51

Alexaiuler' s answer. The burying-places of Persia. 51

How THE Messengeks OF Dakius gave Alexander the
Letter, and his Answer.

The messengers of Darius coming then to Alexander gave
him the letter, which Alexander read soon before them all.
Then one of his chieftains, called Parmerion, said to Alexander :

4 ' Most mighty emperor, take all the wealth which Darius A noble of

covenants unto thee, and give back to him his wife and sons.' counsels

And, hearing this, Alexander called to him the messengers of ^^^ *? ^°"

. , cept these

Darius, and before all spoke thus, saying : * Tell ye to your terms. But

8 emperor we wonder first that he misdeemed his mother, wife, g^^ ^i^^

and sons to be betrayed by our hands. If he be overcome, Darms

bid him not promise us a reward. If he bow himself to our submit

yoke, all his honours and the majesty of God shall be laid dobal^tle.^

12 bare to our sway. If he be not overcome, let him do us
battle once again.' This said, he gave them rich gifts and

sent them forth away. Then he bade the soldiers take up He orders

and gather the bodies of the dead and bury them in graves ; be^)uri V^

1 6 and he bade them heal those that were wounded.

How Alexander encamped by the stream Grancus.

Then he encamped with his host by the stream of Grancus, He en-

and wintered there some days. And there he offered up i^jg army

victims to the ffods. And about the river there were palaces, ^ *^®

° _ _ ^ \ Grancus

20 and they were the fairest, raised up with greatest skill, and and sacri-

Xerxes the Kinej of the Persians had built them. Alexander, /' ^

° ^ ' Alexander

seeing them, bade them be burned. And soon after this, commands

stirred by ruth, he gave word none should dare touch them. tobe^burnT

24 And there too was a most fair and very wide field in which The bury-

the Kings and Deemsters of Persia were of old buried. And of?ife^°^

diffginff into this field the Macedonians found in the e-raves Kings and

-. All 1 P 1 1 P -^T. , Judges of

gemmed vases. And there they found the grave of Nmus the Persia,

28 King of Assyria and Persia, which was hollowed out of a Jl^easure is

single amethyst, and engraven on the outside with palm-leaves found. The

and sundry kinds of birds. And so bright was the amethyst Ninus and

that even from the outside the man's body appeared whole. derr°^The

32 And in this place was a narrow and evil tower on which Tower

stood many men, some with cut legs, some with^ broken Maimed

thighs, some with torn hands, and some blinded. They hearing ^^^'

4— a