alexander-第24章

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selves　again；　they　went　without　their　arms；　with　only　their　under　garments　on；　crying　and　weeping　to　offer　themselves　at　his　tent；　and　desired　him　to　deal　with　them　as　their　baseness　and　ingratitude　deserved。　However；　this　would　not　prevail；　for　though　his　anger　was　already　something　mollified；　yet　he　would　not　admit　them　into　his　presence；　nor　would　they　stir　from　thence；　but　continued　two　days　and　nights　before　his　tent；　bewailing　themselves；　and　imploring　him　as　their　lord　to　have　compassion　on　them。　But　the　third　day　he　came　out　to　them；　and　seeing　them　very　humble　and　penitent；　he　wept　himself　a　great　while；　after　a　gentle　reproof　spoke　kindly　to　them；　and　dismissed　those　who　were　unserviceable　with　magnificent　rewards；　and　with　his　recommendation　to　Antipater；　that　when　they　came　home；　at　all　public　shows　and　in　the　theatres；　they　should　sit　on　the　best　and　foremost　seats；　crowned　with　chaplets　of　flowers。　He　ordered；　also；　that　the　children　of　those　who　had　lost　their　lives　in　his　service　should　have　their　father's　pay　continued　to　them。　　　When　he　came　to　Ecbatana　in　Media；　and　had　despatched　his　most　urgent　affairs；　he　began　to　divert　himself　again　with　spectacles　and　public　entertainments；　to　carry　on　which　he　had　a　supply　of　three　thousand　actors　and　artists；　newly　arrived　out　of　Greece。　But　they　were　soon　interrupted　by　Hephaestion's　falling　sick　of　a　fever；　in　which；　being　a　young　man　and　a　soldier；　too；　he　could　not　confine　himself　to　so　exact　a　diet　as　was　necessary；　for　whilst　his　physician；　Glaucus；　was　gone　to　the　theatre；　he　ate　a　fowl　for　his　dinner；　and　drank　a　large　draught　of　wine；　upon　which　he　became　very　ill；　and　shortly　after　died。　At　this　misfortune；　Alexander　was　so　beyond。　all　reason　transported　that；　to　express　his　sorrow；　he　immediately　ordered　the　manes　and　tails　of　all　his　horses　and　mules　to　be　cut；　and　threw　down　the　battlements　of　the　neighbouring　cities。　The　poor　physician　he　crucified；　and　forbade　playing　on　the　flute　or　any　other　musical　instrument　in　the　camp　a　great　while；　till　directions　came　from　the　oracle　of　Ammon；　and　enjoined　him　to　honour　Hephaestion；　and　sacrifice　to　him　as　a　hero。　Then　seeking　to　alleviate　his　grief　in　war；　he　set　out；　as　it　were；　to　a　hunt　and　chase　of　men；　for　he　fell　upon　the　Cossaeans；　and　put　the　whole　nation　to　the　sword。　This　was　called　a　sacrifice　to　Hephaestion's　ghost。　In　his　sepulchre　and　monument　and　the　adorning　of　them　he　intended　to　bestow　ten　thousand　talents；　and　designing　that　the　excellence　of　the　workmanship　and　the　singularity　of　the　design　might　outdo　the　expense；　his　wishes　turned；　above　all　other　artists；　to　Stasicrates；　because　he　always　promised　something　very　bold；　unusual；　and　magnificent　in　his　projects。　Once　when　they　had　met　before；　he　had　told　him　that；　of　all　the　mountains　he　knew；　that　of　Athos　in　Thrace　was　the　most　capable　of　being　adapted　to　represent　the　shape　and　lineaments　of　a　man；　that　if　he　pleased　to　command　him；　he　would　make　it　the　noblest　and　most　durable　statue　in　the　world；　which　in　its　left　hand　should　hold　a　city　of　ten　thousand　inhabitants；　and　out　of　its　right　should　pour　a　copious　river　into　the　sea。　Though　Alexander　declined　this　proposal；　yet　now　he　spent　a　great　deal　of　time　with　workmen　to　invent　and　contrive　others　even　more　extravagant　and　sumptuous。　　　As　he　was　upon　his　way　to　Babylon；　Nearchus；　who　had　sailed　back　out　of　the　ocean　up　the　mouth　of　the　river　Euphrates；　came　to　tell　him　he　had　met　with　some　Chaldaean　diviners；　who　had　warned　him　against　Alexander's　going　thither。　Alexander；　however；　took　no　thought　of　it；　and　went　on；　and　when　he　came　near　the　walls　of　the　place；　he　saw　a　great　many　crows　fighting　with　one　another；　some　of　whom　fell　down　just　by　him。　After　this；　being　privately　informed　that　Apollodorus；　the　governor　of　Babylon；　had　sacrificed；　to　know　what　would　become　of　him；　he　sent　for　Pythagoras；　the　soothsayer；　and　on　his　admitting　the　thing；　asked　him　in　what　condition　he　found　the　victim；　and　when　he　told　him　the　liver　was　defective　in　its　lobe；　〃A　great　presage　indeed！〃　said　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