alexander-第16章

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aid　Alexander。　However；　he　offered　Pythagoras　no　injury；　but　was　sorry　that　he　had　neglected　Nearchus's　advice；　and　stayed　for　the　most　part　outside　the　town；　removing　his　tent　from　place　to　place；　and　sailing　up　and　down　the　Euphrates。　Besides　this；　he　was　disturbed　by　many　other　prodigies。　A　tame　ass　fell　upon　the　biggest　and　handsomest　lion　that　he　kept；　and　killed　him　by　a　kick。　And　one　day　after　he　had　undressed　himself　to　be　anointed；　and　was　playing　at　ball；　just　as　they　were　going　to　bring　his　clothes　again；　the　young　men　who　played　with　him　perceived　a　man　clad　in　the　king's　robes　with　a　diadem　upon　his　head；　sitting　silently　upon　his　throne。　They　asked　him　who　he　was；　to　which　he　gave　no　answer　a　good　while；　till　at　last；　coming　to　himself；　he　told　them　his　name　was　Dionysius　that　he　was　of　Messenia；　that　for　some　crime　of　which　he　was　accused　he　was　brought　thither　from　the　seaside；　and　had　been　kept　long　in　prison；　that　Serapis　appeared　to　him；　had　freed　him　from　his　chains；　conducted　him　to　that　place；　and　commanded　him　to　that　place；　and　commanded　him　to　put　on　the　king's　robe　and　diadem；　and　to　sit　where　they　found　him；　and　to　say　nothing。　Alexander；　when　he　heard　this；　by　the　direction　of　his　soothsayers；　put　the　fellow　to　death；　but　he　lost　his　spirits；　and　grew　diffident　of　the　protection　and　assistance　of　the　gods；　and　suspicious　of　his　friends。　His　greatest　apprehension　was　of　Antipater　and　his　sons；　one　of　whom；　Iolaus；　was　his　chief　cupbearer；　and　Cassander；　who　had　lately　arrived；　and　had　been　bred　up　in　Greek　manners；　the　first　time　he　saw　some　of　the　barbarians　adore　the　king　could　not　forbear　laughing　at　it　aloud；　which　so　incensed　Alexander　he　took　him　by　the　hair　with　both　hands　and　dashed　his　head　against　the　wall。　Another　time；　Cassander　would　have　said　something　in　defence　of　Antipater　to　those　who　accused　him；　but　Alexander　interrupting　him；　said；　〃What　is　it　you　say？　Do　you　think　people；　if　they　had　received　no　injury；　would　come　such　a　journey　only　to　calumniate　your　father？〃　To　which　when　Cassander　replied；　that　their　coming　so　far　from　the　evidence　was　a　great　proof　of　the　falseness　of　their　charges；　Alexander　smiled；　and　said　those　were　some　of　Aristotle's　sophisms；　which　would　serve　equally　on　both　sides；　and　added；　that　both　he　and　his　father　should　be　severely　punished；　if　they　were　found　guilty　of　the　least　injustice　towards　those　who　complained。　All　which　made　such　a　deep　impression　of　terror　in　Cassander's　mind　that；　long　after；　when　he　was　King　of　Macedonia　and　master　of　Greece；　as　he　was　walking　up　and　down　at　Delphi；　and　looking　at　the　statues；　at　the　sight　of　that　of　Alexander　he　was　suddenly　struck　with　alarm；　and　shook　all　over；　his　eyes　rolled；　his　head　grew　dizzy；　and　it　was　long　before　he　recovered　himself。　　　When　once　Alexander　had　given　way　to　fears　of　supernatural　influence；　his　mind　grew　so　disturbed　and　so　easily　alarmed　that；　if　the　least　unusual　or　extraordinary　thing　happened；　he　thought　it　a　prodigy　or　a　presage；　and　his　court　was　thronged　with　diviners　and　priests　whose　business　was　to　sacrifice　and　purify　and　foretell　the　future。　So　miserable　a　thing　is　incredulity　and　contempt　of　divine　power　on　the　one　hand；　and　so　miserable；　also；　superstition　on　the　other；　which　like　water；　where　the　level　has　been　lowered；　flowing　in　and　never　stopping；　fills　the　mind　with　slavish　fears　and　follies；　as　now　in　Alexander's　case。　But　upon　some　answers　which　were　brought　him　from　the　oracle　concerning　Hephaestion；　he　laid　aside　his　sorrow；　and　fell　again　to　sacrificing　and　drinking；　and　having　given　Nearchus　a　splendid　entertainment；　after　he　had　bathed；　as　was　his　custom；　just　as　he　was　going　to　bed；　at　Medius's　request　he　went　to　supper　with　him。　Here　he　drank　all　the　next　day；　and　was　attacked　with　a　fever；　which　seized　him；　not　as　some　write；　after　he　had　drunk　of　the　bowl　of　Hercules；　nor　was　he　taken　with　any　sudden　pain　in　his　back；　as　if　he　had　been　struck　with　a　lance；　for　these　are　the　inventions　of　some　authors　who　thought　it　their　duty　to　make　the　last　scene　of　so　great　an　action　as　tragical　and　moving　as　they　could。　