with his main body, then
pursued Darius through Media by forced marches and reached Rhagae, a
distance of three hundred miles from Ecbatana, in eleven days. Such was
the rapidity of the march that many men and horses died of fatigue. At
Rhagae he heard that Darius had already passed the defile called the
"Caspian Gates," leading into the Bactrian provinces; and, as that pass
was fifty miles distant, urgent pursuit was evidently useless. He
therefore allowed his troops five days' rest, and then resumed his
march. Soon after passing the Gates he learned that Darius had been
seized and loaded with chains by his own satrap Bessus, who entertained
the design of establishing himself in Bactria as an independent
sovereign. This intelligence stimulated Alexander to make still further
haste with part of his cavalry and a chosen body of foot. On the
fourth day he succeeded in overtaking the fugitives with his cavalry,
having been obliged to leave the infantry behind, with directions to
follow more at leisure. The enemy, who did not know his real strength,
were struck with consternation at his appearance, and fled
precipitately. Bessus and his adherents now endeavoured to persuade
Darius to fly with them, and provided a fleet horse for that purpose.
But the Persian monarch, who had already experienced the generosity of
Alexander in the treatment of his captive family, preferred to fall
into his hands, whereupon the conspirators mortally wounded him in the
chariot in which they kept him confined, and then took to flight.
Darius expired before Alexander could come up, who threw his own cloak
over the body. He then ordered him to be magnificently buried in the
tomb of his ancestors, and provided for the fitting education of his
children.

The next three years were employed by Alexander in subduing Hyrcania,
Drangiana, Bactria, and Sogdiana, and the other northern provinces of
the Persian empire. In these distant regions he founded several
cities, one of which in Aria, called after him (Alexandria Ariorum), is
still, under the name of HERAT, one of the chief cities in central
Asia. Alexander's stay in Prophthasia, the capital of Drangiana, was
signalized by a supposed conspiracy against his life, formed by
Philotas, the son of Parmenio. Alexander had long entertained
suspicions of Philotas. But the immediate subject of accusation
against him was that he had not revealed a conspiracy which was
reported to be forming agains