Now over against the plain was a certain castle, not very strong, and Darius had brought thither his daughter Roxana, that she might see the battle, for she had much besought him to let her see the field, though she told him not that her chief desire was to see the glory of the Lord of Macedon. But when the battle was over, and the Persians were fleeing, the lord of the castle shut the gates, and set a ward, opening to no man small or great. So on the morrow the host of the Greeks came near and summoned this lord to yield up the castle to Alexander, but he withstood them and laughed at them. Then Alexander came near, and swore by the gods that if he yielded not up the castle in an hour he would hang every man in it on its battlements, but if they yielded to his power he would save them alive. Then the lord came forth and sought speech of Alexander, and prayed him concerning the safety of Roxana, and the King laughed out and said: “Where should she be safer than with her mother and her grandam, who are with me in my camp?” So the lord of the castle opened his gates and they brought forth Roxana in her litter to Alexander, and he opened not the litter, but bowed before it, and bade them bear it to her mother in the camp; and great was the joy of the queens when they met, for Alexander bore him to them as a son and not as a conqueror.
Then was Darius in sore grief; for his empire was broken, his mother and his wife and his only daughter were in the hands of his enemy, and nought of hope was there save the help that Porus had promised him: so he sent messengers to Alexander offering him all his wealth if he would return his family into his hands, and go to his own land. But when the messengers had come to Alexander and had done their errand to him, Alexander received them roughly, and though all the Macedonians rejoiced, he said, “Why does your master speak thus to me; if I have conquered him, let him own me as lord; if not, let him come out and meet me in the field. As for his gold, it is mine when I wish to take it, without his offer.” And the messengers returned to Darius loaded with gifts and honour, while Alexander’s men were gathering together the bodies of them that were slain and tending the hurts of the wounded. And after the army was rested, Alexander gave them leave and they scattered over the plain up and down, and they found the old-time palace of the kings of Persia and the tombs of the lords of the land, and one of these was made of a noble amethyst, graven over with palm trees and with birds, and so clear was it, that men might see within it the body; and the name written on it was Ninus. Others among them came on a great tower, and they forced it open and found in it men of all nations, Greeks and barbarians, who had been put there by Darius, and some had lost a hand, and some an eye, and some a foot. So when they were brought before Alexander, they cried to him, and he set them free and gave to each of them a talent, and they went their ways whither they would, blessing the Greeks.
Now when the messengers returned to Darius and told him the words of Alexander, and how that he needs must give up his empire if he could not conquer him, the Persian set him to try one last chance to recover his power, and he sent letters to Porus, king of India, offering him great wealth and honour if he would come and fight with Alexander, and saying that he would pay the wage of the armies himself, and that all the spoil of the Greeks should be theirs. And the messengers went their way to India, but one of the chief men of Darius’ council came by night secretly to Alexander, and told him all that was in the mind of Darius. So Alexander was wroth, and he swore that he would never take the name of Emperor till Darius was slain, and he began to prepare his soldiers for an attack upon Susa, but ere he had given his orders tidings came that Darius was slain.
And this was the manner of his death. When it was told in Susa that the Greeks were preparing to assault the town, all men feared, even the knights of Darius, and the king withdrew himself into an inner room of his palace. There came to him two of his knights whom he loved, and whom he had raised up from the lowest of the people, and had made great and rich, so that they were equal with great peers. These foul traitors had said within themselves, “Surely Alexander has sworn the death of Darius, and he will give us great praise and honour if we slay him,” so that when they came into the room to the king, they drew their swords and looked on one another, and smote at Darius. But their hands failed them for fear, so that they slew not the king at first, and he cried out, “O sons, why slay ye me; is not my sorrow great enough, that ye of all men should turn against me? Yea, and the lord of the Greeks will reward ye and avenge my death at your hands.” But his words moved them not, and they thrust their swords through him, so that the royal robes were covered with blood, and he fell down, as if dead; while the knights went out, and none knew that they had been with the king.
Long did he lie there alone, for his servants feared to come in before him, but at last his nurse, an old dame of eighty winters, made as if she had a petition to offer, and opened the door of the room, and saw him stricken to death. So she cried aloud, and the servants ran in, and bore him to a bed in the palace.
CHAPTER XII. HOW ALEXANDER MARRIED ROXANA, THE DAUGHTER OF THE EMPEROR, AND HOW HE DEFEATED PORUS THE KING OF INDIA.
