alexander-第14章

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reated　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　considering　that　whilst　he　was　engaged　in　an　expedition　which　would　carry　him　far　from　thence；　it　would　be　wiser　to　depend　upon　the　good…will　which　might　arise　from　intermixture　and　association　as　a　means　of　maintaining　tranquillity；　than　upon　force　and　compulsion。　In　order　to　this；　he　chose　out　thirty　thousand　boys；　whom　he　put　under　masters　to　teach　them　the　Greek　tongue；　and　to　train　them　up　to　arms　in　the　Macedonian　discipline。　As　for　his　marriage　with　Roxana；　whose　youthfulness　and　beauty　had　charmed　him　at　a　drinking　entertainment；　where　he　first　happened　to　see　her　taking　part　in　a　dance；　it　was；　indeed　a　love　affair；　yet　it　seemed　at　the　same　time　to　be　conducive　to　the　object　he　had　in　hand。　For　it　gratified　the　conquered　people　to　see　him　choose　a　wife　from　among　themselves；　and　it　made　them　feel　the　most　lively　affection　for　him；　to　find　that　in　the　only　passion　which　he；　the　most　temperate　of　men；　was　overcome　by；　he　yet　forbore　till　he　could　obtain　her　in　a　lawful　and　honourable　way。　　　Noticing　also　that　among　his　chief　friends　and　favourites；　Hephaestion　most　approved　all　that　he　did；　and　complied　with　and　imitated　him　in　his　change　of　habits；　while　Craterus　continued　strict　in　the　observation　of　the　customs　and　fashions　of　his　own　country；　he　made　it　his　practice　to　employ　the　first　in　all　transactions　with　the　Persians；　and　the　latter　when　he　had　to　do　with　the　Greeks　or　Macedonians。　And　in　general　he　showed　more　affection　for　Hephaestion；　and　more　respect　for　Craterus；　Hephaestion；　as　he　used　to　say；　being　Alexander's；　and　Craterus　the　king's　friend。　And　so　these　two　friends　always　bore　in　secret　a　grudge　to　each　other；　and　at　times　quarrelled　openly；　so　much　so　that　once　in　India　they　drew　upon　one　another；　and　were　proceeding　in　good　earnest；　with　their　friends　on　each　side　to　second　them；　when　Alexander　rode　up　and　publicly　reproved　Hephaestion；　calling　him　fool　and　madman；　not　to　be　sensible　that　without　his　favour　he　was　nothing。　He　rebuked　Craterus　also　in　private；　severely；　and　then　causing　them　both　to　come　into　his　presence；　he　reconciled　them；　at　the　same　time　swearing　by　Ammon　and　the　rest　of　the　gods。　that　he　loved　them　two　above　all　other　men；　but　if　ever　he　perceived　them　fall　out　again　he　would　be　sure　to　put　both　of　them　to　death；　or　at　least　the　aggressor。　After　which　they　neither　ever　did　or　said　anything；　so　much　as　in　jest；　to　offend　one　another。　　　There　was　scarcely　any　one　who　had　greater　repute　among　the　Macedonians　than　Philotas；　the　son　of　Parmenio。　For　besides　that　he　was　valiant　and　able　to　endure　any　fatigue　of　war；　he　was　also　next　to　Alexander　himself　the　most　munificent；　and　the　greatest　lover　of　his　friends；　one　of　whom　asking　him　for　some　money；　he　commanded　his　steward　to　give　it　him；　and　when　he　told　him　he　had　not　wherewith；　〃Have　you　not　any　plate；　then；〃　said　he；　〃or　any　clothes　of　mine　to　sell？〃　But　he　carried　his　arrogance　and　his　pride　of　wealth　and　his　habits　of　display　and　luxury　to　a　degree　of　assumption　unbecoming　a　private　man；　and　affecting　all　the　loftiness　without　succeeding　in　showing　any　of　the　grace　or　gentleness　of　true　greatness；　by　this　mistaken　and　spurious　majesty　he　gained　so　much　envy　and　ill…will；　that　Parmenio　would　sometimes　tell　him；　〃My　son；　to　be　not　quite　so　great　would　be　better。〃　For　he　had　long　before　been　complained　of；　and　accused　to　Alexander。　Particularly　when　Darius　was　defeated　in　Cilicia；　and　an　immense　booty　was　taken　at　Damascus；　among　the　rest　of　the　prisoners　who　were　brought　into　the　camp；　there　was　one　Antigone　of　Pydna；　a　very　handsome　woman；　who　fell　to　Philotas's　share。　The　young　man　one　day　in　his　cups；　in　the　vaunting；　outspoken；　soldier's　manner；　declared　to　his　mistress；　that　all　the　great　actions　were　performed　by　him　and　his　father；　the　glory　and　benefit　of　which；　he　said；　together　with　the　title　of　king；　the　boy　Alexander　reaped　and　enjoyed　by　their　means。　She　could　not　hold；　but　discovered　what　he　had　said　to　one　of　her　acquaintance；　and　he；　as　is　usual　in　such　cases；　to　another；　till　at　last　the　story　came　to　the　ears