But Alexander, unlike Buonaparte, was never discouraged by apparent
failures. His exertions to repair the causeway and construct fresh
machines quite astonished the enemy. As every general should be during
great operations, Alexander was present and superintended every part of
the works. The dyke was nearly completed, when an impetuous wind drove
the waves with such fury against it, that the cement and all gave way,
and the water, rushing between the stones, broke it in the middle. As
soon as the great heap of stones which supported the earth was thrown
down, the whole sunk at once as into an abyss.
Even Alexander for a moment debated whether he should abandon his
enterprise or not; but his indomitable genius prevailed, and the
soldiers began a new mole with as much alacrity as if they had but that
moment arrived before the city.
Alexander became aware that he could neither complete the causeway nor
take the city whilst the Tyrians were masters at sea. He therefore
assembled all his galleys before Sidon. The fame of his victory at
Issus brought him a considerable accession of naval force; several
Asiatic monarchs hastening to pay their court to the conqueror, by
supplying him with that of which he stood most in need.
The king, whilst his soldiers were preparing the ships and engines,
took some troops of horse and his own regiment of guards, and marched
towards a mountain of Arabia, called Antilibanus. His affection for
his old tutor Lysimachus, who followed him in this expedition, exposed
him to one of those dangers which we often find great men, as well as
heroes of romance, running into. Lysimachus was evidently a courtier as
well as an able tutor, for he knew his pupil’s weak point, and called
him Achilles and himself Phœnix. When the king arrived at the foot of
the mountain, he leaped from his horse and began to walk. His troops
got a considerable distance in advance of him. It became late, but
Alexander would not leave his tutor, who was corpulent and short of
breath, and was soon, with the exception of a few soldiers, separated
from his little army. He was compelled to spend the whole night in this
unguarded state very near to a numerous body of the enemy. His good
fortune, however, prevailed,--he passed the night in safety, and coming
up with his troops in the morning, he advanced into the country, took
all the strong places, either by force or capitulation, and, on the
eleventh day returned to Sidon, where he found a welcome reinforcement
of four thousand Greeks from Peloponnesus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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