Page 549 likewise to take a more exact View and Account of his Troops, and to inlarge the Commands and Governments of his Captains and Commanders, and so to strengthen his Army, both by the Number of Soldiers, and Valour of their Officers. All which he forthwith put in Execution; and making choice of the most Deserving with the utmost Care possible, he advanc'd many from very considerable Places of Trust and Authority to much higher Preferments, by which means he both promoted his Officers, and gain'd their Hearts and Affections at the same time. He took care also for the better Government of the Common Soldiers, and by many new Inventions put every thing into a better Order and Posture than they were before. To conclude, when he had so manag'd every thing as that he had gain'd the Love of the whole Army, and made them in all Points observant to his Commands, and was assur'd for Valour they would give Ground to none, he march'd forward, in order to finish by fighting what further remain'd. When he came to the Province of Susiana, he presently without any difficulty gain'd the Possession of Susa, the Royal City, the most beautiful Palace of the Universe, which was voluntarily surrender'd to him by Abuletes the Lord Lieutenant of the Province. But some Writers have said, That this was done by order from Darius himself, to them that otherwise would have been both Loyal and Faithful to his Interest; and that this was done by the Persian King for this end, that Alexander being taken up with Matters of such great Moment, as taking Possession of famous and noble Cities, and loading himself with vast Treasures, Darius might gain more time for the raising of fresh Forces for the carrying on of the War.
Alexander therefore having possess'd himself of the City and the King's Treasures, found there above Forty thousand Talents of uncoin'd Gold and Silver. The Kings had preserv'd this Treasure untouch'd for many Ages, that it might be ready to resort to in case of some sudden and unexpected Turn of Fortune. Besides this, there was likewise Nine thousand Talents in coin'd Money call'd Daricks. While Alexander was taking an Account of this Wealth, there happen'd something that was very Remarkable. The Throne whereon he sate being too high for him, so that his Feet could not touch the Footstool, one of the King's Boys observing it, brought Darius his Table and plac'd it under his Feet, with which the King was very well pleas'd, and commended his Care. But one of the Eunuchs standing at the side of the Throne, much concern'd and griev'd at such a change of Fortune, burst out into Tears: Which Alexander perceiving; What Ill dost thou see (says he) that thou weepest so? To whom he answer'd, I was once Darius his Servant,now I am yours; but because I cannot but love my natural Lord and Master, I am not able without extream Sorrow to see that Table put to so base and mean a Use, which by him was so lately grao'd and honour'd. The King, upon this Answer, reflecting upon the strange Change of the Persian Monarchy, began to consider that he had acted the part of a Proud and Insulting Enemy, not becoming that Humanity and Clemency which ought to be shewn towards Captives; and therefore he commanded him who plac'd the Table there, to take it away: But Philotas standing near to him, said, It is not Pride or Insolency, O King! being done without your Command, but it falls out to be so through the Providence and Pleasure of some good Genius. Upon which, the King order'd the Table to remain where it was, looking upon it as some happy Omen.
After this, he order'd some Masters to attend upon Darius his Mother, his Daughters and Son, to instruct them in the Greek Tongue, and left them at Susa. And he himself march'd away with the whole Army, and after four Decampments came to the River Tigris, which rising out of the Uxian Mountains, runs first through a rough and craggy Country, full of large and wide Channels for the space of a Thousand Furlongs; thence it passes through a Champion Country with a more gentle Current, and having made its way for the space of Six hundred Furlongs, it empties it self into the Persian Sea.
Alexander having pass'd the River, march'd towards the most fruitful Country of the Uxians: For being water'd in every part, it plentifully produces Fruits of all sorts and kinds; of which, being in their proper Season dri'd in the Time of Autumn, they make all sorts of Sweetmeats, Sauces, and other Compositions, both for necessary Use and Pleasure, and the Merchants convey them down the River Tygris to Babylon. He found all the Passes strongly guarded by Madates, who was near related in Kindred to Darius, and had with him a strong and well-disciplin'd Army. Whilst Alexander was viewing the Strength of the Places, and could find out no Passage through those steep Rocks; an Inhabitant of the Country, who was well acquainted with those Ways, promis'd Alexander, that he would lead his Soldiers through such a strait and difficult Path-way, as that they should stand at length over the Heads of their Enemies: Hereupon the King order'd a small Party to go along with him. He himself in the mean time us'd his utmost Endeavour
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.