alexander-第12章

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ad　not　held　his　hands　and　by　main　force　carried　him　away　into　his　chamber；　where　all　that　night　and　the　next　day　he　wept　bitterly；　till　being　quite　spent　with　lamenting　and　exclaiming；　he　lay　as　it　were　speechless；　only　fetching　deep　sighs。　His　friends　apprehending　some　harm　from　his　silence；　broke　into　the　room；　but　he　took　no　notice　of　what　any　of　them　said；　till　Aristander　putting　him　in　mind　of　the　vision　he　had　seen　concerning　Clitus；　and　the　prodigy　that　followed；　as　if　all　had　come　to　pass　by　an　unavoidable　fatality；　he　then　seemed　to　moderate　his　grief。　They　now　brought　Callisthenes；　the　philosopher；　who　was　the　near　friend　of　Aristotle；　and　Anaxarchus　of　Abdera；　to　him。　Callisthenes　used　moral　language；　and　gentle　and　soothing　means；　hoping　to　find　access　for　words　of　reason；　and　get　a　hold　upon　the　passion。　But　Anaxarchus；　who　had　always　taken　a　course　of　his　own　in　philosophy；　and　had　a　name　for　despising　and　slighting　his　contemporaries；　as　soon　as　he　came　in；　cried　aloud；　〃Is　this　the　Alexander　whom　the　whole　world　looks　to；　lying　here　weeping　like　a　slave；　for　fear　of　the　censure　and　reproach　of　men；　to　whom　he　himself　ought　to　be　a　law　and　measure　of　equity；　if　he　would　use　the　right　his　conquests　have　given　him　as　supreme　lord　and　governor　of　all；　and　not　be　the　victim　of　a　vain　and　idle　opinion？　Do　not　you　know；〃　said　he；　〃that　Jupiter　is　represented　to　have　Justice　and　Law　on　each　hand　of　him；　to　signify　that　all　the　actions　of　a　conqueror　are　lawful　and　just？〃　With　these　and　the　like　speeches；　Anaxarchus　indeed　allayed　the　king's　grief；　but　withal　corrupted　his　character；　rendering　him　more　audacious　and　lawless　than　he　had　been。　Nor　did　he　fail　these　means　to　insinuate　himself　into　his　favour；　and　to　make　Callisthenes's　company；　which　at　all　times；　because　of　his　austerity；　was　not　very　acceptable；　more　uneasy　and　disagreeable　to　him。　　　It　happened　that　these　two　philosophers　met　at　an　entertainment　where　conversation　turned　on　the　subject　of　climate　and　the　temperature　of　the　air。　Callisthenes　joined　with　their　opinion；　who　held　that　those　countries　were　colder；　and　the　winter　sharper　there　than　in　Greece。　Anaxarchus　would　by　no　means　allow　this；　but　argued　against　it　with　some　heat。　〃Surely；〃　said　Callisthenes；　〃you　cannot　but　admit　this　country　to　be　colder　than　Greece；　for　there　you　used　to　have　but　one　threadbare　cloak　to　keep　out　the　coldest　winter；　and　here　you　have　three　good　warm　mantles　one　over　another。〃　This　piece　of　raillery　irritated　Anaxarchus　and　the　other　pretenders　to　learning；　and　the　crowd　of　flatterers　in　general　could　not　endure　to　see　Callisthenes　so　much　admired　and　followed　by　the　youth；　and　no　less　esteemed　by　the　older　men　for　his　orderly　life　and　his　gravity　and　for　being　contented　with　his　condition；　and　confirming　what　he　had　professed　about　the　object　he　had　in　his　journey　to　Alexander；　that　it　was　only　to　get　his　countrymen　recalled　from　banishment；　and　to　rebuild　and　repeople　his　native　town。　Besides　the　envy　which　his　great　reputation　raised；　he　also；　by　his　own　deportment；　gave　those　who　wished　him　ill　opportunity　to　do　him　mischief。　For　when　he　was　invited　to　public　entertainments；　he　would　most　times　refuse　to　come；　or　if　he　were　present　at　any；　he　put　a　constraint　upon　the　company　by　his　austerity　and　silence；　which　seemed　to　intimate　his　disapproval　of　what　he　saw。　So　that　Alexander　himself　said　in　application　to　him；…

　　　　　　　　　〃That　vain　pretence　to　wisdom　I　detest；　　　　　　　　　　　Where　a　man's　blind　to　his　own　interest。〃

Being　with　many　more　invited　to　sup　with　the　king；　he　was　called　upon　when　the　cup　came　to　him；　to　make　an　oration　extempore　in　praise　of　the　Macedonians；　and　he　did　it　with　such　a　flow　of　eloquence；　that　all　who　heard　it　rose　from　their　seats　to　clap　and　applaud　him；　and　threw　their　garland　upon　him；　only　Alexander　told　him　out　of　Euripides；…

