alexander-第12章

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could　entice　him　out　by　fair　means；　then　he　gave　him　leave　to　seize　him。　It　is　reported　of　him　that　when　he　first　sat　in　judgment　upon　capital　causes　he　would　lay　his　hand　upon　one　of　his　ears　while　the　accuser　spoke；　to　keep　it　free　and　unprejudiced　in　behalf　of　the　party　accused。　But　afterwards　such　a　multitude　of　accusations　were　brought　before　him；　and　so　many　proved　true；　that　he　lost　his　tenderness　of　heart；　and　gave　credit　to　those　also　that　were　false；　and　especially　when　anybody　spoke　ill　of　him；　he　would　be　transported　out　of　his　reason；　and　show　himself　cruel　and　inexorable；　valuing　his　glory　and　reputation　beyond　his　life　or　kingdom。　　　He　now；　as　we　said；　set　forth　to　seek　Darius；　expecting　he　should　be　put　to　the　hazard　of　another　battle；　but　heard　he　was　taken　and　secured　by　Bessus；　upon　which　news　he　sent　home　the　Thessalians；　and　gave　them　a　largess　of　two　thousand　talents　over　and　above　the　pay　that　was　due　to　them。　This　long　and　painful　pursuit　of　Darius…　for　in　eleven　days　he　marched　thirty…three　hundred　furlongs…　harassed　his　soldiers　so　that　most　of　them　were　ready　to　give　it　up；　chiefly　for　want　of　water。　While　they　were　in　this　distress；　it　happened　that　some　Macedonians　who　had　fetched　water　in　skins　upon　their　mules　from　a　river　they　had　found　out　came　about　noon　to　the　place　where　Alexander　was；　and　seeing　him　almost　choked　with　thirst；　presently　filled　an　helmet　and　offered　it　him。　He　asked　them　to　whom　they　were　carrying　the　water；　they　told　him　to　their　children；　adding；　that　if　his　life　were　but　saved；　it　was　no　matter　for　them；　they　should　be　able　well　enough　to　repair　that　loss；　though　they　all　perished。　Then　he　took　the　helmet　into　his　hands；　and　looking　round　about；　when　he　saw　all　those　who　were　near　him　stretching　their　heads　out　and　looking　earnestly　after　the　drink；　he　returned　it　again　with　thanks　without　tasting　a　drop　of　it。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃if　I　alone　drink；　the　rest　will　be　out　of　heart。〃　The　soldiers　no　sooner　took　notice　of　his　temperance　and　magnanimity　upon　this　occasion；　but　they　one　and　all　cried　out　to　him　to　lead　them　forward　boldly；　and　began　whipping　on　their　horses。　For　whilst　they　had　such　a　king　they　said　they　defied　both　weariness　and　thirst；　and　looked　upon　themselves　to　be　little　less　than　immortal。　But　though　they　were　all　equally　cheerful　and　willing；　yet　not　above　three…score　horse　were　able；　it　is　said；　to　keep　up；　and　to　fall　in　with　Alexander　upon　the　enemy's　camp；　where　they　rode　over　abundance　of　gold　and　silver　that　lay　scattered　about；　and　passing　by　a　great　many　chariots　full　of　women　that　wandered　here　and　there　for　want　of　drivers；　they　endeavoured　to　overtake　the　first　of　those　that　fled；　in　hopes　to　meet　with　Darius　among　them。　And　at　last；　after　much　trouble；　they　found　him　lying　in　a　chariot；　wounded　all　over　with　darts；　just　at　the　point　of　death。　However；　he　desired　they　would　give　him　some　drink；　and　when　he　had　drunk　a　little　cold　water；　he　told　Polystratus；　who　gave　it　him；　that　it　had　become　the　last　extremity　of　his　ill　fortune　to　receive　benefits　and　not　be　able　to　return　them。　〃But　Alexander；〃　said　he；　〃whose　kindness　to　my　mother；　my　wife；　and　my　children　I　hope　the　gods　will　recompense；　will　doubtless　thank　you　for　your　humanity　to　me。　Tell　him；　therefore；　in　token　of　my　acknowledgment；　I　give　him　this　right　hand；〃　with　which　words　he　took　hold　of　Polystratus's　hand　and　died。　When　Alexander　came　up　to　them；　he　showed　manifest　tokens　of　sorrow；　and　taking　off　his　own　cloak；　threw　it　upon　the　body　to　cover　it。　And　some　time　afterwards；　when　Bessus　was　taken；　he　ordered　him　to　be　torn　in　pieces　in　this　manner。　They　fastened　him　to　a　couple　of　trees　which　were　bound　down　so　as　to　meet；　and　then　being　let　loose；　with　a　great　force　returned　to　their　places；　each　of　them　carrying　that　part　of　the　body　along　with　it　that　was　tied　to　it。　Darius's　body　was　laid　in　state；　and　sent　to　his　mother　with　pomp　suitable　to　his　quality。　His　brother　Exathres；　Alexander　received　into　the　number　of　his　intimate　friends。　　　And　now　with　the　flower　of　his　army　he　marched　into　Hyrcania；　where　he　saw　a　large　bay　of　an　open　sea；　apparently　not　much　less　than　the　Euxine；　with　water；　however；　sweeter　than　that　of　other　seas；　but　could　learn　nothing　of　certainty　concerning　it；　further　than　that　in　all　probability　it　seemed　to　him　to　be　an　arm　issuing　from　the　lake　of　Maeotis。　However；　the　naturalists　were　better　informed　of　the　truth；　and　had　given　an　account　of　it　many　years　before　Alexander's　expedition；　that　of　four　gulfs　which　out　of　the　main　sea　enter　into　the　continent；　this；　known　indifferently　as　the　Caspian　and　as　the　Hyrcanian　Sea；　is　the　most　northern。　