Reply #1: An analysis of the Battle of Issus (333 B.C.), the events leading up to it, and its aftermath.

[BreweryYardRat]

Unfortunately, Darius’ courtiers disagreed with the plan, and accused Charidemos of “wanting to get the command so that he could betray the Persian empire to the Macedonians.” Charidemos supposedly then lost his temper and cursed out the Persian high command – including Darius. The shocked and enraged king supposedly ordered the Athenian executed on the spot for this offense. This part of the account is extremely suspicious, as it seems unlikely that Charidemos could have so thoroughly abandoned common sense. More probably, some of the courtiers may have had the Athenian assassinated, or convinced Darius to order the execution after Charidemos had stormed out of the council. However, it is possible that the Athenian, used to greater freedom of speech, could have failed to realize the danger of open criticism. Either way, the entire speech ascribed to Charidemos by Diodorus and Curtius, where he shouts that Darius would “pay the penalty for rejecting (his) advice” at Alexander’s hands can be dismissed – it is far too pat, as though our authors are ascribing the tragic flaw of hubris to the Persian king. Nevertheless, Darius’ own hot temper had just cost him the only other general (besides himself) capable of seriously challenging Alexander. He was now forced to take the field in person.