[416] _Curtius_ (iv. 58, 59) and _Diodorus_ (xvii. 60) describe quite an Homeric battle, Darius hurling a spear at Alexander, and Alexander hurling his at Darius and killing his charioteer. They say that the Persians mistook the fall of the Charioteer for that of the king, and fled, carrying Darius with them. [417] _Curtius_ (iv. 59) and _Diodorus_ (xvii. 60) say that so thick a cloud of dust was raised by the mighty mass of fugitives, that nothing could be clearly distinguished, and that thus the Macedonians lost the track of Darius. The noise of the shouting and the cracking of whips served as guides to the pursuers. [418] Sisygambis, the mother of Darius, whom these Persians were especially anxious to liberate from the custody of the Macedonians, refused to go with them. See _Diodorus_ and _Curtius_. [419] Arrian does not say much about this vigorous charge of Mazaeus, the commander of the Persian right wing. See _Curtius_ (iv. 60); _Diodorus_ (xvii. 60). [420] We learn from _Diodorus_ and _Curtius_ that Parmenio had driven Mazaeus back before Alexander’s arrival. [421] The Lycus, now called the Great Zab, is a tributary of the Tigris. Xenophon calls it Zabatus (_Anab._, ii. 5). The Greek _Lycus_ is a translation of the Syrian _Zaba_ (wolf). [422] About sixty-nine miles. Cf. _Strabo_ (xvi. 1, 3). [423] ἐλινύσας. This is an Ionic word used by _Herodotus_ (viii. 71, etc.), and rarely in Attic poets and later prose writers. [424] See _Arrian_, ii. 11 supra. [425] _Curtius_ (iv. 63) says that 40,000 of the Persians were slain, and that less than 300 Macedonians were killed. _Diodorus_ (xvii. 61) states that more than 90,000 Persians and 500 Macedonians were slain. [426] September 331 B.C. Cf. Plutarch (_Alex._, 31). [427] For this prediction, see iii. 7 supra. [428] As to the kinsmen and apple-bearers, see iii. 11 supra. [429] _Diodorus_ (xvii. 63) and _Curtius_ (v. 6) state that from the treasure captured in Babylon, Alexander distributed to each Macedonian horseman about £24, to each of the Grecian horsemen £20, to each of the Macedonian infantry £8, and to the allied infantry two months’ pay. [430] Belus, or Bel, the supreme deity of the Babylonians, was identical with the Syrian Baal. The signification of the name is _mighty_. Cf. _Herodotus_ (i. 181); _Diodorus_ (ii. 9); _Strabo_ (xvi. 1). [431] See i. 17 supra.