English
Alexander in Darius's Camp
When Alexander heard the army was approaching, he set out along the road to meet it.
When two leagues remained between the two armies, Alexander summoned his noble advisors.
When he had heard enough from his counselors, he said: Now there is no other plan but this.
That I myself go to him as an envoy, and take the measure of his strength and weakness.
He called for a jeweled royal belt and a splendid robe embroidered with gold.
They brought a horse with golden trappings, a golden sword in its scabbard fixed to the saddle.
He chose ten riders from among the Greeks, men skilled in every kind of talk and negotiation.
At dawn he set out from the camp, himself with his notables and an interpreter.
When he drew near to Darius, he dismounted and bowed low before him.
King Darius called him forward, greeted him, and seated him below the throne.
All the notables were struck with wonder and silently offered him their praise,
at the sight of his glory and refinement, his stature, his bearing, and his poise.
As soon as he was seated, he rose to his feet and delivered Alexander's message plainly.
First he offered praise to the king: May the crowned head live forever.
Alexander says: O man of good name, whose fame is spread everywhere in the world,
I have no wish to make war on the king, nor to linger and seize the land of Iran.
My aim is only to travel a little across the earth, to see the world just once.
I want only honesty and goodwill, especially since you are the lord of Iran.
If you would deny me even a passage of your soil, one cannot hand over the open air like drifting cloud.
You have come against me with an army, unaware of my intentions, great or small.
If you make war, I will make war with you; I will not pass through this land without a battle.
Choose a day for combat; hold to it and do not turn from this desire.
For I will not turn my head from war with chieftains, however great their army may be.
When Darius saw his spirit and his wisdom, his eloquence, his glory, and his stature,
you would think it was Darius himself upon the ivory throne, with armlets, torque, glory, and crown.
He said to him: What is your name and lineage? For your glory and bearing carry a royal mark.
You are above the measure of mere lesser men; I truly suspect you are Alexander himself.
With this glory, stature, speech, and face, perhaps the heavens have raised you for a throne.
He answered: No one has ever done this, neither in peace nor in war.
Nor are the spokesmen at his court of low rank; they are like crowns upon the heads of the wise.
How would such a king, the head of the assembly, ever bring his own message himself?
Alexander has wisdom enough to go beyond the ways of those before him.
The commander gave me his message in this manner, and I have told the king what he wished to say.
They prepared a place for him, one fitting to his rank.
When the lord of Iran set out the feast, he ordered the steward to call him in.
When the food was eaten they arranged the gathering; they called for wine, music, and minstrels.
Whenever Alexander drank the pleasant wine, he quietly set the cup aside at his hip.
So it went, as wine and cups passed round, and this setting-aside grew past all bounds.
The cupbearer came and told Darius: Today the Greek has been mating with the cups.
The king ordered them to ask him why he was keeping the wine cups.
The cupbearer said to him: O lionlike man, why do you keep tucking golden cups at your side?
Alexander answered: The cup belongs to the envoy, O man of good name.
If the custom of Iran is otherwise, then take the golden cups back to the king's treasury.
The king laughed at his ways and ordered a jeweled royal cup.
He commanded that it be placed on his palm, with a red ruby set upon its rim.
At that very moment, the tribute-collectors of Greece, who had gone to that region,
came from their quarters to the feast and strode forward toward the king.
The envoy saw Alexander's face; he went to the king and lavished praise on him.
He said: This lord is Alexander, who sits on a throne with mace and crown.
When the king ordered us to go to him to demand tribute, we went.
He grew furious and treated us with contempt, and quarreled in his words against the king.
When I fled from his realm, in the dark night I spurred the horses on.
We have seen no one like him in Greece; a bold man has come into this land.
He is taking the measure of your army, and of your treasure, throne, and crown.
When the king heard the envoy's words, he fixed his gaze more closely on Alexander.
Alexander understood what they were saying in secret to the king of the world.
He waited until the day grew darker and the world-brightening sun sank toward the west.
The bold man came to the entrance of the royal pavilion and set his foot in the stirrup.
Then he said to his own riders, his high-fortuned and famous men:
Our lives now depend on our horses; if they falter, only the wind will be left in our hands.
They all urged their swift steeds forward and fled from before the king of the world.
When Darius could no longer see his head and crown, he had vanished from sight into the dark.
At once he sent a guard near the tent of the suspected guest.
When they went, the wakeful one had already gone; the king's fortune had not been asleep like that.
Then Darius sent horsemen after him, a thousand bold and battle-seeking men.
They galloped after him like the wind, but in the dark night they lost the road.
They came upon the vanguard and turned back; there was no gain, only hardship and a long road.
When Alexander reached his own pavilion, the Greek champions rose from their places.
That night they saw the king content, with four jeweled cups before him.
He said to his champions: May you flourish; be glad at this fortunate omen of ours.
For these cups are the cups of our victory and life; the highest stars are under our command.
I have also counted his army; it has far fewer riders than what was reported.
All of you, draw your swords for battle, and set out across this open plain.
When you put your bodies to the toil of war, from that toil you will win kingship and treasure.
The Creator of the world is my ally; the chief of the stars is in my grasp.
The nobles called out their praise upon him: May the earth flourish through Caesar.
May our bodies and souls be sacrificed for you; this is our everlasting pledge.
Among kings, who could be your equal in courage, in stature, and in bearing?