Alexander the Great

ALEXANDER THE GREAT, the Son and Successor of Philip, King of Macedon, is described in the Prophecies of Daniel, under the image of a Leopard with four wings, to signify his great strength, and the rapidity of his conquests, Dan. viii. 4, 5, 6, 7.and under the figure of a He-goat, running through all the World with so much swiftness as not to touch the Earth, and attacking a ram with horns, overthrowing and trampling him under foot, without any one’s being able to rescue him out of his power. The He-goat is Alexander, the ram is Darius Codomannus, the last of the Persian Emperors and Successors of Cyrus. In the statue represented in a dream to NebuchadnezzarDan. ii. 39., the belly of brass was an emblem of Alexander, the legs of iron of his Successors. He was appointed by God to destroy the Persian Empire in the East, and establish the Grecian Monarchy in its room.

In the Year of the World 3668. before J. C. 332. before the vulgar Æra 336.After he had performed the last duties to his Father Philip, he was chosen by the Greeks to be General of the Troops which they were to send against the Persians. He marched into Asia at the head of four and thirty thousand Men, in the year of the World 2670, before J. C. 330, before the vulgar Æra 334. He fought with Darius’s Generals, and overcame them in the fields of Adraste. He subdued almost all Asia Minor in one campaign only: He afterwards defeated Orobates, one of Darius’s Generals, and last of all Darius himself and his Army, consisting of four hundred thousand foot, and an hundred thousand horse, in the narrow passes which lead from Syria to Cilicia. Darius preserved himself In the Year of the World 3672, before J. C. 328, before the vulgar Æra 332.by flight, but abandoned his Camp, Baggage, Children, Wife, and Mother.

After he had subdued all Syria, Alexander came to Tyre; and the Tyrians having denied him entrance into their City, he laid siege to it. He wrote at the same time to Jaddus, the High-priest of the Jews, that he expected to be acknowledged by him, and to receive the same submissions from him which he had hitherto paid the King of Persia¹. But Jaddus refusing to comply, In the Year of the World 3672.upon pretence of having sworn fidelity to Darius, Alexander resolved to march against Jerusalem as soon as he had reduced the City of Tyre. This siege lasted a long time, and cost Alexander a great deal of trouble; but at last the City was taken and sacked, and as soon as this was done he enter’d Palestine, and subjected it to his obedience. As he was marching against Jerusalem, with an intention to punish the High-priest for refusing to submit to him, Jaddus fearing his resentment, had recourse to God by Prayers and Sacrifices, and the Lord in a dream commanded him to open the gates to the Conqueror, to meet him at the head of all his People dressed in

¹ Joseph. Antiq. l. ii. c. ult. white, with crowns upon their heads, and attended by the Priests in their formalities, to put on his pontifical ornaments, and so march in order to receive Alexander, as it were in a triumphant manner.

Jaddus obeyed, and Alexander seeing all this company at a distance advancing towards him, was struck with awe, and coming near to the High-priest, he saluted him first, then adored God, whose name was engraved on a thin plate of Gold worn by the High-priest upon his forehead. At the same time all the People surrounded Alexander, and saluted him with great acclamations. The Kings of Syria and all the great Officers about him could not enough admire the conduct of Alexander, and could scarce comprehend that he was in his right senses. Parmenio alone ventur’d to take the liberty of asking him familiarly, why he, to whom all People did homage, and prostrated themselves before him, had thus prostrated himself before the High-priest of the Jews. To this Alexander replied, that he paid this respect to God, not to the High -priest: For, added he, while I was yet in Macedonia, I saw the God of the Jews, who appear’d to me in the same form and dress as the High-priest at present, encouraged me, and commanded me to fear nothing, but march my Army with expedition into Asia, promising me all manner of success, and under his conduct to make me Master of the Persian Empire. For this reason, as soon as I perceiv’d this habit, I remember’d the vision that I had seen, and understood that my Undertaking was favour’d by God, and that under his Protection I might expect all kind of Prosperity; so that I hope very soon to get possession of the Persian Empire, and to accomplish happily all my designs.

Having said this, he embraced Jaddus, and was conducted by the Priests into the City, which he had no sooner enter’d, but he went up to the Temple, where he offered Sacrifices to the Lord, in all things conforming himself to the directions of the Priests, and leaving to the High-priest the honours and particular functions which were annexed peculiarly to his dignity. They shewed him the Prophecies of Daniel, wherein it is said that a Grecian Prince should destroy the Persian Empire. He applied to himself what was pointed out by the Prophet, and was more and more confirmed in his opinion that God had chosen him to execute this great work.

