alexander-第6章

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ere；　when　he　beheld　the　bathing　vessels；　the　water…pots；　the　pans；　and　the　ointment　boxes；　all　of　gold　curiously　wrought；　and　smelt　the　fragrant　odours　with　which　the　whole　place　was　exquisitely　perfumed；　and　from　thence　passed　into　a　pavilion　of　great　size　and　height；　where　the　couches　and　tables　and　preparations　for　an　entertainment　were　perfectly　magnificent；　he　turned　to　those　about　him　and　said；　〃This；　it　seems；　is　royalty。〃　　　But　as　he　was　going　to　supper；　word　was　brought　him　that　Darius's　mother　and　wife　and　two　unmarried　daughters；　being　taken　among　the　rest　of　the　prisoners；　upon　the　sight　of　his　chariot　and　bow；　were　all　in　mourning　and　sorrow；　imagining　him　to　be　dead。　After　a　little　pause；　more　lively　affected　with　their　affliction　than　with　his　own　success；　he　sent　Leonnatus　to　them；　to　let　them　know　Darius　was　not　dead；　and　that　they　need　not　fear　any　harm　from　Alexander；　who　made　war　upon　him　only　for　dominion；　they　should　themselves　be　provided　with　everything　they　had　been　used　to　receive　from　Darius。　This　kind　message　could　not　but　be　very　welcome　to　the　captive　ladies；　especially　being　made　good　by　actions　no　less　humane　and　generous。　For　he　gave　them　leave　to　bury　whom　they　pleased　of　the　Persians；　and　to　make　use　for　this　purpose　of　what　garments　and　furniture　they　thought　fit　out　of　the　booty。　He　diminished　nothing　of　their　equipage；　or　of　the　attentions　and　respect　formerly　paid　them；　and　allowed　larger　pensions　for　their　maintenance　than　they　had　before。　But　the　noblest　and　most　royal　part　of　their　usage　was；　that　he　treated　these　illustrious　prisoners　according　to　their　virtue　and　character；　not　suffering　them　to　hear；　or　receive；　or　so　much　as　to　apprehend　anything　that　was　unbecoming。　So　that　they　seemed　rather　lodged　in　some　temple；　or　some　holy　virgin　chambers；　where　they　enjoyed　their　privacy　sacred　and　uninterrupted；　than　in　the　camp　of　an　enemy。　Nevertheless　Darius's　wife　was　accounted　the　most　beautiful　princess　then　living；　as　her　husband　the　tallest　and　handsomest　man　of　his　time；　and　the　daughters　were　not　unworthy　of　their　parents。　But　Alexander；　esteeming　it　more　kingly　to　govern　himself　than　to　conquer　his　enemies；　sought　no　intimacy　with　any　one　of　them；　nor　indeed　with　any　other　women　before　marriage；　except　Barsine；　Memnon's　widow；　who　was　taken　prisoner　at　Damascus。　She　had　been　instructed　in　the　Grecian　learning；　was　of　a　gentle　temper；　and　by　her　father；　Artabazus；　royally　descended；　with　good　qualities；　added　to　the　solicitations　and　encouragement　of　Parmenio；　as　Aristobulus　tells　us；　made　him　the　more　willing　to　attach　himself　to　so　agreeable　and　illustrious　a　woman。　Of　the　rest　of　the　female　captives；　though　remarkably　handsome　and　well　proportioned；　he　took　no　further　notice　than　to　say　jestingly　that　Persian　women　were　terrible　eyesores。　And　he　himself；　retaliating；　as　it　were；　by　the　display　of　the　beauty　of　his　own　temperance　and　self…control；　bade　them　be　removed；　as　he　would　have　done　so　many　lifeless　images。　When　Philoxenus；　his　lieutenant　on　the　sea…coast；　wrote　to　him　to　know　if　he　would　buy　two　young　boys　of　great　beauty；　whom　one　Theodorus；　a　Tarentine；　had　to　sell；　he　was　so　offended　that　he　often　expostulated　with　his　friends　what　baseness　Philoxenus　had　ever　observed　in　him　that　he　should　presume　to　make　him　such　a　reproachful　offer。　And　he　immediately　wrote　him　a　very　sharp　letter；　telling　him　Theodorus　and　his　merchandise　might　go　with　his　good…will　to　destruction。　Nor　was　he　less　severe　to　Hagnon；　who　sent　him　word　he　would　buy　a　Corinthian　youth　named　Crobylus；　as　a　present　for　him。　And　hearing　that　Damon　and　Timotheus；　two　of　Parmenio's　Macedonian　soldiers；　had　abused　the　wives　of　some　strangers　who　were　in　his　pay；　he　wrote　to　Parmenio；　charging　him　strictly；　if　he　found　them　guilty；　to　put　them　to　death；　as　wild　beasts　that　were　only　made　for　the　mischief　of　mankind。　In　the　same　letter　he　added；　that　he　had　not　so　much　as　seen　or　desired　to　see　the　wife　of　Darius；　nor　suffered　anybody　to　speak　of　her　beauty　before　him。　He　was　wont　to　say　that　sleep　and　the　act　of　generation　chiefly　made　him　sensible　that　he　was　mortal；　as　much　as　to　say；　that　weariness　and　pleasure　proceed　both　from　the　same　frailty　and　imbecility　of　human　nature。　　　In　his　diet；　also；　he　was　most　temperate；　as　appears；　omitting　many　other　circumstances；　by　what　he　said　to　Ada；　whom　he　adopted；　with　the　title　of　mother；　and　afterwards　created　Queen　of　Caria。　