a ransom for his mother, wife, and child, and agreed that if he
would deliver them up to him on the payment of the ransom, and depart
from his dominions, he would thenceforth regard him as an ally and a
friend.

Alexander replied by a letter, expressed in brief but very decided
language. He said that the Persians had, under the ancestors of
Darius, crossed the Hellespont, invaded Greece, laid waste the
country, and destroyed cities and towns, and had thus done them
incalculable injury; and that Darius himself had been plotting against
his (Alexander's) life, and offering rewards to any one who would kill
him. "I am acting, then," continued Alexander, "only on the
defensive. The gods, who always favor the right, have given me the
victory. I am now monarch of a large part of Asia, and your sovereign
king. If you will admit this, and come to me as my subject, I will
restore to you your mother, your wife, and your child, without any
ransom. And, at any rate, whatever you decide in respect to these
proposals, if you wish to communicate with me on any subject
hereafter, I shall pay no attention to what you send unless you
address it to me as your king."

One circumstance occurred at the close of this great victory which
illustrates the magnanimity of Alexander's character, and helps to
explain the very strong personal attachment which every body within
the circle of his influence so obviously felt for him. He found a
great number of envoys and embassadors from the various states of
Greece at the Persian court, and these persons fell into his hands
among the other captives. Now the states and cities of Greece, all
except Sparta and Thebes, which last city he had destroyed, were
combined ostensibly in the confederation by which Alexander was
sustained. It seems, however, that there was a secret enmity against
him in Greece, and various parties had sent messengers and agents to
the Persian court to aid in plots and schemes to interfere with and
defeat Alexander's plans. The Thebans, scattered and disorganized as
they were, had sent envoys in this way. Now Alexander, in considering
what disposition he should make of these emissaries from his own land,
decided to regard them all as traitors except the Thebans. All except
the Thebans were _traitors_, he maintained, for acting secretly
against him, while ostensibly, and by solemn covenants, they were his
friends. "The case of the Thebans is very different," said he. "I have
dest