Alexander and the campaign against the Persians (PLUTARCH)

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His meeting with Diogenes of Sinope and the oblivious reaction of Diogenes impressed Alexander as to the greatness of this stoic philosopher and stated were he not Alexander, he would chose to be Diogenes.

• He went to consult the Delphian Oracle on a forbidden day improper for answers.







• The priestess rebuffed his messengers on the plea of law







• He went in person and forced her into the temple and she stated he would be invincible and he took that for the answer sought in the Persian campaign







• Prodigies attending his departure: portents or prodigies proliferated in the ancient world and among the ancients generally and that not fortuitously as they were somehow connected to the upper worlds far more than w moderns could ever conceive.The image of Orpheus at Libethra sweated abundantly to the discouragement of many and was made of cypress wood. Aristander explained that it did not presage ill but signified glorious acts he would perform that poets and authors in after ages should labor and sweat to describe and celebrate.







• His army by size was not equal to the task. The beginnings were narrow and disproportionate but his vision and faith in the prophecy was very grandiose. He apportioned out almost all of the royal property. He liberally granted his patrimony to its limit. Note the remarks of Perdiccas.







• He anointed the gravestone of Achilles at Troy and as ancient custom ran naked about his sepulchre,crowning it with garlands and esteemed him happy with so faithful a friend and a poet of fame to so proclaim his actions. He thought it not worth looking on Paris' harp,but was glad to see that of Achilles for which he sang the glories of great men and actions.






• Darius' captains with large forces collected on the Granicus as the Gate to Asia which had to be entered.An improper time to engage the enemy? The kings of Macedonia did not march with their forces in the month of Daesius.Alexander broke this taboo calling it a second Artemisius. He enters the Granicus against the advice of Pasrmenio and why should he disgrace the Hellespont and would do so if he should fear the Granicus. And so without more saying, he immediately took the river with thirteen troops of horse, and advanced against whole showers of darts thrown from the steep opposite side, which was covered with armed multitudes of the enemy's horse and foot, notwithstanding the disadvantage of the ground and the rapidity of the stream; so that the action seemed to have more of frenzy and desperation in it, than of prudent conduct. On the face of it the action in all seeming was a desperate undertaking but not to Alexander's vision was it such an undertaking.




• He took the river with 13 troops of horse and was showered with darts and made his way up the banks which were muddy and slippery. He experienced instant and confused hand to hand combat. Alexander had a helmet with white plumed feathers on either side and was attacked on every side but unwounded.His cuirass was pierced by a javelin in one of the joinings.



• Note the incident with Rhoesaces and Spithridates .The seeming protection of Alexander against premature death by slaying in battle is divine protectionism until his mission is completed,namely the spread of Hellenism through conquering and the ushering in of the Hellenistic age.



• He was not always cool and logical in battle planning and execution and an example of his rashness(passion) is at the Granicus. But the enemy hardly sustaining the first onset, soon gave ground and fled, all but the mercenary Greeks, who, making a stand upon a rising ground, desired quarter, which Alexander, guided rather by passion than judgment, refused to grant, and charging them himself first, had his horse (not Bucephalas, but another) killed under him. And this obstinacy of his to cut off these experienced desperate men, cost him the lives of more of his own soldiers than all the battle before, besides those who were wounded. (Quote from Plutarch)



• He won heavily in battle and sent the spoils home to the Athenians, his mother.Notice his inscription excepting the Lacedaemonians from winning booty from the barbarians in Asia.
  

