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[313]
About this time it was that Darius heard how Alexander had passed
over the Hellespont, and had beaten his lieutenants in the battle at Granicum,
and was proceeding further; whereupon he gathered together an army of horse
and foot, and determined that he would meet the Macedonians before they
should assault and conquer all Asia. So he passed over the river Euphrates,
and came over Taurus, the Cilician mountain, and at Issus of Cilicia he
waited for the enemy, as ready there to give him battle. Upon which Sanballat
was glad that Darius was come down; and told Manasseh that he would suddenly
perform his promises to him, and this as soon as ever Darius should come
back, after he had beaten his enemies; for not he only, but all those that
were in Asia also, were persuaded that the Macedonians would not so much
as come to a battle with the Persians, on account of their multitude. But
the event proved otherwise than they expected; for the king joined battle
with the Macedonians, and was beaten, and lost a great part of his army.
His mother also, and his wife and children, were taken captives, and he
fled into Persia. So Alexander came into Syria, and took Damascus; and
when he had obtained Sidon, he besieged Tyre, when he sent all epistle
to the Jewish high priest, to send him some auxiliaries, and to supply
his army with provisions; and that what presents he formerly sent to Darius,
he would now send to him, and choose the friendship of the Macedonians,
and that he should never repent of so doing. But the high priest answered
the messengers, that he had given his oath to Darius not to bear arms against
him; and he said that he would not transgress this while Darius was in
the land of the living. Upon hearing this answer, Alexander was very angry;
and though he determined not to leave Tyre, which was just ready to be
taken, yet as soon as he had taken it, he threatened that he would make
an expedition against the Jewish high priest, and through him teach all
men to whom they must keep their oaths. So when he had, with a good deal
of pains during the siege, taken Tyre, and had settled its affairs, he
came to the city of Gaza, and besieged both the city and him that was governor
of the garrison, whose name was Babemeses.
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