Alexander in the account of the battle which he
despatched to Antipater, does not mention the name of the man who
wounded him, but states that he received a stab in the thigh with a
dagger, and that the wound was not a dangerous one.
He won a most decisive victory, and slew more than a hundred thousand
of the enemy, but could not come up with Darius himself, as he gained
a start of nearly a mile. He captured his chariot, however, and his
bow and arrows, and on his return found the Macedonians revelling in
the rich plunder which they had won, although the Persians had been in
light marching order, and had left most of their heavy baggage at
Damascus. The royal pavilion of Darius himself, full of beautiful
slaves, and rich furniture of every description, had been left
unplundered, and was reserved for Alexander himself, who as soon as he
had taken off his armour, proceeded to the bath, saying "Let me wash
off the sweat of the battle in the bath of Darius." " Nay," answered
one of his companions, "in that of Alexander; for the goods of the
vanquished become the property of the victor." When he entered the
bath and saw that all the vessels for water, the bath itself, and the
boxes of unguents were of pure gold, and smelt the delicious scent of
the rich perfumes with which the whole pavilion was filled; and when
he passed from the bath into a magnificent and lofty saloon where a
splendid banquet was prepared, he looked at his friends and said
"This, then, it is to be a king indeed.
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