alexander-第7章

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e　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　Satyrus；　assured　him　that　Tyre　should　be　his　own。　The　inhabitants　at　this　time　show　a　spring　of　water；　near　which　they　say　Alexander　slept　when　he　fancied　the　satyr　appeared　to　him。　　　While　the　body　of　the　army　lay　before　Tyre；　he　made　an　excursion　against　the　Arabians　who　inhabit　the　Mount　Antilibanus；　in　which　he　hazarded　his　life　extremely　to　bring　off　his　master　Lysimachus；　who　would　needs　go　along　with　him；　declaring　he　was　neither　older　nor　inferior　in　courage　to　Phoenix；　Achilles's　guardian。　For　when；　quitting　their　horses；　they　began　to　march　up　the　hills　on　foot；　the　rest　of　the　soldiers　outwent　them　a　great　deal；　so　that　night　drawing　on；　and　the　enemy　near；　Alexander　was　fain　to　stay　behind　so　long；　to　encourage　and　help　up　the　lagging　and　tired　old　man；　that　before　he　was　aware　he　was　left　behind；　a　great　way　from　his　soldiers；　with　a　slender　attendance；　and　forced　to　pass　an　extremely　cold　night　in　the　dark；　and　in　a　very　inconvenient　place；　till　seeing　a　great　many　scattered　fires　of　the　enemy　at　some　distance；　and　trusting　to　his　agility　of　body；　and　as　he　was　always　wont　by　undergoing　toils　and　labours　himself　to　cheer　and　support　the　Macedonians　in　any　distress；　he　ran　straight　to　one　of　the　nearest　fires；　and　with　his　dagger　despatching　two　of　the　barbarians　that　sat　by　it；　snatched　up　a　lighted　brand；　and　returned　with　it　to　his　own　men。　They　immediately　made　a　great　fire；　which　so　alarmed　the　enemy　that　most　of　them　fled；　and　those　that　assaulted　them　were　soon　routed　and　thus　they　rested　securely　the　remainder　of　the　night。　Thus　Chares　writes。　　　But　to　return　to　the　siege；　it　had　this　issue。　Alexander；　that　he　might　refresh　his　army；　harassed　with　many　former　encounters；　had　led　only　a　small　party　towards　the　walls；　rather　to　keep　the　enemy　busy　than　with　any　prospect　of　much　advantage。　It　happened　at　this　time　that　Aristander；　the　soothsayer；　after　he　had　sacrificed；　upon　view　of　the　entrails；　affirmed　confidently　to　those　who　stood　by　that　the　city　should　be　certainly　taken　that　very　month