alexander-第3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！


rity　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　head；　〃You　villain；〃　said　he；　〃what；　am　I　then　a　bastard？〃　Then　Philip；　taking　Attalus's　part；　rose　up　and　would　have　run　his　son　through；　but　by　good　fortune　for　them　both；　either　his　over…hasty　rage；　or　the　wine　he　had　drunk；　made　his　foot　slip；　so　that　he　fell　down　on　the　floor。　At　which　Alexander　reproachfully　insulted　over　him：　〃See　there；〃　said　he；　〃the　man　who　makes　preparations　to　pass　out　of　Europe　into　Asia；　overturned　in　passing　from　one　seat　to　another。〃　After　this　debauch；　he　and　his　mother　Olympias　withdrew　from　Philip's　company；　and　when　he　had　placed　her　in　Epirus；　he　himself　retired　into　Illyria。　　　About　this　time；　Demaratus　the　Corinthian；　an　old　friend　of　the　family；　who　had　the　freedom　to　say　anything　among　them　without　offence；　coming　to　visit　Philip；　after　the　first　compliments　and　embraces　were　over；　Philip　asked　him　whether　the　Grecians　were　at　amity　with　one　another。　〃It　ill　becomes　you；〃　replied　Demaratus；　〃to　be　so　solicitous　about　Greece；　when　you　have　involved　your　own　house　in　so　many　dissensions　and　calamities。〃　He　was　so　convinced　by　this　seasonable　reproach；　that　he　immediately　sent　for　his　son　home；　and　by　Demaratus's　mediation　prevailed　with　him　to　return。　But　this　reconciliation　lasted　not　long；　for　when　Pixodorus；　viceroy　of　Caria；　sent　Aristocritus　to　treat　for　a　match　between　his　eldest　daughter　and　Philip's　son；　Arrhidaeus；　hoping　by　this　alliance　to　secure　his　assistance　upon　occasion；　Alexander's　mother；　and　some　who　pretended　to　be　his　friends；　presently　filled　his　head　with　tales　and　calumnies；　as　if　Philip；　by　a　splendid　marriage　and　important　alliance；　were　preparing　the　way　for　settling　the　kingdom　upon　Arrhidaeus。　In　alarm　at　this；　he　despatched　Thessalus；　the　tragic　actor；　into　Caria；　to　dispose　Pixodorus　to　slight　Arrhidaeus；　both　illegitimate　and　a　fool；　and　rather　to　accept　of　himself　for　his　son…in…law。　This　proposition　was　much　more　agreeable　to　Pixodorus　than　the　former。　But　Philip；　as　soon　as　he　was　made　acquainted　with　this　transaction；　went　to　his　son's　apartment；　taking　with　him　Philotas；　the　son　of　Parmenio；　one　of　Alexander's　intimate　friends　and　companions；　and　there　reproved　him　severely；　and　reproached　him　bitterly；　that　he　should　be　so　degenerate；　and　unworthy　of　the　power　he　was　to　leave　him；　as　to　desire　the　alliance　of　a　mean　Carian；　who　was　at　best　but　the　slave　of　a　barbarous　prince。　Nor　did　this　satisfy　his　resentment；　for　he　wrote　to　the　Corinthians　to　send　Thessalus　to　him　in　chains；　and　banished　Harpalus；　Nearchus；　Erigyius；　and　Ptolemy；　his　son's　friends　and　favourites；　whom　Alexander　afterwards　recalled　and　raised　to　great　honour　and　preferment。　　　Not　long　after　this；　Pausanias；　having　had　an　outrage　done　to　him　at　the　instance　of　Attalus　and　Cleopatra；　when　he　found　he　could　get　no　reparation　for　his　disgrace　at　Philip's　hands；　watched　his　opportunity　and　murdered　him。　The　guilt　of　which　fact　was　laid　for　the　most　part　upon　Olympias；　who　was　said　to　have　encouraged　and　exasperated　the　enraged　youth　to　revenge；　and　some　sort　of　suspicion　attached　even　to　Alexander　himself；　who；　it　was　said；　when　Pausanias　came　and　complained　to　him　of　the　injury　he　had　received；　repeated　the　verse　out　of　Euripides's　Medea…