For　when　she；　out　of　kindness；　sent　him　every　day　many　curious　dishes　and　sweetmeats；　and　would　have　furnished　him　with　some　cooks　and　pastry…men；　who　were　thought　to　have　great　skill；　he　told　her　he　wanted　none　of　them；　his　preceptor；　Leonidas；　having　already　given　him　the　best；　which　were　a　night　march　to　prepare　for　breakfast；　and　a　moderate　breakfast　to　create　an　appetite　for　supper。　Leonidas　also；　he　added；　used　to　open　and　search　the　furniture　of　his　chamber　and　his　wardrobe；　to　see　if　his　mother　had　left　him　anything　that　was　delicate　or　superfluous。　He　was　much　less　addicted　to　wine　than　was　generally　believed；　that　which　gave　people　occasion　to　think　so　of　him　was；　that　when　he　had　nothing　else　to　do；　he　loved　to　sit　long　and　talk；　rather　than　drink；　and　over　every　cup　hold　a　long　conversation。　For　when　his　affairs　called　upon　him；　he　would　not　be　detained；　as　other　generals　often　were；　either　by　wine；　or　sleep；　nuptial　solemnities；　spectacles；　or　any　other　diversion　whatsoever；　a　convincing　argument　of　which　is；　that　in　the　short　time　he　lived；　he　accomplished　so　many　and　so　great　actions。　When　he　was　free　from　employment；　after　he　was　up；　and　had　sacrificed　to　the　gods　he　used　to　sit　down　to　breakfast；　and　then　spend　the　rest　of　the　day　in　hunting；　or　writing　memoirs；　giving　decisions　on　some　military　questions；　or　reading。　In　marches　that　required　no　great　haste；　he　would　practise　shooting　as　he　went　along；　or　to　mount　a　chariot　and　alight　from　it　in　full　speed。　Sometimes；　for　sport's　sake；　as　his　journals　tell　us；　he　would　hunt　foxes　and　go　fowling。　When　he　came　in　for　the　evening；　after　he　had　bathed　and　was　anointed；　he　would　call　for　his　bakers　and　chief　cooks；　to　know　if　they　had　his　dinner　ready。　He　never　cared　to　dine　till　it　was　pretty　late　and　beginning　to　be　dark；　and　was　wonderfully　circumspect　at　meals　that　every　one　who　sat　with　him　should　be　served　alike　and　with　proper　attention：　and　his　love　of　talking；　as　was　said　before；　made　him　delight　to　sit　long　at　his　wine。　And　then；　though　otherwise　no　prince's　conversation　was　ever　so　agreeable；　he　would　fall　into　a　temper　of　ostentation　and　soldierly　boasting；　which　gave　his　flatterers　a　great　advantage　to　ride　him；　and　made　his　better　friends　very　uneasy。　For　though　they　thought　it　too　base　to　strive　who　should　flatter　him　most；　yet　they　found　it　hazardous　not　to　do　it；　so　that　between　the　shame　and　the　danger；　they　were　in　a　great　strait　how　to　behave　themselves。　After　such　an　entertainment；　he　was　wont　to　bathe；　and　then　perhaps　he　would　sleep　till　noon；　and　sometimes　all　day　long。　He　was　so　very　temperate　in　his　eating；　that　when　any　rare　fish　or　fruits　were　sent　him；　he　would　distribute　them　among　his　friends；　and　often　reserve　nothing　for　himself。　His　table；　however；　was　always　magnificent；　the　expense　of　it　still　increasing　with　his　good　fortune；　till　it　amounted　to　ten　thousand　drachmas　a　day；　to　which　sum　he　limited　it；　and　beyond　this　he　would　suffer　none　to　lay　out　in　any　entertainment　where　he　himself　was　the　guest。　　　After　the　battle　of　Issus；　he　sent　to　Damascus　to　seize　upon　the　money　and　baggage；　the　wives　and　children；　of　the　Persians；　of　which　spoil　the　Thessalian　horsemen　had　the　greatest　share；　for　he　had　taken　particular　notice　of　their　gallantry　in　the　fight；　and　sent　them　thither　on　purpose　to　make　their　reward　suitable　to　their　courage。　Not　but　that　the　rest　of　the　army　had　so　considerable　a　part　of　the　booty　as　was　sufficient　to　enrich　them　all。　This　first　gave　the　Macedonians　such　a　taste　of　the　Persian　wealth　and　women　and　barbaric　splendour　of　living；　that　they　were　ready　to　pursue　and　follow　upon　it　with　all　the　eagerness　of　hounds　upon　a　scent。　But　Alexander；　before　he　proceeded　any　further；　thought　it　necessary　to　assure　himself　of　the　sea…coast。　Those　who　governed　in　Cyprus　put　that　island　into　his　possession；　and　Phoenicia；　Tyre　only　excepted；　was　surrendered　to　him。　During　the　siege　of　this　city；　which；　with　mounds　of　earth　cast　up；　and　battering　engines；　and　two　hundred　galleys　by　sea；　was　carried　on　for　seven　months　together；　he　dreamt　that　he　saw　Hercules　upon　the　walls；　reaching　out　his　hands；　and　calling　to　him。　And　many　of　the　Tyrians　in　their　sleep　fancied　that　Apollo　told　them　he　was　displeased　with　their　actions；　and　was　about　to　leave　them　and　go　over　to　Alexander。　Upon　which；　as　if　the　god　had　been　a　deserting　soldier；　they　seized　him；　so　to　say；　in　the　act；　tied　down　the　statue　with　ropes；　and　nailed　it　to　the　pedestal；　reproaching　him　that　he　was　a　favourer　of　Alexander。　Another　time　Alexander　dreamed　he　saw　a　satyr　mocking　him　at　a　distance；　and　when　he　endeavoured　to　catch　him；　he　still　escaped　from　him；　till　at　last　with　much　perseverance；　and　running　about　after　him；　he　got　him　into　his　power。　The　soothsayers；　making　two　words　of