alexander-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Not　without　reason；　therefore；　did　Aristotle　give　this　character　of　Callisthenes；　that　he　was；　indeed；　a　powerful　speaker；　but　had　no　judgment。　He　acted　certainly　a　true　philosopher's　part　in　positively　refusing；　as　he　did；　to　pay　adoration；　and　by　speaking　out　openly　against　that　which　the　best　and　gravest　of　the　Macedonians　only　repined　at　in　secret；　he　delivered　the　Grecians　and　Alexander　himself　from　a　great　disgrace；　when　the　practice　was　given　up。　But　he　ruined　himself　by　it；　because　he　went　too　roughly　to　work；　as　if　he　would　have　forced　the　king　to　that　which　he　should　have　effected　by　reason　and　persuasion。　Chares　of　Mitylene　writes；　that　at　a　banquet　Alexander；　after　he　had　drunk；　reached　the　cup　to　one　of　his　friends；　who；　on　receiving　it；　rose　up　towards　the　domestic　altar；　and　when　he　had　drunk；　first　adored　and　then　kissed　Alexander；　and　afterwards　laid　himself　down　at　the　table　with　the　rest。　Which　they　all　did　one　after　another；　till　it　came　to　Callisthenes's　turn；　who　took　the　cup　and　drank；　while　the　king；　who　was　engaged　in　conversation　with　Hephaestion；　was　not　observing；　and　then　came　and　offered　to　kiss　him。　But　Demetrius；　surnamed　Phidon；　interposed；　saying；　〃Sir；　by　no　means　let　him　kiss　you；　for　he　only　of　us　all　has　refused　to　adore　you。〃　upon　which　the　king　declined　it；　and　all　the　concern　Callisthenes　showed　was；　that　he　said　aloud；　〃Then　I　go　away　with　a　kiss　less　than　the　rest。〃　The　displeasure　he　incurred　by　this　action　procured　credit　for　Hephaestion's　declaration　that　he　had　broken　his　word　to　him　in　not　paying　the　king　the　same　veneration　that　others　did；　as　he　had　faithfully　promised　to　do。　And　to　finish　his　disgrace；　a　number　of　such　men　as　Lysimachus　and　Hagnon　now　came　in　with　their　asseverations　that　the　sophist　went　about　everywhere　boasting　of　his　resistance　to　arbitrary　power；　and　that　the　young　men　all　ran　after　him；　and　honoured　him　as　the　only　man　among　so　many　thousands　who　had　the　courage　to　preserve　his　liberty。　Therefore　when　Hermolaus's　conspiracy　came　to　be　discovered；　the　charges　which　his　enemies　brought　against　him　were　the　more　easily　believed；　particularly　that　when　the　young　man　asked　him　what　he　should　do　to　be　the　most　illustrious　person　on　earth；　he　told　him　the　readiest　way　was　to　kill　him　who　was　already　so；　and　that　to　incite　him　to　commit　the　deed；　he　bade　him　not　be　awed　by　the　golden　couch；　but　remember　Alexander　was　a　man　equally　infirm　and　vulnerable　as　another。　However；　none　of　Hermolaus's　accomplices；　in　the　utmost　extremity；　made　any　mention　of　Callisthenes's　being　engaged　in　the　design。　Nay；　Alexander　himself；　in　the　letters　which　he　wrote　soon　after　to　Craterus；　Attalus；　and　Alcetas；　tells　them　that　the　young　men　who　were　put　to　the　torture　declared　they　had　entered　into　the　conspiracy　of　themselves；　without　any　others　being　privy　to　or　guilty　of　it。　But　yet　afterwards；　in　a　letter　to　Antipater；　he　accuses　Callisthenes。　