alexander-第2节

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　should　receive　from　his　father　as　a　diminution　and　prevention　of　his　own　future　achievements；　and　would　have　chosen　rather　to　succeed　to　a　kingdom　involved　in　troubles　and　wars；　which　would　have　afforded　him　frequent　exercise　of　his　courage；　and　a　large　field　of　honour；　than　to　one　already　flourishing　and　settled；　where　his　inheritance　would　be　an　inactive　life；　and　the　mere　enjoyment　of　wealth　and　luxury。　　　The　care　of　his　education；　as　it　might　be　presumed；　was　committed　to　a　great　many　attendants；　preceptors；　and　teachers；　over　the　whole　of　whom　Leonidas；　a　near　kinsman　of　Olympias；　a　man　of　an　austere　temper；　presided；　who　did　not　indeed　himself　decline　the　name　of　what　in　reality　is　a　noble　and　honourable　office；　but　in　general　his　dignity；　and　his　near　relationship；　obtained　him　from　other　people　the　title　of　Alexander's　foster…father　and　governor。　But　he　who　took　upon　him　the　actual　place　and　style　of　his　pedagogue　was　Lysimachus　the　Acarnanian；　who；　though　he　had　nothing　to　recommend　him；　but　his　lucky　fancy　of　calling　himself　Phoenix；　Alexander　Achilles　and　Philip　Peleus；　was　therefore　well　enough　esteemed；　and　ranked　in　the　next　degree　after　Leonidas。　　　Philonicus　the　Thessalian　brought　the　horse　Bucephalus　to　Philip；　offering　to　sell　him　for　thirteen　talents；　but　when　they　went　into　the　field　to　try　him；　they　found　him　so　very　vicious　and　unmanageable；　that　he　reared　up　when　they　endeavoured　to　mount　him；　and　would　not　so　much　as　endure　the　voice　of　any　of　Philip's　attendants。　Upon　which；　as　they　were　leading　him　away　as　wholly　useless　and　untractable；　Alexander；　who　stood　by；　said；　〃What　an　excellent　horse　do　they　lose　for　want　of　address　and　boldness　to　manage　him！〃　Philip　at　first　took　no　notice　of　what　he　said；　but　when　he　heard　him　repeat　the　same　thing　several　times；　and　saw　he　was　much　vexed　to　see　the　horse　sent　away；　〃Do　you　reproach；〃　said　he　to　him；　〃those　who　are　older　than　yourself；　as　if　you　knew　more；　and　were　better　able　to　manage　him　than　they？〃　〃I　could　manage　this　horse；〃　replied　he；　〃better　than　others　do。〃　〃And　if　you　do　not；〃　said　Philip；　〃what　will　you　forfeit　for　your　rashness？〃　〃I　will　pay；〃　answered　Alexander；　〃the　whole　price　of　the　horse。〃　At　this　the　whole　company　fell　a…laughing；　and　as　soon　as　the　wager　was　settled　amongst　them；　he　immediately　ran　to　the　horse；　and　taking　hold　of　the　bridle；　turned　him　directly　towards　the　sun；　having；　it　seems；　observed　that　he　was　disturbed　at　and　afraid　of　the　motion　of　his　own　shadow；　then　letting　him　go　forward　a　little；　still　keeping　the　reins　in　his　hands；　and　stroking　him　gently　when　he　found　him　begin　to　grow　eager　and　fiery；　he　let　fall　his　upper　garment　softly；　and　with　one　nimble　leap　securely　mounted　him；　and　when　he　was　seated；　by　little　and　little　drew　in　the　bridle；　and　curbed　him　without　either　striking　or　spurring　him。　Presently；　when　he　found　him　free　from　all　rebelliousness；　and　only　impatient　for　the　course；　he　let　him　go　at　full　speed；　inciting　him　now　with　a　commanding　voice；　and　urging　him　also　with　his　heel。　Philip　and　his　friends　looked　on　at　first　in　silence　and　anxiety　for　the　result；　till　seeing　him　turn　at　the　end　of　his　career；　and　come　back　rejoicing　and　triumphing　for　what　he　had　performed；　they　all　burst　out　into　acclamations　of　applause；　and　his　father　shedding　tears；　it　is　said；　for　joy；　kissed　him　as　he　came　down　from　his　horse；　and　in　his　transport　said；　〃O　my　son；　look　thee　out　a　kingdom　equal　to　and　worthy　of　thyself；　for　Macedonia　is　too　little　for　thee。〃　　　After　this；　considering　him　to　be　of　a　temper　easy　to　be　led　to　his　duty　by　reason；　but　by　no　means　to　be　compelled；　he　always　endeavoured　to　persuade　rather　than　to　command　or　force　him　to　anything；　and　now　looking　upon　the　instruction　and　tuition　of　his　youth　to　be　of　greater　difficulty　and　importance　than　to　be　wholly　trusted　to　the　ordinary　masters　in　music　and　poetry；　and　the　common　school　subjects；　and　to　require；　as　Sophocles　says…