　　　　　　　　　〃I　wonder　not　that　you　have　spoke　so　well；　　　　　　　　　　'Tis　easy　on　good　subjects　to　excel。〃

〃Therefore；〃　said　he；　〃if　you　will　show　the　force　of　your　eloquence；　tell　my　Macedonians　their　faults；　and　dispraise　them；　that　by　hearing　their　errors　they　may　learn　to　be　better　for　the　future。〃　Callisthenes　presently　obeyed　him；　retracting　all　he　had　said　before；　and；　inveighing　against　the　Macedonians　with　great　freedom；　added；　that　Philip　thrived　and　grew　powerful；　chiefly　by　the　discord　of　the　Grecians；　applying　this　verse　to　him；…

　　　　　　　　　〃In　civil　strife　e'en　villains　rise　to　fame；〃

which　so　offended　the　Macedonians；　that　he　was　odious　to　them　ever　after。　And　Alexander　said；　that　instead　of　his　eloquence；　he　had　only　made　his　ill…will　appear　in　what　he　had　spoken。　Hermippus　assures　us　that　one　Stroebus；　a　servant　whom　Callisthenes　kept　to　read　to　him；　gave　this　account　of　these　passages　afterwards　to　Aristotle；　and　that　when　he　perceived　the　king　grow　more　and　more　averse　to　him；　two　or　three　times；　as　he　was　going　away；　he　repeated　the　verses；…

　　　　　　　　　〃Death　seiz'd　at　last　on　great　Patroclus　too；　　　　　　　　　　　Though　he　in　virtue　far　exceeded　you。〃

