alexander-第6章

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n　the　dark；　and　in　a　very　inconvenient　place；　till　seeing　a　great　many　scattered　fires　of　the　enemy　at　some　distance；　and　trusting　to　his　agility　of　body；　and　as　he　was　always　wont　by　undergoing　toils　and　labours　himself　to　cheer　and　support　the　Macedonians　in　any　distress；　he　ran　straight　to　one　of　the　nearest　fires；　and　with　his　dagger　despatching　two　of　the　barbarians　that　sat　by　it；　snatched　up　a　lighted　brand；　and　returned　with　it　to　his　own　men。　They　immediately　made　a　great　fire；　which　so　alarmed　the　enemy　that　most　of　them　fled；　and　those　that　assaulted　them　were　soon　routed　and　thus　they　rested　securely　the　remainder　of　the　night。　Thus　Chares　writes。　　　But　to　return　to　the　siege；　it　had　this　issue。　Alexander；　that　he　might　refresh　his　army；　harassed　with　many　former　encounters；　had　led　only　a　small　party　towards　the　walls；　rather　to　keep　the　enemy　busy　than　with　any　prospect　of　much　advantage。　It　happened　at　this　time　that　Aristander；　the　soothsayer；　after　he　had　sacrificed；　upon　view　of　the　entrails；　affirmed　confidently　to　those　who　stood　by　that　the　city　should　be　certainly　taken　that　very　month；　upon　which　there　was　a　laugh　and　some　mockery　among　the　soldiers；　as　this　was　the　last　day　of　it。　The　king；　seeing　him　in　perplexity；　and　always　anxious　to　support　the　credit　of　the　predictions；　gave　order　that　they　should　not　count　it　as　the　thirtieth；　but　as　the　twenty…third　of　the　month；　and　ordering　the　trumpets　to　sound；　attacked　the　walls　more　seriously　than　he　at　first　intended。　The　sharpness　of　the　assault　so　inflamed　the　rest　of　his　forces　who　were　left　in　the　camp；　that　they　could　not　hold　from　advancing　to　second　it；　which　they　performed　with　so　much　vigour　that　the　Tyrians　retired；　and　the　town　was　carried　that　very　day。　The　next　place　he　sat　down　before　was　Gaza；　one　of　the　largest　cities　of　Syria；　when　this　accident　befell　him。　A　large　bird　flying　over　him　let　a　clod　of　earth　fall　upon　his　shoulder；　and　then　settling　upon　one　of　the　battering　engines；　was　suddenly　entangled　and　caught　in　the　nets；　composed　of　sinews；　which　protected　the　ropes　with　which　the　machine　was　managed。　This　fell　out　exactly　according　to　Aristander's　prediction；　which　was；　that　Alexander　should　be　wounded　and　the　city　reduced。　　　From　hence　he　sent　great　part　of　the　spoils　to　Olympias；　Cleopatra；　and　the　rest　of　his　friends；　not　omitting　his　preceptor　Leonidas；　on　whom　he　bestowed　five　hundred　talents'　weight　of　frankincense　and　an　hundred　of　myrrh；　in　remembrance　of　the　hopes　he　had　once　expressed　of　him　when　he　was　but　a　child。　For　Leonidas；　it　seems；　standing　by　him　one　day　while　he　was　sacrificing；　and　seeing　him　take　both　his　hands　full　of　incense　to　throw　into　the　fire；　told　him　it　became　him　to　be　more　sparing　in　his　offerings；　and　not　to　be　so　profuse　till　he　was　master　of　the　countries　which　those　sweet　gums　and　saying；　come　from。　So　Alexander　now　wrote　to　him；　saying；　〃We　have　sent　you　abundance　of　myrrh　and　frankincense；　that　for　the　future　you　may　not　be　stingy　to　the　gods。〃　Among　the　treasures　and　other　booty　that　was　taken　from　Darius；　there　was　a　very　precious　casket；　which　being　brought　to　Alexander　for　a　great　rarity；　he　asked　those　about　him　what　they　thought　fittest　to　be　laid　up　in　it；　and　when　they　had　delivered　their　various　opinions；　he　told　them　he　should　keep　Homer's　Iliad　in　it。　This　is　attested　by　many　credible　authors；　and　if　what　those　of　Alexandria　tell　us；　relying　upon　the　authority　of　Heraclides；　be　true；　Homer　was　neither　an　idle　nor　an　unprofitable　companion　to　him　in　his　expedition。　For　when　he　was　master　of　Egypt；　designing　to　settle　a　colony　of　Grecians　there；　he　resolved　to　build　a　large　and　populous　city；　and　give　it　his　own　name。　In　order　to　which；　after　he　had　measured　and　staked　out　the　ground　with　the　advice　of　the　best　architects；　he　chanced　one　night　in　his　sleep　to　see　a　wonderful　vision；　a　grey…headed　old　man；　of　a　venerable　aspect；　appeared　to　stand　by　him；　and　pronounce　these　verses：…

