alexander-第19节

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heir　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　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　giv