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and the family of Darius were taken, together with a great treasure in
coin. The slain in all numbered more than one hundred thousand.

The panic flight of Darius and his utter lack of ability did more than
lose him a battle: it lost him an empire. Never was there a battle with
more complete and great results. During the next two years Alexander
went to work to conquer western Persia. Most of the cities yielded to
him. Tyre resisted, and was taken and destroyed. Gaza, another strong
city, was captured and its defenders slain. These two cities, which it
took nine months to capture, gave Alexander the hardest fighting he
ever had. He marched from Gaza to Egypt, which fell without resistance
into his hands, and where he built the great city of Alexandria, the
only existing memento of his name and deeds. Thence he marched to the
Euphrates, wondering where Darius was and what he meant to do. Nearly
two years had passed since the battle of Issus, and the kingly poltroon
had apparently contented himself with writing letters begging Alexander
to restore his family. But Alexander knew too well what a treasure he
held to consent. If Darius would acknowledge him as his lord and master
he could have back his wife and children, but not otherwise.

Finding that all this was useless, Darius began to collect another army.
He now got together a vaster host than before. It was said to contain
one million infantry, forty thousand cavalry, and two hundred chariots,
each of which had a projecting pole with a sharp point, while three
sword-blades stood out from the yoke on either side, and scythes
projected from the naves of the wheels. Darius probably expected to mow
down the Macedonians in swaths with these formidable implements of war.

The army which Alexander marched against this mighty host consisted of
forty thousand foot and seven thousand horse. It looked like the extreme
of foolhardiness, like a pigmy advancing against a giant; yet Darius
commanded one army, Alexander the other, and Issus had not been
forgotten.

The affair, in fact, proved but a repetition of that at Issus. The
chariots, on which Darius had counted to break the enemy's line, proved
useless. Some of the horses were killed; others refused to face the
Macedonian pikes; some were scared by the noise and turned back; the few
that reached the Greek lines found the ranks opened to let them pass.

The chariots thus disposed of, the whole Macedonian line charged.
A