here he
crowned with a garland the pillar said to mark the tumulus of his
mythical ancestor Achilles, and, according to custom, ran round it
naked with his friends.

Alexander then marched northwards along the coast of the Propontis.
The satraps of Lydia and Ionia, together with other Persian generals,
were encamped on the river Granicus, with a force of 20,000 Greek
mercenaries, and about an equal number of native cavalry, with which
they prepared to dispute the passage of the river. A Rhodian, named
Memnon, had the chief command. The veteran general Parmenio advised
Alexander to delay the attack till the following morning; to which he
replied, that it would be a bad omen at the beginning of his
expedition, if, after passing the Hellespont, he should be stopped by a
paltry stream. Thereupon he directed his cavalry to cross the river,
and followed himself at the head of the phalanx. The passage, however,
was by no means easy. The stream was in many parts so deep as to be
hardly fordable, and the opposite bank was steep and rugged. The
cavalry had great difficulty in maintaining their ground till Alexander
came up to their relief. He immediately charged into the thickest of
the fray, and exposed himself so much that his life was often in
imminent danger, and on one occasion was saved only by the
interposition of his friend Clitus. Having routed the Persians, he
next attacked the Greek mercenaries, 2000 of whom were made prisoners,
and the rest nearly all cut to pieces, In this engagement he killed two
Persian officers with his own hand.

Alexander now marched southwards towards Sardis, which surrendered
before he came within sight of its walls. Having left a garrison in
that city, he arrived after a four days' march before Ephesus, which
likewise capitulated on his approach. Magnesia, Tralles, and Miletus
next fell into his hands, the last after a short siege. Halicarnassus
made more resistance. It was obliged to be regularly approached; but
at length Memnon, finding it no longer tenable, set fire to it in the
night, and crossed over to Cos. Alexander caused it to be razed to the
ground, and pursued his march along the southern coast of Asia Minor,
with the view of seizing those towns which might afford shelter to a
Persian fleet. The winter was now approaching, and Alexander sent a
considerable part of his army under Parmenio into winter-quarters at
Sardis. He also sent back to Macedonia such officers and