After this he dismiss’d the Multitude, and having convened them the next day, he bad them ask what they would of him. The High-priest desired only the liberty of living under his Government according to C c to their own laws, and an exemption from the payment of any tribute every seventh year, because in this year the Jews neither tilled their grounds nor reaped. Alexander very readily granted their request; and as they besought him to grant the same favour to the Jews who dwelt beyond the Euphrates in Babylonia and Media, he promised that they should enjoy the same privileges as soon as he made a conquest of those Provinces. After this, having signified to them that if any of them would list in his Troops he would receive them, many offered their services and followed him.

This done, he left Jerusalem, and visited the other Cities of that Province; and as he was every where received with great testimonies of Friendship and Submission, the Samaritans who dwelt at Sichem, at the foot of Mount Gerizim, and were Apostates from the Jewish Religion, observing with how much goodness Alexander treated the Jews, resolved to say that they too were by Religion Jews; for this was commonly their practice: When at any time they saw the affairs of the Jews to be in a prosperous condition, they boasted that they were of their nation, and descended from Manasseh and Ephraim; but when they thought it was their interest to say the contrary, they would not fail to affirm, and even swear that they had no relation to the Jews.

They came therefore with great eagerness, and many demonstrations of joy, to meet Alexander, as far almost as the territories of Jerusalem. Alexander commended their zeal, and the Sichemites humbly intreated him to visit their Temple, and honour their City with his presence. He promised that he would at his return; and as they petitioned him to grant them an exemption from all taxes upon every seventh year, because they, as well as the Jews, neither tilled nor reaped that year, Alexander asked them if they were Jews. They said that they were Hebrews, and that the Phœnicians called them Sichemites. Alexander answer’d that he had granted this favour only to the Jews, but that at his return he would enquire more exactly into this affair, and would do them justice.

This Prince having conquered Egypt, and regulated all things there, and given his orders for the continuation of his new City of Alexandria¹, departed thence about spring, to go with the utmost expedition In the Year of the World 2673.into the East, in pursuit of Darius. In his way through Palestine, he was informed that the Samaritans, in a general insurrection, had killed Andromachus, Governor of Syria and Palestine, who coming to Samaria to regulate some affairs, the inhabitants set fire to his house and burnt him. This action was infinitely displeasing to Alexander, who loved Andromachus, and commanded all those to be executed who were concerned in his murder; the rest he banished from Samaria, and settled a colony of Macedonians in their room. What remained of the lands he gave to the Jews, and exempted them from the payment of tribute². They who escaped this calamity, retired to Sichem at the foot of Mount Gerizim³, which thereby became the Capital of the Samaritans, as it still continues to be at this day; and left the eight thousand Men of this nation who were in his service, and had accompanied him ever since the siege of Tyre, if he should send them back into their country, might renew the spirit of rebellion in their Countrymen, he sent them into Thebais, the most remote Province of Egypt, and there assigned them lands.

1 Macc. i. 3.We shall not enlarge here in making a recital of Alexander’s conquests, for those are foreign to our subject, but shall take notice only, that after he had subdued all Asia and the Indies with incredible good fortune and rapidity, he gave himself up to all manner of Intemperance. Historians relate, that having drunk to excess, he fell sick and died, after he had obliged all the World to be quiet before him. Being sensible that his end was near, he sent for the Grandees of his Court, and declared to them that he gave the Empire to him who was of all the most deserving⁴. According to other Historians⁵, he made a Will, wherein he regulated every thing relating to the Succession. The Author of the first Ch. i. 7.book of Maccabees says, that he divided his Kingdom among his Generals while he was yet living. It is certain that a partition was made of Alexander’s Empire among the principal Officers of his Army, and that the Empire which he founded in Asia subsisted many Ages after him. He died in the year of the World 3681, before J. C. 319, before the vulgar Æra 323, at the age of three and thirty, and after a reign of twelve years, viz. six years as King of Macedon, and six as Monarch of Asia.

