alexander-第25章

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　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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