he domain of the races of
the Asianic peninsula and that of the Semitic peoples.

[Illustration: 377.jpg A BAS-RELIEF ON A SIDONIAN SARCOPHAGUS]

A second battle near the Issus, at the entrance to the Cilician gates,
cleared the ground, and gave the conqueror time to receive the homage of
the maritime provinces. Both Northern and Coele-Syria submitted to him
from Samosata to Damascus.

[Illustration: 379.jpg THE ISTHMUS OF TYRE AT THE PRESENT DAY]

Drawn by Boudier, from a sketch by Lortet.

The less important towns of Phonicia, such as Arvad, Byblos, Sidon, and
those of Cyprus, followed their example; but Tyre closed its gates,
and trusted to its insular position for the preservation of its
independence, as it had done of old in the time of Sennacherib and of
Nebuchadrezzar. It was not so much a scrupulous feeling of loyalty which
emboldened her to take this step, as a keen realisation of what her
conquest by the Macedonian would entail. It was entirely-owing to Persia
that she had not succumbed in all parts of the Eastern Mediterranean in
that struggle with Greece which had now lasted for centuries: Persia had
not only arrested the progress of Hellenic colonisation in Cyprus, but
had given a fresh impulse to that of Tyre, and Phoenician influence
had regained its ascendency over a considerable part of the island. The
surrender of Tyre, therefore, would be equivalent to a Greek victory,
and would bring about the decay of the city; hence its inhabitants
preferred hostilities, and they were prolonged in desperation over a
period of seven months. At the end of that time Alexander succeeded in
reducing the place by constructing a dyke or causeway, by means of
which he brought his machines of war up to the foot of the ramparts, and
filled in the channel which separated the town from the mainland; the
island thus became a peninsula, and Tyre henceforth was reduced to
the rank of an ordinary town, still able to maintain her commercial
activity, but having lost her power as an independent state (332).
Phoenicia being thus brought into subjection, Judaea and Samaria yielded
to the conqueror without striking a blow, though the fortress of Gaza
followed the example set by Tyre, and for the space of two months
blocked the way to the Delta. Egypt revolted at the approach of her
liberator, and the rising was so unanimous as to dismay the satrap
Mazakes, who capitulated at the first summons. Alexander passed the
winter on t