〃The　young　men；〃　he　says；　〃were　stoned　to　death　by　the　Macedonians；　but　for　the　sophist〃　（meaning　Callisthenes）；　〃I　will　take　care　to　punish　him　with　them　too　who　sent　him　to　me；　and　who　harbour　those　in　their　cities　who　conspire　against　my　life；〃　an　unequivocal　declaration　against　Aristotle；　in　whose　house　Callisthenes；　for　his　relationship's　sake；　being　his　niece　Hero's　son；　had　been　educated。　His　death　is　variously　related。　Some　say　he　was　hanged　by　Alexander's　orders；　others；　that　he　died　of　sickness　in　prison；　but　Chares　writes　he　was　kept　in　chains　seven　months　after　he　was　apprehended；　on　purpose　that　he　might　be　proceeded　against　in　full　council；　when　Aristotle　should　be　present；　and　that　growing　very　fat；　and　contracting　a　disease　of　vermin；　he　there　died；　about　the　time　that　Alexander　was　wounded　in　India；　in　the　country　of　the　Malli　Oxydracae；　all　which　came　to　pass　afterwards。　　　For　to　go　on　in　order；　Demaratus　of　Corinth；　now　quite　an　old　man；　had　made　a　great　effort；　about　this　time；　to　pay　Alexander　a　visit；　and　when　he　had　seen　him；　said　he　pitied　the　misfortune　of　those　Grecians；　who　were　so　unhappy　as　to　die　before　they　had　beheld　Alexander　seated　on　the　throne　of　Darius。　But　he　did　not　long　enjoy　the　benefit　of　the　king's　kindness　for　him；　any　otherwise　than　that　soon　after　falling　sick　and　dying；　he　had　a　magnificent　funeral；　and　the　army　raised　him　a　monument　of　earth　fourscore　cubits　high；　and　of　a　vast　circumference。　His　ashes　were　conveyed　in　a　very　rich　chariot；　drawn　by　four　horses；　to　the　seaside。　　　Alexander；　now　intent　upon　his　expedition　into　India；　took　notice　that　his　soldiers　were　so　charged　with　booty　that　it　hindered　their　marching。　Therefore；　at　break　of　day；　as　soon　as　the　baggage　wagons　were　laden　first　he　set　fire　to　his　own；　and　to　those　of　his　friends；　and　then　commanded　those　to　be　burnt　which　belonged　to　the　rest　of　the　army。　An　act　which　in　the　deliberation　of　it　had　seemed　more　dangerous　and　difficult　than　it　proved　in　the　execution；　with　which　few　were　dissatisfied　for　most　of　the　soldiers；　as　if　they　had　been　inspired；　uttering　loud　outcries　and　warlike　shoutings；　supplied　one　another　with　what　was　absolutely　necessary；　and　burnt　and　destroyed　all　that　was　superfluous；　the　sight　of　which　redoubled　Alexander's　zeal　and　eagerness　for　his　design。　And；　indeed；　he　was　now　grown　very　severe　and　inexorable　in　punishing　those　who　committed　any　fault。　For　he　put　Menander；　one　of　his　friends；　to　death　for　deserting　a　fortress　where　he　had　placed　him　in　garrison；　and　shot　Orsodates；　one　of　the　barbarians　who　revolted　from　him；　with　his　own　hand。　　　At　this　time　a　sheep　happened　to　yean　a　lamb；　with　the　perfect　shape　and　colour　of　a　tiara　upon　the　head；　and　testicles　on　each　side；　which　portent　Alexander　regarded　with　such　dislike；　that　he　immediately　caused　his　Babylonian　priests；　whom　he　usually　carried　about　with　him　for　such　purposes；　to　purify　him；　and　told　his　friends　he　was　not　so　much　concerned　for　his　own　sake　as　for　theirs；　out　of　an　apprehension　that　after　his　death　the　divine　power　might　suffer　his　empire　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　some　degenerate；　impotent　person。　But　this　fear　was　soon　removed　by　a　wonderful　thing　that　happened　not　long　after；　and　was　thought　to　presage　better。　