Aristobulus　tells　us；　that　in　the　rage　of　his　fever　and　a　violent　thirst；　he　took　a　draught　of　wine；　upon　which　he　fell　into　delirium；　and　died　on　the　thirtieth　day　of　the　month　Daesius。　　　But　the　journals　give　the　following　record。　On　the　eighteenth　day　of　the　month　he　slept　in　the　bathing…room　on　account　of　his　fever。　The　next　day　he　bathed　and　removed　into　his　chamber；　and　spent　his　time　in　playing　at　dice　with　Medius。　In　the　evening　he　bathed　and　sacrificed；　and　ate　freely；　and　had　the　fever　on　him　through　the　night。　On　the　twentieth；　after　the　usual　sacrifices　and　bathing；　he　lay　in　the　bathing…room　and　heard　Nearchus's　narrative　of　his　voyage；　and　the　observations　he　had　made　in　the　great　sea。　The　twenty…first　he　passed　in　the　same　manner；　his　fever　still　increasing；　and　suffered　much　during　the　night。　The　next　day　the　fever　was　very　violent；　and　he　had　himself　removed　and　his　bed　set　by　the　great　bath；　and　discoursed　with　his　principal　officers　about　finding　fit　men　to　fill　up　the　vacant　places　in　the　army。　On　the　twenty…fourth　he　was　much　worse；　and　was　carried　out　of　his　bed　to　assist　at　the　sacrifices；　and　gave　order　that　the　general　officers　should　wait　within　the　court；　whilst　the　inferior　officers　kept　watch　without　doors。　On　the　twenty…fifth　he　was　removed　to　his　palace　on　the　other　side　the　river；　where　he　slept　a　little；　but　his　fever　did　not　abate；　and　when　the　generals　came　into　his　chamber　he　was　speechless　and　continued　so　the　following　day。　The　Macedonians；　therefore；　supposing　he　was　dead；　came　with　great　clamours　to　the　gates；　and　menaced　his　friends　so　that　they　were　forced　to　admit　them；　and　let　them　all　pass　through　unarmed　by　his　bedside。　The　same　day　Python　and　Seleucus　were　despatched　to　the　temple　of　Serapis　to　inquire　if　they　should　bring　Alexander　thither；　and　were　answered　by　the　god　that　they　should　not　remove　him。　On　the　twenty…eighth；　in　the　evening；　he　died。　This　account　is　most　of　it　word　for　word　as　it　is　written　in　the　diary。　　　At　the　time；　nobody　had　any　suspicion　of　his　being　poisoned；　but　upon　some　information　given　six　years　after；　they　say　Olympias　put　many　to　death；　and　scattered　the　ashes　of　Iolaus；　then　dead；　as　if　he　had　given　it　him。　But　those　who　affirm　that　Aristotle　counselled　Antipater　to　do　it；　and　that　by　his　means　the　poison　was　brought；　adduced　one　Hagnothemis　as　their　authority；　who；　they　say；　heard　King　Antigonus　speak　of　it；　and　tell　us　that　the　poison　was　water；　deadly　cold　as　ice；　distilled　from　a　rock　in　the　district　of　Nonacris；　which　they　gathered　like　a　thin　dew；　and　kept　in　an　ass's　hoof；　for　it　was　so　very　cold　and　penetrating　that　no　other　vessel　would　hold　it。　However；　most　are　of　opinion　that　all　this　is　a　mere　made…up　story；　no　slight　evidence　of　which　is；　that　during　the　dissensions　among　the　commanders；　which　lasted　several　days；　the　body　continued　clear　and　fresh；　without　any　sign　of　such　taint　or　corruption；　though　it　lay　neglected　in　a　close　sultry　place。　　　Roxana；　who　was　now　with　child；　and　upon　that　account　much　honoured　by　the　Macedonians；　being　jealous　of　Statira；　sent　for　her　by　a　counterfeit　letter；　as　if　Alexander　had　been　still　alive；　and　when　she　had　her　in　her　power；　killed　her　and　her　sister；　and　threw　their　bodies　into　a　well；　which　they　filled　up　with　earth；　not　without　the　privity　and　assistance　of　Perdiccas；　who　in　the　time　immediately　following　the　king's　death；　under　cover　of　the　name　of　Arrhidaeus；　whom　he　carried　about　him　as　a　sort　of　guard　to　his　person；　exercised　the　chief　authority。　Arrhidaeus；　who　was　Philip's　son　by　an　obscure　woman　of　the　name　of　Philinna；　was　himself　of　weak　intellect；　not　that　he　had　been　originally　deficient　either　in　body　or　mind；　on　the　contrary；　in　his　childhood；　he　had　showed　a　happy　and　promising　character　enough。　But　a　diseased　habit　of　body；　caused　by　drugs　which　Olympias　gave　him；　had　ruined；　not　only　his　health；　but　his　understanding。


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