CHAPTER XXIX.

ALEXANDER IN PERSIS.—TOMB OF CYRUS REPAIRED.

He himself then marched to Pasargadae in Persis, with the lightest of

his infantry, the Companion cavalry and a part of the archers; but

he sent Stasanor down to his own land.[815] When he arrived at the

confines of Persis, he found that Phrasaortes was no longer viceroy,

for he happened to have died of disease while Alexander was still in

India. Orxines was managing the affairs of the country, not because he

had been appointed ruler by Alexander, but because he thought it his

duty to keep Persia in order for him, as there was no other ruler.[816]

Atropates, the viceroy of Media, also came to Pasargadae, bringing

Baryaxes, a Mede, under arrest, because he had assumed the upright

head-dress and called himself king of the Persians and Medes.[817]

With Baryaxes he also brought those who had taken part with him in the

attempted revolution and revolt. Alexander put these men to death.

He was grieved by the outrage committed upon the tomb of Cyrus, son

of Cambyses; for according to Aristobulus, he found it dug through

and pillaged. The tomb of the famous Cyrus was in the royal park at

Pasargadae, and around it a grove of all kinds of trees had been

planted. It was also watered by a stream, and high grass grew in the

meadow. The base of the tomb itself had been made of squared stone in

the form of a rectangle. Above there was a stone building surmounted

by a roof, with a door leading within, so narrow that even a small man

could with difficulty enter, after suffering much discomfort.[818] In

the building lay a golden coffin, in which the body of Cyrus had been

buried, and by the side of the coffin was a couch, the feet of which

were of gold wrought with the hammer. A carpet of Babylonian tapestry

with purple rugs formed the bedding; upon it were also a Median coat

with sleeves and other tunics of Babylonian manufacture. Aristobulus

adds that Median trousers and robes dyed the colour of hyacinth were

also lying upon it, as well as others of purple and various other

colours; moreover there were collars, sabres, and earrings of gold and

precious stones soldered together, and near them stood a table. On

the middle of the couch lay the coffin[819] which contained the body

of Cyrus. Within the enclosure, near the ascent leading to the tomb,

there was a small house built for the Magians who guarded the tomb; a

duty which they had discharged ever since the time of Cambyses, son

of Cyrus, son succeeding father as guard. To these men a sheep and

specified quantities of wheaten flour and wine were given daily by

the king; and a horse once a month as a sacrifice to Cyrus. Upon the

tomb an inscription in Persian letters had been placed, which bore the

following meaning in the Persian language: “O man, I am Cyrus, son of

Cambyses, who founded the empire of the Persians, and was king of Asia.

Do not therefore grudge me this monument.” As soon as Alexander had

conquered Persia, he was very desirous of entering the tomb of Cyrus;

but he found that everything else had been carried off except the

coffin and couch. They had even maltreated the king’s body; for they

had torn off the lid of the coffin and cast out the corpse. They had

tried to make the coffin itself of smaller bulk and thus more portable,

by cutting part of it off and crushing part of it up; but as their

efforts did not succeed, they departed, leaving the coffin in that

state. Aristobulus says that he was himself commissioned by Alexander

to restore the tomb for Cyrus, to put in the coffin the parts of the

body still preserved, to put the lid on, and to restore the parts

of the coffin which had been defaced. Moreover he was instructed to

stretch the couch tight with bands, and to deposit all the other things

which used to lie there for ornament, both resembling the former ones

and of the same number. He was ordered also to do away with the door,

building part of it up with stone and plastering part of it over with

cement; and finally to put the royal seal upon the cement. Alexander

arrested the Magians who were the guards of the tomb, and put them to

the torture to make them confess who had done the deed; but in spite of

the torture they confessed nothing either about themselves or any other

person. In no other way were they proved to have been privy to the

deed; they were therefore released by Alexander.[820]