　　　　　　　　　〃An　island　lies；　where　loud　the　billows　roar；　　　　　　　　　　　Pharos　they　call　it；　on　the　Egyptian　shore。〃

　　Alexander　upon　this　immediately　rose　up　and　went　to　Pharos；　which；　at　that　time；　was　an　island　lying　a　little　above　the　Canobic　mouth　of　the　river　Nile；　though　it　has　now　been　joined　to　the　mainland　by　a　mole。　As　soon　as　he　saw　the　commodious　situation　of　the　place；　it　being　a　long　neck　of　land；　stretching　like　an　isthmus　between　large　lagoons　and　shallow　waters　on　one　side　and　the　sea　on　the　other；　the　latter　at　the　end　of　it　making　a　spacious　harbour；　he　said；　Homer；　besides　his　other　excellences；　was　a　very　good　architect；　and　ordered　the　plan　of　a　city　to　be　drawn　out　answerable　to　the　place。　To　do　which；　for　want　of　chalk；　the　soil　being　black；　they　laid　out　their　lines　with　flour；　taking　in　a　pretty　large　compass　of　ground　in　a　semi…circular　figure；　and　drawing　into　the　inside　of　the　circumference　equal　straight　lines　from　each　end；　thus　giving　it　something　of　the　form　of　a　cloak　or　cape；　while　he　was　pleasing　himself　with　his　design；　on　a　sudden　an　infinite　number　of　great　birds　of　several　kinds；　rising　like　a　black　cloud　out　of　the　river　and　the　lake；　devoured　every　morsel　of　the　flour　that　had　been　used　in　setting　out　the　lines；　at　which　omen　even　Alexander　himself　was　troubled；　till　the　augurs　restored　his　confidence　again　by　telling　him　it　was　a　sign　the　city　he　was　about　to　build　would　not　only　abound　in　all　things　within　itself；　but　also　be　the　nurse　and　feeder　of　many　nations。　He　commanded　the　workmen　to　proceed；　while　he　went　to　visit　the　temple　of　Ammon。　　　This　was　a　long　and　painful；　and；　in　two　respects；　a　dangerous　journey；　first；　if　they　should　lose　their　provision　of　water；　as　for　several　days　none　could　be　obtained；　and；　secondly；　if　a　violent　south　wind　should　rise　upon　them；　while　they　were　travelling　through　the　wide　extent　of　deep　sands；　as　it　is　said　to　have　done　when　Cambyses　led　his　army　that　way；　blowing　the　sand　together　in　heaps；　and　raising；　as　it　were；　the　whole　desert　like　a　sea　upon　them；　till　fifty　thousand　were　swallowed　up　and　destroyed　by　it。　All　these　difficulties　were　weighed　and　represented　to　him；　but　Alexander　was　not　easily　to　be　diverted　from　anything　he　was　bent　upon。　For　fortune　having　hitherto　seconded　him　in　his　designs；　made　him　resolute　and　firm　in　his　opinions；　and　the　boldness　of　his　temper　raised　a　sort　of　passion　in　him　for　surmounting　difficulties；　as　if　it　were　not　enough　to　be　always　victorious　in　the　field；　unless　places　and　seasons　and　nature　herself　submitted　to　him。　In　this　journey；　the　relief　and　assistance　the　gods　afforded　him　in　his　distresses　were　more　remarkable；　and　obtained　greater　belief　than　the　oracles　he　received　afterwards；　which；　however；　were　valued　and　credited　the　more　on　account　of　those　occurrences。　For　first；　plentiful　rains　that　fell　preserved　them　from　any　fear　of　perishing　by　drought；　and；　allaying　the　extreme　dryness　of　the　sand；　which　now　became　moist　and　firm　to　travel　on；　cleared　and　purified　the　air。　Besides　this；　when　they　were　out　of　their　way；　and　were　wandering　up　and　down；　because　the　marks　which　were　wont　to　direct　the　guides　were　disordered　and　lost；　they　were　set　right　again　by　some　ravens；　which　flew　before　them　when　on　their　march；　and　waited　for　them　when　they　lingered　and　fell　behind；　and　the　greatest　miracle；　as　Callisthenes　tells　us；　was　that　if　any　of　the　company　went　astray　in　the　night；　they　never　ceased　croaking　and　making　a　noise　till　by　that　means　they　had　brought　them　into　the　right　way　again。　Having　passed　through　the　wilderness；　they　came　to　the　place　where　the　high　priest；　at　the　first　salutation；　bade　Alexander　welcome　from　his　father　Ammon。　And　being　asked　by　him　whether　any　of　his　father's　murderers　had　escaped　punishment；　he　charged　him　to　speak　with　more　respect；　since　his　was　not　a　mortal　father。　Then　Alexander；　changing　his　expression；　desired　to　know　of　him　if　any　of　those　who　murdered　Philip　were　yet　unpunished；　and　further　concerning　dominion；　whether　the　empire　of　the　world　was　reserved　for　him？　This；　the　god　answered；　he　should　obtain；　and　that　Philip's　death　was　fully　revenged；　which　gave　him　so　much　satisfaction　that　he　made　splendid　offerings　to　Jupiter；　and　gave　the　priests　very　rich　presents。　This　is　what　most　authors　write　concerning　the　oracles。　But　Alexander；　in　a　letter　to　his　mother；　tells　her　there　were　some　secret　answers；　which　at　his　return　he　would　communicate　to　her　only。　Others　say　that　the　priest；　desirous　as　a　piece　of　courtesy　to　address　him　in　Greek；　〃O　Paidion；〃　by　a　slip　in　pronunciation　ended　with　the　s　instead　of　the　n；　and　said　〃O　Paidios；〃　which　mistake　Alexander　was　well　enough　pleased　with；　and　it　went　for　current　that　the　oracle　had　called　him　so。　　　Among　the　sayings　of　one　Psammon；　a　philosopher；　whom　he　heard　in　Egypt；　he　most　approved　of　this；　that　all　men　are　governed　by　God；　because　in　everything；　that　which　is　chief　and　commands　is　divine。　But　what　he　pronounced　himself　upon　this　subject　was　even　more　like　a　philosopher；　for　he　said　God　was　the　common　father　of　us　all；　but　more　particularly　of　the　best　of　us。　To　the　barbarians　he　carried　himself　very　haughtily；　as　if　he　were　fully　persuaded　of　his　divine　birth　and　parentage；　but　to　the　Grecians　more　moderately；　and　with　less　affectation　of　divinity；　except　it　were　once　in　writing　to　the　Athenians　about　Samos；　when　he　tells　them　that　he　should　not　himself　have　bestowed　upon　them　that　free　and　glorious　city；　〃You　received　it；〃　he　says；　〃from　the　bounty　of　him　who　at　that　time　was　called　my　lord　and　father；〃　meaning　Philip。　However；　afterwards　being　wounded　with　an　arrow；　and　feeling　much　pain；　he　turned　to　those　about　him；　and　told　them；　〃This；　my　friends；　is　real　flowing　blood；　not　Ichor…