The spurious Josephus, or Josephus Ben Gorion⁶⁷, relates that Alexander, as we have said, having enter’d the Temple of Jerusalem, the High-priest shewed him the Courts, the Treasures, and all the beauties of that holy place, and even the Holy of Holies, which was the most sacred and innermost part of the Temple; that Alexander having admired all these things, and blessed the Lord for them, said to the High -priest, I have a mind to leave here a monument of my Devotion and Respect to the God whom you adore; I will give therefore to the artificers a great quantity of Gold, that they may make a Statue of me as large as the life, and place it between the Altar of Burnt-offerings and the holy place. But the High-priest told him that he might make a better use of the sum which he intended to devote to God, by giving it to be a support to the Priests, and for the service of the People who should worship God in his holy Place; and that as to the monument he had mentioned, he would erect a more excellent one in honour of him. What monument then is this, replied Alexander? It is this, says Jaddus; all the Children of the Priests that shall be born this year in Jerusalem and all Judæa, shall be called by the name of Alexander: These will be so many living monuments, that shall every day revive the memory of your name in the Lord’s Temple.

The Jews⁸ tell us, that the Egyptians prosecuted the Hebrews before Alexander, in order to procure the restitution of the gold and silver vessels which their Ancestors had formerly borrowed of the Ex. iii. 22. Dan. viii. 3, 4, 5.Egyptians when they went out of Egypt. The cause was pleaded before Alexander, and the Egyptians set forth their right in the best manner they could; but when they heard the complaints and pretensions of the Hebrews, and understood that they required of them a consideration for their liberty, which for many years had been oppress’d unjustly, their pay for so many years labour, satisfaction for the bad usage they had received from the Egyptians, and vengeance for their Children that had been either drown-ed or expos’d; when the Egyptians heard all this, they retired in confusion, and desisted from their demands⁹. But I mention this law-suit only as an invention of the Rabbins.

Some have been of opinion¹⁰, that it was the High-priest Jaddus who told Alexander the Great that the Gods who were worshipped by the Heathens were mortal Men only deified: But this opinion is no more than a conjecture, for which there is no foundation. The Antients¹¹, from whom we learn this particularity of Alexander, taken from a letter written to his Mother, have no where told us that this Prince had it from Jaddus, but from one Leo, who was an High-priest, and had the care of the Egyptian mysteries.

The name of this Conqueror is as much celebrated in the Writings of the Eastern People as in those of the Greeks and Romans; but they vary extremely from the accounts which our Historians give of him. They generally call Alexander Escander Dulkarnim¹², Alexander with two horns, by reason of the two horns of the World, the East and the West, as the People of the East term them, which this Conqueror subdued. Daniel represents him under the idea of a Goat, having a large horn, wherewith he attacks and overthrows a Ram with two horns of an unequal size, one whereof is much larger than the other. The Ram here mentioned is Darius King of Persia, overcome by Alexander, who having overthrown and trampled upon his Adversary, became extremely powerful, and his horn was prodigiously exalted, so that it was divided into four horns, extending towards the four parts of the World. These are the four Monarchies formed out of Alexander’s Empire, viz. Syria, Egypt, Babylonia, and Greece.

The Eastern People do not agree among themselves as to Alexander’s Father and Mother: The Mahometans generally relate his Original after the following manner¹³; Darab King of Persia made war with Philip King of Macedonia, and having defeated him, obliged him afterwards to retreat to a certain place, where he blocked him up so close, that he was forced to sue for peace, to give him his Daughter in marriage, and pay him an annual tribute of a thousand Beizats, or golden Eggs, each forty drams in weight. Darab having thus espoused the Princess, perceiv’d upon the wedding night that her breath was offensive, and resolved to send her back to her Father, tho’ she was with child already by him. Philip received her, and the Son of whom she was deliver’d he named as if he had been his own, and called him Alexander.

Darab at his death left his Kingdom to his Son of his own name: This is the Darius Codomannus of the Greeks, and Dara in the Persian language signifies Sovereign. This Prince extended far the limits of his Territories, settled Posts throughout his Dominions for the more effectual procuring speedy intelligence of what pass’d, and reign’d for some years very happily. But as he govern’d with great pride and severity, he drew upon himself the odium of the great Men and common people, who rebelled against him. The Grandees wrote to Alexander, inviting him to come and make a conquest of Persia, which belonged to him as Son and Heir to Darab the first. Alexander desiring to take advantage of these dispositions in the men of principal quality, began with a refusal to pay the customary tribute of a thousand Beizats, or golden Eggs; and the King of Persia demanding them by his Ambassador, Alexander replied, The bird which laid these eggs is flown into the other world.

