Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/160

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128 HISTORY OF GREECE. of the battle of Issus. Apprehending a reAolt in the island of Chios as the result of this news, Pharnabazus immediately sailed thither with a large detachment. Agis, obtaining nothing more than a subsidy of thirty talents and a squadron of ten triremes, was obliged to renounce his projects in Peloponnesus, and to con- tent himself with directing some operations in Krete, to be con- ducted by his brother Agesilaus ; while he himself remained among the islands, and ultimately accompanied the Persian Au- tophradates to Halikarnassus.i It appears, however, that he afterwards went to conduct the operations in Krete, and that he had considerable success in that island, bringing several Kretan towns to join the Persians.'^ On the whole, however, the victory of Issus overawed all free spirit throughout Greece, and formed a guarantee to Alexander for at . least a temporary quiescence. The philo-Macedonian synod, assembled at Corinth during the Isthmian festival, manifested their joy by sending to him an em- bassy of congratulation and a wreath of gold.^ With little delay after his victory, Alexander marched through Koele-Syria to the Phenician coast, detachmg Parmenio in his way to attack Damascus, whither Darius, before the battle, had sent most part of his treasure with many confidential officers, Persian women of rank, and envoys. Though the place might have held out a considerable siege, it was surrendered without resistance by the treason or cowardice of the governor; who made a feint of trying to convey away the treasure, but took carf that it should fall into the hands of the enemy.* There was cap- tured a large treasure — with a prodigious number and variety of attendants and ministers of luxury, belonging to the court and the grandees.^ Moreover the prisoners made w^ere so numerous, ' Anian, ii. 13, 4-8. * Diodor. xvii. 48. ■' Diodor. xvii. 48; Curtiiis, iv. 5, 11. Curtius seems to mention tliis vote later, but it must evidently have been passed at the first Isthmain festival after the l)attle of Issus.

  • Anian, ii. 11, 13 ; Curtius, iii. 13. The words of Anian (ii. 15, 1) —

oTTLCTtj KOftiaavra f'f Aa/uacKov — confirm the statement of Curtius, that this treasure was captured by Parmenio, not in the town, but in the hands of fugitives who were conveying it away from the town. ^ A fragment of the letter from Parmenio to Alexander is i)reserved, gir lag a detailed list of the articles of booty (Athenaeus, xiii. p. (107).