　　　　　　　　　〃The　bridle　and　the　rudder　too；〃

he　sent　for　Aristotle；　the　most　learned　and　most　celebrated　philosopher　of　his　time；　and　rewarded　him　with　a　munificence　proportionable　to　and　becoming　the　care　he　took　to　instruct　his　son。　For　he　repeopled　his　native　city　Stagira；　which　he　had　caused　to　be　demolished　a　little　before；　and　restored　all　the　citizens；　who　were　in　exile　or　slavery；　to　their　habitations。　As　a　place　for　the　pursuit　of　their　studies　and　exercise；　he　assigned　the　temple　of　the　Nymphs；　near　Mieza；　where；　to　this　very　day；　they　show　you　Aristotle's　stone　seats；　and　the　shady　walks　which　he　was　wont　to　frequent。　It　would　appear　that　Alexander　received　from　him　not　only　his　doctrines　of　Morals　and　of　Politics；　but　also　something　of　those　more　abstruse　and　profound　theories　which　these　philosophers；　by　the　very　names　they　gave　them；　professed　to　reserve　for　oral　communication　to　the　initiated；　and　did　not　allow　many　to　become　acquainted　with。　For　when　he　was　in　Asia；　and　heard　Aristotle　had　published　some　treatises　of　that　kind；　he　wrote　to　him；　using　very　plain　language　to　him　in　behalf　of　philosophy；　the　following　letter。　〃Alexander　to　Aristotle；　greeting。　You　have　not　done　well　to　publish　your　books　of　oral　doctrine；　for　what　is　there　now　that　we　excel　others　in；　if　those　things　which　we　have　been　particularly　instructed　in　be　laid　open　to　all？　For　my　part；　I　assure　you；　I　had　rather　excel　others　in　the　knowledge　of　what　is　excellent；　than　in　the　extent　of　my　power　and　dominion。　Farewell。〃　And　Aristotle；　soothing　this　passion　for　pre…eminence；　speaks；　in　his　excuse　for　himself；　of　these　doctrines　as　in　fact　both　published　and　not　published：　as　indeed；　to　say　the　truth；　his　books　on　metaphysics　are　written　in　a　style　which　makes　them　useless　for　ordinary　teaching；　and　instructive　only；　in　the　way　of　memoranda；　for　those　who　have　been　already　conversant　in　that　sort　of　learning。　　　Doubtless　also　it　was　to　Aristotle　that　he　owed　the　inclination　he　had；　not　to　the　theory　only；　but　likewise　to　the　practice　of　the　art　of　medicine。　For　when　any　of　his　friends　were　sick；　he　would　often　prescribe　them　their　course　of　diet；　and　medicines　proper　to　their　disease；　as　we　may　find　in　his　epistles。　He　was　naturally　a　great　lover　of　all　kinds　of　learning　and　reading；　and　Onesicritus　informs　us　that　he　constantly　laid　Homer's　Iliads；　according　to　the　copy　corrected　by　Aristotle；　called　the　casket　copy；　with　his　dagger　under　his　pillow；　declaring　that　he　esteemed　it　a　perfect　portable　treasure　of　all　military　virtue　and　knowledge。　When　he　was　in　the　upper　Asia；　being　destitute　of　other　books；　he　ordered　Harpalus　to　send　him　some；　who　furnished　him　with　Philistus's　History；　a　great　many　of　the　plays　of　Euripides；　Sophocles；　and　Aeschylus；　and　some　dithyrambic　odes；　composed　by　Telestes　and　Philoxenus。　For　a　while　he　loved　and　cherished　Aristotle　no　less；　as　he　was　wont　to　say　himself；　than　if　he　had　been　his　father；　giving　this　reason　for　it；　that　as　he　had　received　life　from　the　one；　so　the　other　had　taught　him　to　live　well。　But　afterwards；　upon　some　mistrust　of　him；　yet　not　so　great　as　to　make　him　do　him　any　hurt；　his　familiarity　and　friendly　kindness　to　him　abated　so　much　of　its　former　force　and　affectionateness；　as　to　make　it　evident　he　was　alienated　from　him。　However；　his　violent　thirst　after　and　passion　for　learning；　which　were　once　implanted；　still　grew　up　with　him；　and　never　decayed；　as　appears　by　his　veneration　of　Anaxarchus；　by　the　present　of　fifty　talents　which　he　sent　to　Xenocrates；　and　his　particular　care　and　esteem　of　Dandamis　and　Calanus。　　　While　Philip　went　on　his　expedition　against　the　Byzantines；　he　left　Alexander；　then　sixteen　years　old；　his　lieutenant　in　Macedonia；　committing　the　charge　of　his　seal　to　him；　who；　not　to　sit　idle；　reduced　the　rebellious　Maedi；　and　having　taken　their　chief　town　by　storm；　drove　out　the　barbarous　inhabitants；　and　planting　a　colony　of　several　nations　in　their　room；　called　the　place　after　his　own　name；　Alexandropolis。　At　the　battle　of　Chaeronea；　which　his　father　fought　against　the　Grecians；　he　is　said　to　have　been　the　first　man　that　charged　the　Thebans'　sacred　band。　And　even　in　my　remembrance；　there　stood　an　old　oak　near　the　river　Cephisus；　which　people　called　Alexander's　oak；　because　his　tent　was　pitched　under　it。　And　not　far　off　are　to　be　seen　the　graves　of　the　Macedonians　who　fell　in　that　battle。　This　early　bravery　made　Philip　so　fond　of　him；　that　nothing　pleased　him　more　than　to　hear　his　subjects　call　himself　their　general　and　Alexander　their　king。　　　But　the　disorders　of　his　family；　chiefly　caused　by　his　new　marriages　and　attachments　（the　troubles　that　began　in　the　women's　chambers　spreading；　so　to　say；　to　the　whole　kingdom）；　raised　various　complaints　and　differences　between　them；　which　the　violence　of　Olympias；　a　woman　of　a　jealous　and　implacable　temper；　made　wider；　by　exasperating　Alexander　against　his　father。　Among　the　rest；　this　accident　contributed　most　to　their　falling　out。　At　the　wedding　of　Cleopatra；　whom　Philip　fell　in　love　with　and　married；　she　being　much　too　young　for　him；　her　uncle　Attalus　in　his　drink　desired　the　Macedonians　would　implore　the　gods　to　give　them　a　lawful　successor　to　the　kingdom　by　his　niece。　This　so　irritated　Alexander；　that　throwing　one　of　the　cups　at　his