Upon this refusal, and the raillery accompanying it, Darius levied a powerful army, in order to reduce Alexander to obedience; who likewise on his part raised forces, and marched against Darius. The encounter between these two armies was very terrible; but after a bloody combat, the advantage remained intirely on Alexander’s side. Darius retiring from the battle, no sooner came into his tent, but two of his chief officers pierced him thro’ the body with their swords, and fled to Alexander’s camp; who, upon notice of what had happened, ran instantly to Darius, took the head of the expiring Monarch and placed it on his knees, protesting that he was not any way concerned in his death. Darius opening his eyes, desired him to revenge his murder, gave him his daughter Roxana in marriage, and intreated him to leave the Provinces of Persia under the government of Natives of the country. Such, according to the Eastern People, was the death of Darius Codomannus.

Abulfarage, and Said the Son of Batrik, and Josephus Gorionides, are of opinion, that Nectanetus King of Egypt was Alexander’s Father; that he being driven out of his own Country by Artaxerxes Occhus, disguised himself like an Astrologer, came into Macedonia, and having lain with Olympias, Philip’s Wife, begat Alexander the Great. The same Abulfarage says, that Alexander defeated thirty Kings in battle, and built twelve Cities, four whereof he called by his own name. It is related also, that he commanded a bridge of admirable structure to be destroyed, which had been erected by an ancient King of Persia over the Tigris. Afterwards a bridge of boats was made in the same place, which continued there for a long time.

1 Macc. i. 6, 7.We read in the first book of Maccabees, that Alexander perceiving himself to be near his end, sent for his principal officers, who had been brought up with him ever since his youth, and divided his Kingdom among them while he was yet living. It is pretty difficult to reconcile this relation with the Greek and Latin Historians, who have mentioned the circumstances of his death, and the manner wherein he disposed of his dominions. But in this particular the Eastern Historians agree very well with the Sacred Historian; they say he died in the city of Scheherezour in Assyria¹⁴, or as others will have it, in the Curdistan¹⁵, after having divided his dominions among ninety of his principal Captains, the chief of whom was Ptolemy the Son of Lague. Eskenderons, otherwise Aridæus his Son, or rather, as Greek Authors say, his Brother, had no share in this succession, being addicted intirely to the study of Philosophy under the direction of Aristotle, who had been Alexander’s Preceptor.

Another Historian informs us¹⁶, that this Prince, a little before his death, divided the Provinces of Persia among the Sons of those Princes whom he had subdued and dispossessed of their Crowns, they paying fealty and homage to him; with a farther condition, of keeping such a number of troops in his service. But after the death of Alexander, they who had been tributary or feudatary Princes only, made themselves absolute, and Sovereigns, and are distinguished in the Arabian and Persian Histories by the title of Kings of the Nations; who make a particular dynasty in the succession of the Kings of Persia.

Josephus the Son of Gorion, whose history was published in Germany by Sebastian Munster, in the sixteenth Century, and has been since much more correctly printed in Hebrew at Constantinople, has related the History of Alexander the Great, which he learnt, as he says, from the Egyptian Magi, but he has disfigured it in so strange a manner, and blended it with so many fables, and instances of the grossest ignorance, that were I to relate them I shou’d think I made a very ill use of my own leisure, and too severely tried the Reader’s patience. M. Gagnier has translated it into Latin, and joined another Latin Author with it, a Manuscript whereof has been discover’d lately in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. His work is formed upon the same plan as that of Ben Gorion; but there is a dispute among the Learned which of the two is the most ancient¹⁷. Both are stuffed with childish stories, and both value themselves upon borrowing their history from the Egyptian Magi.

The Eastern people agree, that Alexander the Great built a large strong wall, continued from one of the Caspian mountains to another, in order to prevent the Northern people, whom they called Gog and Magog, from penetrating into Persia, and the other Provinces which lie East and South of this wall, known among the Ancients by the name of the Caspian Gates. See CASPIAN.

During his abode at Babylon, amidst the greatest pleasures and debauches, he resolved upon rebuilding and inlarging the Temple of Belus¹⁸, which Xerxes had demolished at his return from Greece. He began with ordering the place to be cleaned, and observing that the Magi to whom he had committed the care of this work, proceeded very slowly in it, he employed ten thousand of his troops about it. They laboured at it for two months before his death; and after all, the undertaking was so great that it remained unfinished. It was designed that the Jews who were in the army should have their share in this work as well as the rest,¹⁹ but when their turn came, they represented, that their Religion prohibiting Idolatry, it was not lawful for them to assist in building an Edifice intended for an idolatrous worship. It was resolved however to press them, and correction and other violent means were used to force them to it; but they continued inflexible. Alexander admired their constancy, discharged them, and sent them home.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages