Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-24
TRAIL OF ALEXANDER
Course of Travels in Conquest
of World Traced.
LABOR OF A. v. w. JACKSON
Columbia University Archeologist
Solves Many Problems.
IRON GATES IN DERBENT WALL
Fire Temple at Baku Modern Struc-
ture-Inscriptions Give Lie
to Tradition.
LABOR OF A. v. w. JACKSON
IRON GATES IN DERBENT WALL
BY WILLIAM r.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS
special correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
CONSTANTINOPLE, September 20 1910.
frot. A. '. Williams Jackson of the
chair of archaeology, Columbia University,
New York, has just returned from his
annual visit to Persia. the Caucasus and
Turkestan. where he has been engaged
for several years in the fascinating and
important task of locating the trail ira
versed by Alexander the Great in his con-
quest of the world between 334 and 323
Il. c.
Prof. Jackson tells me that lie has been
able to identify with reasonable certainty
nearly all the stages made by the great
Macedonian in his pursuit of Darius Ill
last of the Achaeminian kings: the places
at which he stopped during his march,
the battletelds upon which lie fought He
is especially gratified that during the re-
cent summer he has been able to fix with
certainty the location of the famous
Caspian Gates beyond the city Of Raj
This is ancient Rajla, where the mother
of Zoroaster. founder of the fire wor
shippers, was born. between five and four
hundred years before Christ
Alexander's Conquest of World.
Phillip of Macedonia, as YOU will re-
member, fell by the hand of an assassin
in the midst of his preparation for an
invasion of the Persian empire in the
year 336 B. c.. He was succeeded by his
son. Alexander, then a mere Toy. twenty
years old.
He had not been on the throne year
before he was recognized, nOtwithstand-
ing his youth, as greater warrior and a
more powerful sovereign than his father.
He commanded the universal awe and
admiration of the Greeks.
AT the head of an army of 10000 cav
airy. infantry and archers, he started
eastward on his world-conquering cam
pajen and fought his first great battle, B.
G. 33f. i'm Asia Minor. He crossed the
Taurus mountains and subdued Mesopo-
tamia.
Thence he marched southwark and cap
tured Damascus. besieged Tyre success
fully. passed through Jerusalem paused
10 overthrow the fortress at GAIA, con-
quered Egypt. founded the city of Alex
andria. which he called by his own name
and there made his first claim to divinity
Having added all this territory to his
empire. he returned to Mesopotama ard
occupied. one after the other. the capitals
Of Assyria, Persia and Media, which were
full of wealth and splendor
The actual amount of gold and silver
seized by him in these capitals is esti-
mated at $3.50 100000. The loot made every
soldier in his army rich.
Death of Darius.
Darius the Great fed before him. Alex
ander's pursuit from Ecbatana, the cap
ital Of Media. through the Parthian pass
es is considered one Of the most remark
able of all military campaigns.
He overlook the flying Persian as the
| IA dyfu ~
by trators Bessus. his satrap in Bactria
or what Is now called Turkestan Bessus
placed the wounded monarch in a covered
chariot and set out TO meet Alexander.
But Darius refused TO follow a band
reused to fury. transfixed him with their
javelins ard left him weltering in his
blood.
Alexander came up only few moments
after Darius had expired He ordered the
body to be embalmed and buried with the
honors of emperor.
He captured and executed Bessus the
regicide, and married the daughter Of
Darius. who had no other heir. Thus
he assumed, so far as possible the char
acter Of Darius legitimate successor and
proclaimed himself emperor of the east.
He then returned westward to subdue
the Caucasus, and marched northward
along the westc-r shore Of the Caspian
sea TO what was then considered the linn
its of the world.
He built a wall twelve feet high from
the shores OF the Caspian TO the crags
OF the Caucasus mountains, like the great
wall of China, to hold back the wild tribes
of Asia that roamed upon the northern
steppes. The only passage was through
iron gates near the present city of Der
bent
The length Of this wall was 266 miles
There was a castle, fortress, every
six miles
The Romans built a similar wall across
the north OF England between Carlisle
and Newcastle, to keep the highlander rs
out of Britain.
1t is still question Of controversy
whether the wall from Derbent was built
by Alexander. Many historians believe
IL to be more probable that teh wall was
the work Of one of the local sovereigns
many generations before the Green in
vaSiOn.
Death Of Alexander.
After reducing the Caucasus Alexander
invaded the transcaspian country and
marched east and south through Afghan
istan. There he founded a city said to
be the modern Kandahar.
Then he turned northward across the
Hindo- Kush mountains and founded an
other colony, at what is now kabu.
! Then he kept on northward to Bokhara
| INDIGESTION GOES
| IN FIVE NINI-TEC