has been generally thought a proof of nobleness of spirit and
generosity in Alexander that he treated his captives in this manner.
It would seem, however, that true generosity would have prompted the
restoration of these unhappy and harmless prisoners to the husband and
father who mourned their separation from him, and their cruel
sufferings, with bitter grief. It is more probable, therefore, that
policy, and a regard for his own aggrandizement, rather than
compassion for the suffering, led him to honor his captive queens. It
was a great glory to him, in a martial point of view, to have such
trophies of his victory in his train; and, of course, the more highly
he honored the personages, the more glorious the trophy appeared.
Accordingly, Alexander did every thing in his power to magnify the
importance of his royal captives, by the splendor of their retinue,
and the pomp and pageantry with which he invested their movements.

A short time after leaving Tyre, on the march eastward, Statira, the
wife of Darius, was taken suddenly ill and died.[C] The tidings were
immediately brought to Alexander, and he repaired without delay to
Sysigambis's tent. Sysigambis was the mother of Darius. She was in
the greatest agony of grief. She was lying upon the floor of her tent,
surrounded by the ladies of her court, and entirely overwhelmed with
sorrow. Alexander did all in his power to calm and comfort her.

[Footnote C: It was the birth of an infant that caused her death,
exhausted and worn down as she doubtless was, by her captivity and her
sorrows.]

One of the officers of Queen Statira's household[D] made his escape
from the camp immediately after his mistress's death, and fled across
the country to Darius, to carry him the heavy tidings. Darius was
overwhelmed with affliction