For　Proxenus；　a　Macedonian；　who　was　the　chief　of　those　who　looked　to　the　king's　furniture；　as　he　was　breaking　up　the　ground　near　the　river　Oxus；　to　set　up　the　royal　pavilion；　discovered　a　spring　of　a　fat　oily　liquor；　which；　after　the　top　was　taken　off；　ran　pure；　clear　oil；　without　any　difference　either　of　taste　or　smell；　having　exactly　the　same　smoothness　and　brightness；　and　that；　too；　in　a　country　where　no　olives　grew。　The　water；　indeed；　of　the　river　Oxus；　is　said　to　be　the　smoothest　to　the　feeling　of　all　waters；　and　to　leave　a　gloss　on　the　skins　of　those　who　bathe　themselves　in　it。　Whatever　might　be　the　cause；　certain　it　is　that　Alexander　was　wonderfully　pleased　with　it；　as　appears　by　his　letters　to　Antipater；　where　he　speaks　of　it　as　one　of　the　most　remarkable　presages　that　God　had　ever　favoured　him　with。　The　diviners　told　him　it　signified　his　expedition　would　be　glorious　in　the　event；　but　very　painful　and　attended　with　many　difficulties；　for　oil；　they　said；　was　bestowed　on　mankind　by　God　as　a　refreshment　of　their　labours。　　　Nor　did　they　judge　amiss；　for　he　exposed　himself　to　many　hazards　in　the　battles　which　he　fought；　and　received　very　severe　wounds；　but　the　greatest　loss　in　his　army　was　occasioned　through　the　unwholesomeness　of　the　air　and　the　want　of　necessary　provisions。　But　he　still　applied　himself　to　overcome　fortune　and　whatever　opposed　him；　by　resolution　and　virtue；　and　thought　nothing　impossible　to　true　intrepidity；　and　on　the　other　hand　nothing　secure　or　strong　for　cowardice。　It　is　told　of　him　that　when　he　besieged　Sisimithres；　who　held　an　inaccessible；　impregnable　rock　against　him；　and　his　soldiers　began　to　despair　of　taking　it；　he　asked　Oxyartes　whether　Sisimithres　was　a　man　of　courage；　who　assuring　him　he　was　the　greatest　coward　alive；　〃Then　you　tell　me；〃　said　he；　〃that　the　place　may　easily　be　taken；　since　what　is　in　command　of　it　is　weak。〃　And　in　a　little　time　he　so　terrified　Sisimithres　that　he　took　it　without　any　difficulty。　At　an　attack　which　he　made　upon　such　another　precipitous　place　with　some　of　his　Macedonian　soldiers；　he　called　to　one　whose　name　was　Alexander；　and　told　him　he　at　any　rate　must　fight　bravely　if　it　were　but　for　his　name's　sake。　The　youth　fought　gallantly　and　was　killed　in　the　action；　at　which　he　was　sensibly　afflicted。　Another　time；　seeing　his　men　march　slowly　and　unwillingly　to　the　siege　of　the　place　called　Nysa；　because　of　a　deep　river　between　them　and　the　town；　he　advanced　before　them；　and　standing　upon　the　bank；　〃What　a　miserable　man；〃　said　he；　〃am　I；　that　I　have　not　learned　to　swim！〃　and　then　was　hardly　dissuaded　from　endeavouring　to　pass　it　upon　his　shield。　Here；　after　the　assault　was　over；　the　ambassadors　who　from　several　towns　which　he　had　blocked　up　came　to　submit　to　him　and　make　their　peace；　were　surprised　to　find　him　still　in　his　armour；　without　any　one　in　waiting　or　attendance　upon　him；　and　when　at　last　some　one　brought　him　a　cushion；　he　made　the　eldest　of　them；　named　Acuphis；　take　it　and　sit　down　upon　it。　The　old　man；　marvelling　at　his　magnanimity　and　courtesy；　asked　him　what　h