Here　the　barbarians；　unexpectedly　meeting　with　those　who　led　Bucephalus；　took　them　prisoners；　and　carried　the　horse　away　with　them。　at　which　Alexander　was　so　much　vexed　that　he　sent　an　herald　to　let　them　know　he　would　put　them　all　to　the　sword；　men；　women；　and　children；　without　mercy；　if　they　did　not　restore　him。　But　on　their　doing　so；　and　at　the　same　time　surrendering　their　cities　into　his　hands；　he　not　only　treated　them　kindly；　but　also　paid　a　ransom　for　his　horse　to　those　who　took　him。　　　From　hence　he　marched　into　Parthia；　where　not　having　much　to　do；　he　first　put　on　the　barbaric　dress；　perhaps　with　the　view　of　making　the　work　of　civilizing　them　the　easier；　as　nothing　gains　more　upon　men　than　a　conformity　to　their　fashions　and　customs。　Or　it　may　have　been　as　a　first　trial；　whether　the　Macedonians　might　be　brought　to　adore　as　the　Persians　did　their　kings；　by　accustoming　them　by　little　and　little　to　bear　with　the　alteration　of　his　rule　and　course　of　life　in　other　things。　However；　he　followed　not　the　Median　fashion；　which　was　altogether　foreign　and　uncouth；　and　adopted　neither　the　trousers　nor　the　sleeved　vest；　nor　the　tiara　for　the　head；　but　taking　a　middle　way　between　the　Persian　mode　and　the　Macedonian；　so　contrived　his　habit　that　it　was　not　so　flaunting　as　the　one；　and　yet　more　pompous　and　magnificent　than　the　other。　At　first　he　wore　this　habit　only　when　he　conversed　with　the　barbarians；　or　within　doors；　among　his　intimate　friends　and　companions；　but　afterwards　he　appeared　in　it　abroad；　when　he　rode　out；　and　at　public　audiences；　a　sight　which　the　Macedonians　beheld　with　grief；　but　they　so　respected　his　other　virtues　and　good　qualities　that　they　felt　it　reasonable　in　some　things　to　gratify　his　fancies　and　his　passion　of　glory；　in　pursuit　of　which　he　hazarded　himself　so　far；　that；　besides　his　other　adventures；　he　had　but　lately　been　wounded　in　the　leg　by　an　arrow；　which　had　so　shattered　the　shank…bone　that　splinters　were　taken　out。　And　on　another　occasion　he　received　a　violent　blow　with　a　stone　upon　the　nape　of　the　neck；　which　dimmed　his　sight　for　a　good　while　afterwards。　And　yet　all　this　could　not　hinder　him　from　exposing　himself　freely　to　any　dangers；　insomuch　that　he　passed　the　river　Orexartes；　which　he　took　to　be　the　Tanais；　and　putting　the　Scythians　to　flight；　followed　them　above　a　hundred　furlongs；　though　suffering　all　the　time　from　a　diarrhoea。　　　Here　many　affirm　that　the　Amazon　came　to　give　him　a　visit。　So　Clitarchus；　Polyclitus；　Onesicritus；　Antigenes；　and　Ister　tell　us。　But　Aristobulus　and　Chares；　who　held　the　office　of　reporter　of　requests；　Ptolemy　and　Anticlides；　Philon　the　Theban；　Philip　of　Theangela；　Hecataeus　the　Eretrian；　Philip　the　Chalcidian；　and　Duris　the　Samian；　say　it　is　wholly　a　fiction。　And　truly　Alexander　himself　seems　to　confirm　the　latter　statement；　for　in　a　letter　in　which　he　gives　Antipater　an　account　of　all　that　happened；　he　tells　him　that　the　King　of　Scythia　offered　him　his　daughter　in　marriage；　but　makes　no　mention　at　all　of　the　Amazon。　And　many　years　after；　when　Onesicritus　read　this　story　in　his　fourth　book　to　Lysimachus；　who　then　reigned；　the　king　laughed　quietly　and　asked；　〃Where　could　I　have　been　at　that　time？〃　　　But　it　signifies　little　to　Alexander　whether　this　be　credited　or　no。　Certain　it　is；　that　apprehending　the　Macedonians　would　be　weary　of　pursuing　the　war；　he　left　the　greater　part　of　them　in　their　quarters；　and　having　with　him　in　Hyrcania　the　choice　of　his　men　only；　amounting　to　twenty　thousand　foot　and　three　thousand　horse；　he　spoke　to　them　to　this　effect：　That　hitherto　the　barbarians　had　seen　them　no　otherwise　than　as　it　were　in　a　dream；　and　if　they　should　think　of　returning　when　they　had　only　alarmed　Asia；　and　not　conquered　it；　their　enemies　would　set　upon　them　as　upon　so　many　women。　However　he　told　them　he　would　keep　none　of　them　with　him　against　their　will；　they　might　go　if　they　pleased；　he　should　merely　enter　his　protest；　that　when　on　his　way　to　make　the　Macedonians　the　masters　of　the　world；　he　was　left　alone　with　a　few　friends　and　volunteers。　This　is　almost　word　for　word　as　he　wrote　in　a　letter　to　Antipater；　where　he　adds；　that　when　he　had　thus　spoken　to　them；　they　all　cried　out；　they　would　go　along　with　him　whithersoever　it　was　his　pleasure　to　lead　them。　After　succeeding　with　these；　it　was　no　hard　matter　for　him　to　bring　over　the　multitude；　which　easily　followed　the　example　of　their　betters。　Now；　also；　he　more　and　more　accommodated　himself　in　his　way　of　living　to　that　of　the　natives；　and　tried　to　bring　them　also　as　near　as　he　could　to　the　Macedonian　customs；　wisely　consid