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Alexander ascended to the citadel terrace and took possession of the treasure there. This had been accumulated from the state revenues, beginning with Cyrus, the first king of the Persians, down to that time, and the vaults were packed full of silver and gold. The total was found to be one hundred and twenty thousand talents, when the gold was estimated in terms of silver.1

1 Curtius 5.6.9 gives the same figures. The total is expressed as weight of silver and value of gold, the latter being equated to silver according to a proportion which is not stated. The usual ratio of gold to silver in antiquity was 12 or 15 to 1. Strabo 15.3.9.731 reports that the treasure was ultimately assembled at Ecbatana.

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