　　　　　　　　　〃On　husband；　and　on　father；　and　on　bride。〃

However；　he　took　care　to　find　out　and　punish　the　accomplices　of　the　conspiracy　severely；　and　was　very　angry　with　Olympias　for　treating　Cleopatra　inhumanly　in　his　absence。　　　Alexander　was　but　twenty　years　old　when　his　father　was　murdered；　and　succeeded　to　a　kingdom；　beset　on　all　sides　with　great　dangers　and　rancorous　enemies。　For　not　only　the　barbarous　nations　that　bordered　on　Macedonia　were　impatient　of　being　governed　by　any　but　their　own　native　princes；　but　Philip　likewise；　though　he　had　been　victorious　over　the　Grecians；　yet；　as　the　time　had　not　been　sufficient　for　him　to　complete　his　conquest　and　accustom　them　to　his　sway；　had　simply　left　all　things　in　a　general　disorder　and　confusion。　It　seemed　to　the　Macedonians　a　very　critical　time；　and　some　would　have　persuaded　Alexander　to　give　up　all　thought　of　retaining　the　Grecians　in　subjection　by　force　of　arms；　and　rather　to　apply　himself　to　win　back　by　gentle　means　the　allegiance　of　the　tribes　who　were　designing　revolt；　and　try　the　effect　of　indulgence　in　arresting　the　first　motions　towards　revolution。　But　he　rejected　this　counsel　as　weak　and　timorous；　and　looked　upon　it　to　be　more　prudence　to　secure　himself　by　resolution　and　magnanimity；　than；　by　seeming　to　truckle　to　any；　to　encourage　all　to　trample　on　him。　In　pursuit　of　this　opinion；　he　reduced　the　barbarians　to　tranquillity；　and　put　an　end　to　all　fear　of　war　from　them；　he　gave　rapid　expedition　into　their　country　as　far　as　the　river　Danube；　where　he　gave　Syrmus；　King　of　the　Triballians；　an　entire　overthrow。　And　hearing　the　Thebans　were　in　revolt；　and　the　Athenians　in　correspondence　with　them；　he　immediately　marched　through　the　pass　of　Thermopylae；　saying　that　to　Demosthenes；　who　had　called　him　a　child　while　he　was　in　Illyria　and　in　the　country　of　the　Triballians；　and　a　youth　when　he　was　in　Thessaly；　he　would　appear　a　man　before　the　walls　of　Athens。　　　When　he　came　to　Thebes；　to　show　how　willing　he　was　to　accept　of　their　repentance　for　what　was　past；　he　only　demanded　of　them　Phoenix　and　Prothytes；　the　authors　of　the　rebellion；　and　proclaimed　a　general　pardon　to　those　who　would　come　over　to　him。　But　when　the　Thebans　merely　retorted　by　demanding　Philotas　and　Antipater　to　be　delivered　into　their　hands；　and　by　a　proclamation　on　their　part　invited　all　who　would　assert　the　liberty　of　Greece　to　come　over　to　them；　he　presently　applied　himself　to　make　them　feel　the　last　extremities　of　war。　The　Thebans　indeed　defended　themselves　with　a　zeal　and　courage　beyond　their　strength；　being　much　outnumbered　by　their　enemies。　But　when　the　Macedonian　garrison　sallied　out　upon　them　from　the　citadel；　they　were　so　hemmed　in　on　all　sides　that　the　greater　part　of　them　fell　in　the　battle；　the　city　itself　being　taken　by　storm；　was　sacked　and　razed。　Alexander's　hope　being　that　so　severe　an　example　might　terrify　the　rest　of　Gr