The subjugation of Tyrus by _policy_ was one of the schemes of Alexander,--for avoiding its destruction,--he would then be sure of Navies, Pilots, and Mariners, to carry his warfare, at a later period, to the river Tiber and to Rome itself;--for his thirst of Conquest,--had it not been allayed by the poison-draught in Asia,--could only have been quenched within the great Capital of Italy. Alexander, therefore, flattered the Tyrians by raising to the throne of Sidon, a man who bore the same name,--(Strato) and was of the same family as the Founder of the present dynasty at Tyrus; and consequently, remotely related to Azelmic, whom Alexander endeavoured (by this act of apparent generosity) to circumvent and overthrow by _policy_, not warfare. Historians have applauded the justice of Hephæstion,--they should have analyzed the deep-laid scheming of his Master,--who merely employed his favourite, to mask his own deep intent upon the great Commercial emporium of the World. The Tyrians, however, were practical _merchant-princes_, and were not to be deceived by any species of _exchange_, although Kings were the commodity. 334 B. C.] The unforeseen capitulation of Sidon,--the Mother-land,--aroused the Tyrians to a sense of their own position,--Sidon, Byblos, and Aradnus, had surrendered,--these Capitals, therefore, could not aid the Merchant-Metropolis. To increase the apprehension of the Tyrians, it was reported through the continued policy of Alexander, that he was, also, attended by a fleet of Galleys to cover any retreat,--or to land, and reconvey his troops from, or to any point, from the Bosphorous to the Nile,--or from thence to Carthage. The Conqueror had, however, in reality, dismissed his fleet before the victory of Issus, in order to inspire his troops with additional courage, from the then apparent fact, that they had no means of retreat from the enemies' country by the means of Galleys. He must have remembered that that feeling of safety of retreat lost the Persians the Battle of Marathon. [490 B. C.] The Macedonian had another motive in reporting that his fleet was approaching,--viz., To take the Tyrian attention from any land defence, by enforcing the belief that the attack would be by means of the Navy. He knew, also, that Azelmic and his People had no extensive knowledge of _Military_ Science,--for they could have no occasion for its exercise, occasioned by their Island locality,--their high-reared walls being their bulwarks:--and they consequently commenced, as he expected, preparations for a Naval Conflict:--but, unknown to Alexander they had formed a masterly design, viz., to attack him both by land and sea, and that simultaneously; thence, if the Macedonian lost a land battle, and his fleet dispersed, (no difficult matter for the Tyrians) it would be easy to arouse other nations to crush the Invader. Tyrus, however, had no army fit to cope with Alexander, in any general engagement, and especially with his Phalanx and Cavalry.