Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

392
THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
have described; and Alexander gave him dominion
over all his kingdom, and he administered it wisely
and well.
Alexander Thcn Alexander gathered together his army and
Persia"
""^
Set out to do battle with Darius, and he found that
he had entrenched himself behind five strongholds,
and that he had placed a governor over each,
together with twelve thousand men. And Alexander
sent a message unto him, saying, "It is not
"meet and right for thee to entrench thyself
"behind strongholds, therefore come forth that we
"may do battle;" so Darius went out, for he was
Defeat of afraid lest disgrace should come upon him [if he did
not]; and they fought. Now when Alexander saw
that the army of Darius was more numerous
than his, he sent a herald round about, saying,
"Whosoever slayeth Darius will I honour above
"all my army." And when Darius' soldiers heard
[those words] two of them, whose father had been
slain by him because of his evil deeds, rose up
against Darius and slew him in the battle, and
they fled to Alexander and informed him [of what
they had done]. Then Alexander [went and] found
Darius lying prostrate [p. 231] upon the ground,
drenched in blood, but the breath of life was still
Death of in him. And Alexander said unto Darius, "If thou
"hast any orders for me, give them to me;" and
Darius said, "Yea, [I have]. I wish thee to slay
"my murderer, and to marry my daughter, and
"to cherish my mother;" and Alexander under-
took these things and performed them, even as