Not　without　reason；　therefore；　did　Aristotle　give　this　character　of　Callisthenes；　that　he　was；　indeed；　a　powerful　speaker；　but　had　no　judgment。　He　acted　certainly　a　true　philosopher's　part　in　positively　refusing；　as　he　did；　to　pay　adoration；　and　by　speaking　out　openly　against　that　which　the　best　and　gravest　of　the　Macedonians　only　repined　at　in　secret；　he　delivered　the　Grecians　and　Alexander　himself　from　a　great　disgrace；　when　the　practice　was　given　up。　But　he　ruined　himself　by　it；　because　he　went　too　roughly　to　work；　as　if　he　would　have　forced　the　king　to　that　which　he　should　have　effected　by　reason　and　persuasion。　Chares　of　Mitylene　writes；　that　at　a　banquet　Alexander；　after　he　had　drunk；　reached　the　cup　to　one　of　his　friends；　who；　on　receiving　it；　rose　up　towards　the　domestic　altar；　and　when　he　had　drunk；　first　adored　and　then　kissed　Alexander；　and　afterwards　laid　himself　down　at　the　table　with　the　rest。　Which　they　all　did　one　after　another；　till　it　came　to　Callisthenes's　turn；　who　took　the　cup　and　drank；　while　the　king；　who　was　engaged　in　conversation　with　Hephaestion；　was　not　observing；　and　then　came　and　offered　to　kiss　him。　But　Demetrius；　surnamed　Phidon；　interposed；　saying；　〃Sir；　by　no　means　let　him　kiss　you；　for　he　only　of　us　all　has　refused　to　adore　you。〃　upon　which　the　king　declined　it；　and　all　the　concern　Callisthenes　showed　was；　that　he　said　aloud；　〃Then　I　go　away　with　a　kiss　less　than　the　rest。〃　The　displeasure　he　incurred　by　this　action　procured　credit　for　Hephaestion's　declaration　that　he　had　broken　his　word　to　him　in　not　paying　the　king　the　same　veneration　that　others　did；　as　he　had　faithfully　promised　to　do。　And　to　finish　his　disgrace；　a　number　of　such　men　as　Lysimachus　and　Hagnon　now　came　in　with　their　asseverations　that　the　sophist　went　about　everywhere　boasting　of　his　resistance　to　arbitrary　power；　and　that　the　young　men　all　ran　after　him；　and　honoured　him　as　the　only　man　among　so　many　thousands　who　had　the　courage　to　preserve　his　liberty。　Therefore　when　Hermolaus's　conspiracy　came　to　be　discovered；　the　charges　which　his　enemies　brought　against　him　were　the　more　easily　believed；　particularly　that　when　the　young　man　asked　him　what　he　should　do　to　be　the　most　illustrious　person　on　earth；　he　told　him　the　readiest　way　was　to　kill　him　who　was　already　so；　and　that　to　incite　him　to　commit　the　deed；　he　bade　him　not　be　awed　by　the　golden　couch；　but　remember　Alexander　was　a　man　equally　infirm　and　vulnerable　as　another。　However；　none　of　Hermolaus's　accomplices；　in　the　utmost　extremity；　made　any　mention　of　Callisthenes's　being　engaged　in　the　design。　Nay；　Alexander　himself；　in　the　letters　which　he　wrote　soon　after　to　Craterus；　Attalus；　and　Alcetas；　tells　them　that　the　young　men　who　were　put　to　the　torture　declared　they　had　entered　into　the　conspiracy　of　themselves；　without　any　others　being　privy　to　or　guilty　of　it。　But　yet　afterwards；　in　a　letter　to　Antipater；　he　accuses　Callisthenes。　〃The　young　men；〃　he　says；　〃were　stoned　to　death　by　the　Macedonians；　but　for　the　sophist〃　（meaning　Callisthenes）；　〃I　will　take　care　to　punish　him　with　them　too　who　sent　him　to　me；　and　who　harbour　those　in　their　cities　who　conspire　against　my　life；〃　an　unequivocal　declaration　against　Aristotle；　in　whose　house　Callisthenes；　for　his　relationship's　sake；　being　his　niece　Hero's　son；　had　been　educated。　His　death　is　variously　related。　Some　say　he　was　hanged　by　Alexander's　orders；　others；　that　he　died　of　sickness　in　prison；　but　Chares　writes　he　was　kept　in　chains　seven　months　after　he　was　apprehended；　on　purpose　that　he　might　be　proceeded　against　in　full　council；　when　Aristotle　should　be　present；　and　that　growing　very　fat；　and　contracting　a　disease　of　vermin；　he　there　died；　about　the　time　that　Alexander　was　wounded　in　India；　in　the　country　of　the　Malli　Oxydracae；　all　which　came　to　pass　afterwards。　　　For　to　go　on　in　order；　Demaratus　of　Corinth；　now　quite　an　old　man；　had　made　a　great　effort；　about　this　time；　to　pay　Alexander　a　visit；　and　when　he　had　seen　him；　said　he　pitied　the　misfortune　of　those　Grecians；　who　were　so　unhappy　as　to　die　before　they　had　beheld　Alexander　seated　on　the　throne　of　Darius。　But　he　did　not　long　enjoy　the　benefit　of　the　king's　kindness　for　him；　any　otherwise　than　that　soon　after　falling　sick　and　dying；　he　had　a　magnificent　funeral；　and　the　army　raised　him　a　monument　of　earth　fourscore　cubits　high；　and　of　a　vast　circumference。　His　ashes　were　conveyed　in　a　very　rich　chariot；　drawn　by　four　horses；　to　the　seaside。　　　Alexander；　now　intent　upon　his　expedition　into　India；　took　notice　that　his　soldiers　were　so　charged　with　booty　that　it　hindered　their　marching。　Therefore；　at　break　of　day；　as　soon　as　the　baggage　wagons　were　laden　first　he　set　fire　to　his　own；　and　to　those　of　his　friends；　and　then　commanded　those　to　be　burnt　which　belonged　to　the　rest　of　the　army。　An　act　which　in　the　deliberation　of　it　had　seemed　more　dangerous　and　difficult　than　it　proved　in　the　execution；　with　which　few　were　dissatisfied　for　most　of　the　soldiers；　as　if　they　had　been　inspired；　uttering　loud　outcries　and　warlike　shoutings；　supplied　one　another　with　what　was　absolutely　necessary；　and　burnt　and　destroyed　all　that　was　superfluous；　the　sight　of　which　redoubled　Alexander's　zeal　and　eagerness　for　his　design。　And；　indeed；　he　was　now　grown　very　severe　and　inexorable　in　punishing　those　who　committed　any　fault。　For　he　put　Menander；　one　of　his　friends；　to　death　for　deserting　a　fortress　where　he　had　placed　him　in　garrison；　and　shot　Orsodates；　one　of　the　barbarians　who　revolted　from　him；　with　his　own　hand。　　　At　this　time　a　sheep　happened　to　yean　a　lamb；　with　the　perfect　shape　and　colour　of　a　tiara　upon　the　head；　and　testicles　on　each　side；　which　portent　Alexander　regarded　with　such　dislike；　that　he　immediately　caused　his　Babylonian　priests；　whom　he　usually　carried　about　with　him　for　such　purposes；　to　purify　him；　and　told　his　friends　he　was　not　so　much　concerned　for　his　own　sake　as　for　theirs；　out　of　an　apprehension　that　after　his　death　the　divine　power　might　suffer　his　empire　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　some　degenerate；　impotent　person。　But　this　fear　was　soon　removed　by　a　wonderful　thing　that　happened　not　long　after；　and　was　thought　to　presage　better。　For　Proxenus；　a　Macedonian；　who　was　the　chief　of　tho