Soon after, the Grecians, being assembled at the Isthmus, declared their
resolution of joining with Alexander in the war against the Persians, and
proclaimed him their general. While he stayed here, many public ministers and
philosophers came from all parts to visit him, and congratulated him on his
election, but contrary to his expectation, Diogenes of Sinope, who then was
living at Corinth, thought so little of him, that instead of coming to
compliment him, he never so much as stirred out of the suburb called the
Cranium, where Alexander found him lying along in the sun. When he saw so much
company near him, he raised himself a little, and vouchsafed to look upon
Alexander; and when he kindly asked him whether he wanted anything, "Yes," said
he, "I would have you stand from between me and the sun." Alexander was so
struck at this answer, and surprised at the greatness of the man, who had taken
so little notice of him, that as he went away, he told his followers who were
laughing at the moroseness of the philosopher, that if he were not Alexander, he
would choose to be Diogenes.
Then he went to Delphi, to consult Apollo
concerning the success of the war he had undertaken, and happening to come on
one of the forbidden days, when it was esteemed improper to give any answers
from the oracle, he sent messengers to desire the priestess to do her office;
and when she refused, on the plea of a law to the contrary, he went up himself,
and began to draw her by force into the temple, until tired and overcome with
his importunity, "My son," said she, "thou art invincible." Alexander taking
hold of what she spoke, declared he had received such an answer as he wished
for, and that it was needless to consult the god any further. Among other
prodigies that attended the departure of his army, the image of Orpheus at
Libethra, made of cypress-wood, was seen to sweat in great abundance, to the
discouragement of many. But Aristander told him, that far from presaging any ill
to him, it signified he should perform acts so important and glorious as would
make the poets and musicians of future ages labor and sweat to describe and
celebrate them.
His army, by their computation who make the smallest amount,
consisted of thirty thousand foot, and four thousand horse; and those who make
the most of it, speak but of forty-three thousand foot, and three thousand
horse. Aristobulus says, he had not a fund of above seventy talents for their
pay, nor had he more than thirty days' provision, if we may believe Duris;
Onesicritus tells us, he was two hundred talents in debt. However narrow and
disproportionable the beginnings of so vast an undertaking might seem to be, yet
he would not embark his army until he had informed himself particularly what
means his friends had to enable them to follow him, and supplied what they
wanted, by giving good farms to some, a village to one, and the revenue of some
hamlet or harbor town to another. So that at last he had portioned out or
engaged almost all the royal property; which giving Perdiccas an occasion to ask
him what he would leave himself, he replied, his hopes. "Your soldiers," replied
Perdiccas, "will be your partners in those," and refused to accept of the estate
he had assigned him. Some others of his friends did the like, but to those who
willingly received, or desired assistance of him, he liberally granted it, as
far as his patrimony in Macedonia would reach, the most part of which was spent
in these donations.
With such vigorous resolutions, and his mind thus
disposed, he passed the Hellespont, and at Troy sacrificed to Minerva, and
honored the memory of the heroes who were buried there, with solemn libations;
especially Achilles, whose gravestone he anointed, and with his friends, as the
ancient custom is, ran naked about his sepulchre, and crowned it with garlands,
declaring how happy he esteemed him, in having while he lived so faithful a
friend, and when he was dead, so famous a poet to proclaim his actions. While he
was viewing the rest of the antiquities and curiosities of the place, being told
he might see Paris's harp, if he pleased, he said, he thought it not worth
looking on, but he should be glad to see that of Achilles, to which he used to
sing the glories and great actions of brave men.
In the meantime Darius's
captains having collected large forces, were encamped on the further bank of the
river Granicus, and it was necessary to fight, as it were, in the gate of Asia
for an entrance into it. The depth of the river, with the unevenness and
difficult ascent of the opposite bank, which was to be gained by main force, was
apprehended by most, and some pronounced it an improper time to engage, because
it was unusual for the kings of Macedonia to march with their forces in the
month called Daesius. But Alexander broke through these scruples, telling; them
they should call it a second Artemisius. And when Parmenio advised him not to
attempt anything that day, because it was late, he told him that he should
disgrace the Hellespont, should he fear the Granicus. And so without more
saying, he immediately took the river with thirteen troops of horse, and
advanced against whole showers of darts thrown from the steep opposite side,
which was covered with armed multitudes of the enemy's horse and foot,
notwithstanding the disadvantage of the ground and the rapidity of the stream;
so that the action seemed to have more of frenzy and desperation in it, than of
prudent conduct. However, he persisted obstinately to gain the passage, and at
last with much ado making his way up the banks, which were extremely muddy and
slippery, he had instantly to join in a mere confused hand-to-hand combat with
the enemy, before he could draw up his men, who were still passing over, into
any order. For the enemy pressed upon him with loud and warlike outcries; and
charging horse against horse, with their lances, after they had broken and spent
these, they fell to it with their swords. And Alexander, being easily known by
his buckler, and a large plume of white feathers on each side of his helmet, was
attacked on all sides, yet escaped wounding, though his cuirass was pierced by a
javelin in one of the joinings. And Rhoesaces and Spithridates, two Persian
commanders, falling upon him at once, he avoided one of them, and struck at
Rhoesaces, who had a good cuirass on, with such force, that his spear breaking
in his hand, he was glad to betake himself to his dagger. While they were thus
engaged, Spithridates came up on one side of him, and raising himself upon his
horse, gave him such a blow with his battle-axe on the helmet, that he cut off
the crest of it, with one of his plumes, and the helmet was only just so far
strong enough to save him, that the edge of the weapon touched the hair of his
head. But as he was about to repeat his stroke, Clitus, called the black Clitus,
prevented him, by running him through the body with his spear. At the same time
Alexander dispatched Rhoesaces with his sword. While the horse were thus
dangerously engaged, the Macedonian phalanx passed the river, and the foot on
each side advanced to fight. But the enemy hardly sustaining the first onset,
soon gave ground and fled, all but the mercenary Greeks, who, making a stand
upon a rising ground, desired quarter, which Alexander, guided rather by passion
than judgment, refused to grant, and charging them himself first, had his horse
(not Bucephalas, but another) killed under him. And this obstinacy of his to cut
off these experienced desperate men, cost him the lives of more of his own
soldiers than all the battle before, besides those who were wounded. The
Persians lost in this battle twenty thousand foot, and two thousand five hundred
horse. On Alexander's side, Aristobulus says there were not wanting above four
and thirty, of whom nine were foot-soldiers; and in memory of them he caused so
many statues of brass, of Lysippus's making, to be erected. And that the
Grecians might participate the honor of his victory, he sent a portion of the
spoils home to them, particularly to the Athenians three hundred bucklers, and
upon all the rest he ordered this inscription to be set: "Alexander the son of
Philip, and the Grecians, except the Lacedaemonians, won these from the
barbarians who inhabit Asia." All the plate and purple garments, and other
things of the same kind that he took from the Persians, except a very small
quantity which he reserved for himself, he sent as a present to his
mother.