Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-01

sed to follow him. Alexander, afflicted at
the death of Darius, immediately went in
fqusst OF his murderer but desparing OF o.
ave- king him at that time, he repaired to
Eic4komphlis, the capital Of Parthia, where
h oSed his troops Soon after, however,
he "a his victorious march, entered
Hyrcania, and subjugated all the nations to
the south of the OXus. 1t is there where the
of his interview (no doubt fabulous)
with Ihaestris, queen OF the Amasons, is
placed She had come great distance, it
= seems, to contemplate the man whose fame
4 &llehthe whole world. 1t is said by some,
fhatcA seeing him she expressed her con-
eempyat the smallncss of his stature; by O.
tthess, that her desire was to leave posterity
by Alexander. Be it as it may, this is most
/. certain and unfortunate for his glory, that a.
bout this time he caused Philotas and Par
- MEMO his father to be put to death; the one
having until that time been his friend, the
other The most illustrious, the most jealous,
the most faithful Of his generals. The son
was pat to death under the pretext of con-
spiracy; and the father was most vilelv
p--- sassinated for fearhc should avengc the death
q OF his son. These are the first stains upon
= the Nmemory OF Alexander; and, dark as
y theyknay be considered, they are, unhapply,
: ~ nei3er the only ones the worst. This
DaMce, obstinatcly bent on the punishment
of Bessus, cross / the country rendered ste
rile by nature or devastated by tho enemy,
who believed himself safe from the Macedo-
stancy CT Alexander surmounted every OBJ
stacle. He finally got possession OF Bessus,
who was delivered up by his partizans
in Sagdiana, and found in a terrible death
the punishment of regicide. He was re-
conducted to Ecbatana, where, after having
been mutated, he was fastened alive to four
trees which by force had been bent together,
- and which, returning to their natural position
N with spring, tore asunder the limbs Of the
\ culprit.
I ~ Alexander at length arrived at the jaxar-
es, Ehichformed the northern bounds OF the
was founded by Cyrus, crossed the river and
defeated the Earbarians who inhabited the
opposite shore. He afterwards abandoned
this route, for the purpose of employing him
self in more solid enterprises, and turned his
mind and his march towards the regions of
India At Maracanda, the capital of Sogdi-
ana, he slew, in fit of drunkenness, old ely
tus. This brave veteran, brother of the
princes nurse, expired under his blows at
ter having saved the life of Alexander in the
first ct his victories, when crossing the Gra-
nicus.
The Macedonian monarch now crossed the
Indus, and arrived ON the Indian territory.
Taxiles king of that country, received him
In friendly manner; but another, named
Porus, opposed him courageouky. Morebrave
than fortunate, this last was defeated On the
other side of the Hydaspes and fell into the
power of Alexander, whose esteem he Sc
cured by his valor.
. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and possessing the grea
Vest avEi&3br conquests, Alexander directed
Is sssis sgards The esnges, with the in
teutsdn OF Crossing it and penetrating TO the
easteT boundaries of the earth. But his
folders, frightened by the difficulties and the
deserts of this unknown country, refused to
s. follow him, and compelled him to renounce
49, bis intention. He returned upon the Indus
t,fr by Oxydrace, at the seige of which he was
= near losing his life, having mounted the walls
alone and leaped into the city, where he was
under the necessity % defending himself sin
gle-handed against multitude of enemies,
until his soldiers had forced the gates and
come to his succor.
Alexander afterwards descended the In
dus and arrived within sight of the ocean,
where he observed with surpTize the newand
curious spectacle of its flux and reRux, to
which he was stranger as well as those
who were with him. He then took the road
Ito Babylon, leaving his feet, under the COM
mand of Nearchus, to navigate an unknown
\sea. II arrived, however, in safety, at the
port of Harmosias situated at the entrance
Of the Persian gulph.
On his return, Alexander espoused Statira
at Persepolis: she was the eldest daughter
of Darius. He gave her younger sister to
Hephestion, the most beloved of all his ia
vorites, who died soon afterwards from an
excess of intemperance. The victorious, the
great, the immortal Alexander, speedily fol-
lowed HIM, victim also to ashametui death
He died in the SD year of his age at Baby
Ion, after having made his triumphal entry
and exposed the spoil of the East to the
view of the ambassadors assembled there
from all parts Of the earth. Such is the ex-
petition of this great Captain, of this cee-
brated hero! 1t is computed that in less
than seven years he had caused his army to
travel over space Of 1000 leagues or 5000
miles.
Qna,rels Of the Generals of.Hlerandcr.
The conquests of Alexander were without
doubt, scourgc to his people; but his death
was for them a catastrophe Sjl more aft
ficting. Thu, win be confcssgd when it is
known that the lissenticER6etween the Ma
cedonian ofEicerspf tiePfirst rank who sur
s~vivcd him lasted foVfewcnty four years, and
they were distinguished chiefly by bloody
battles, pinage ,erfdy and murder.
Alexander you'd not name his successor