246 HISTORY OF GREECE. Bpatched oiders to the Phenician ports, directing that a numerous fleet should be built ; and that the ships should then be taken to pieces, and conveyed across to Thapsakus on the Euphrates, from Avhence they would sail down to Babylon. At that place, he directed the construction of other ships from the numerous cypress trees around — as well as the formation of an enormous harbor in the river at Babylon, adequate to the accommodation of 1000 ships of war. Mikkalus, a Greek of Klazomenae, was sent to Phenicia with 500 talents, to enlist, or to purchase, sea- men for the crews. It was calculated that these preparations (probably under the superintendence of Nearchus) would be completed by the spring, for which period contingents were sum- moned to Babylon for the expedition against Arabia.^ In the mean time, Alexander himself paid a visit to Ekbatana, the ordinaiy summer residence of the Persian kings. He con- ducted his army by leisurely marches, reviewing by the way the ancient regal parks of the celebrated breed called Nisa?an horses now greatly reduced in number.^ On the march, a violent altercation occurred between his personal favorite Hephaistion, — and his secretary Eumencs, the most able, dexterous, and long- sighted man in his service. Eumenes, as a Greek of Kardia, had been always regarded with slight and jealousy by the Mace- donian officers, especially by Hephoestion ; Alexander now took pains to reconcile the two, experiencing no difficulty with Eumenes, but much with Hepha;stion.^ During his stay at Ekbatana, he celebrated magnificent sacrifices and festivities, with gymnastic and musical exhibitions, which were farther en- livened, according to the Macedonian habits, by banquets and 1 Arrian, vii. 19. He also sent an officer named Ilerakleides to llic shores of the Caspian sea, with orders to construct ships and make a survey of that sea (vii. lO). " Arrian, vii. 13, 2; Diodor. xvii. 110. How leisurely llie marcli was may be seen in Diodorus. The direction of Alexander's march from Su.sa to Ekbatana, along a fre- quented and good road which Diodorus in another place calls a royal road (xix. 19), is traced by Ritter, deriving his information chiefly from the recent researches of Major Rawlinson. The larger portion of the way lay along the western side of the chain of Mount Zagros, and on the right hank Df the river Kerkha (Ritter, Erdkunde, part ix. b. 3. p. 329, West Asia). ' Anian, vii. 1 3, 1 ; Plutarch, Eumenes, 2.
