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XXI. While he was dining it was told him that the mother and wife of
Darius, and his two daughters, who were among the captives, had seen
the chariot and bow of Darius, and were mourning for him, imagining
him to be dead. Alexander when he heard this paused for a long time,
being more affected by the grief of these ladies, than by the victory
which he had won. Hie sent Leonnatus to inform them, that they need
neither mourn for Darius, nor fear Alexander; for he was fighting for
the empire of Asia, not as a personal enemy of Darius, and would take
care that they were treated with the same honour and respect as
before. This generous message to the captive princesses was followed
by acts of still greater kindness; for he permitted then to bury
whomsoever of the slain Persians they wished, and to use all their own
apparel and furniture, which had been seized by the soldiers as
plunder. He also allowed them to retain the regal title and state, and
even increased their revenues. But the noblest and most truly royal
part of his treatment of these captive ladies was that he never
permitted them to hear any coarse language, or imagine for a moment
that they were likely to suffer violence or outrage; so that they
lived unseen and unmolested, more as though they were in some sacred
retreat of holy virgins than in a camp. Yet the wife of Darius is said
to have been the most beautiful princess of her age, just as Darius
himself was the tallest and handsomest man in Asia, and their
daughters are said to have resembled their parents in beauty.
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