　　　　　　　　　〃Such　as　immortal　gods　are　wont　to　shed。〃

And　another　time；　when　it　thundered　so　much　that　everybody　was　afraid；　and　Anaxarchus；　the　sophist；　asked　him　if　he　who　was　Jupiter's　son　could　do　anything　like　this；　〃Nay；〃　said　Alexander；　laughing；　〃I　have　no　desire　to　be　formidable　to　my　friends；　as　you　would　have　me；　who　despised　my　table　for　being　furnished　with　fish；　and　not　with　the　heads　of　governors　of　provinces。〃　For　in　fact　it　is　related　as　true；　that　Anaxarchus；　seeing　a　present　of　small　fishes；　which　the　king　sent　to　Hephaestion；　had　used　this　expression；　in　a　sort　of　irony；　and　disparagement　of　those　who　undergo　vast　labours　and　encounter　great　hazards　in　pursuit　of　magnificent　objects　which　after　all　bring　them　little　more　pleasure　or　enjoyment　than　what　others　have。　From　what　I　have　said　upon　this　subject；　it　is　apparent　that　Alexander　in　himself　was　not　foolishly　affected；　or　had　the　vanity　to　think　himself　really　a　god；　but　merely　used　his　claims　to　divinity　as　a　means　of　maintaining　among　other　people　the　sense　of　his　superiority。　　　At　his　return　out　of　Egypt　into　Phoenicia；　he　sacrificed　and　made　solemn　processions；　to　which　were　added　shows　of　lyric　dances　and　tragedies；　remarkable　not　merely　for　the　splendour　of　the　equipage　and　decorations；　but　for　the　competition　among　those　who　exhibited　them。　For　the　kings　of　Cyprus　were　here　the　exhibitors；　just　in　the　same　manner　as　at　Athens　those　who　are　chosen　by　lot　out　of　the　tribes。　And；　indeed；　they　showed　the　greatest　emulation　to　outvie　each