CHAPTER XIX.

DARIUS PURSUED INTO MEDIA AND PARTHIA.

After bringing these matters to a successful issue, he advanced towards

Media; for he ascertained that Darius was there. Now Darius had formed

the resolution, if Alexander remained at Susa or Babylon, to stay

there among the Medes, in order to see if any change of policy were

made by Alexander. But if the latter marched against him, he resolved

to proceed into the interior towards Parthia and Hyrcania, as far

as Bactria, laying waste all the land and making it impossible for

Alexander to advance any further. He therefore sent the women and the

rest of the property which he still retained, together with the covered

carriages, to what were called the Caspian Gates[454]; but he himself

stayed at Ecbatana,[455] with the forces which had been collected

from those who were at hand. Hearing this, Alexander advanced towards

Media, and invading the land of the Paraetacae,[456] he subdued it, and

appointed Oxathres, son of Abulites, the former viceroy of Susa, to

rule as viceroy. Being informed on the march that Darius had determined

to meet him for battle, and to try the fortune of war again (for the

Scythians and Cadusians had come to him as allies), he ordered that the

beasts of burden, with their guards and the rest of the baggage, should

follow; and taking the rest of his army, he led it in order of battle,

and on the twelfth day arrived in Media. There he ascertained that the

forces of Darius were not fit for battle, and that his allies, the

Cadusians and Scythians, had not arrived; but that he had resolved to

flee. He therefore marched on with still greater speed; and when he was

only three days’ journey from Ecbatana, he was met by Bistanes, son of

Ochus, who reigned over the Persians before Darius. This man announced

that Darius had fled five days before, taking with him 7,000 talents

of money[457] from the Medes, and an army of 3,000 cavalry and 6,000

infantry.

When Alexander reached Ecbatana, he sent the Thessalian cavalry and

the other Grecian allies back to the sea, paying them the full hire

which had been stipulated, and making them an additional donation from

himself of 2,000 talents. He issued an order that if any man of his

own accord wished still to continue to serve for hire with him, he

should enlist; and those who enlisted in his service were not a few.

He then ordered Epocillus, son of Polyeides, to conduct the rest

down to the sea, taking other cavalry as a guard for them, since the

Thessalians sold their horses there. He also sent word to Menes to take

upon himself the duty of seeing that they were conveyed in triremes to

Euboea, when they arrived at the sea.[458] He instructed Parmenio to

deposit the money which was being conveyed from Persis in the citadel

at Ecbatana, and to hand it over to the charge of Harpalus;[459] for

he had left this man over the money with a guard of 6,000 Macedonians

and a few horsemen and light-armed infantry to take care of it. He told

Parmenio himself to take the Grecian mercenaries, the Thracians, and

all the other horsemen except the Companion cavalry, and march by the

land of the Cadusians into Hyrcania. He also sent word to Clitus, the

commander of the royal squadron of cavalry, who had been left behind at

Susa ill, that when he arrived at Ecbatana from Susa he should take the

Macedonians who had been left there in charge of the money, and go in

the direction of Parthia, where also he himself intended soon to arrive.