The Anabasis of Alexander or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
as its stream flows high above the level of the country, it would flow
over the land if some one had not furnished it with an outlet along
the Pallacopas and turned it aside into the marshes and pools, which,
beginning from this canal, extend as far as the country contiguous
to Arabia. Thence it spreads out far and wide into a shallow lake,
from which it falls into the sea by many invisible mouths. After the
snow has melted, about the time of the setting of the Pleiades, the
Euphrates flows with a small stream; but none the less the greater part
of it discharges itself into the pools along the Pallacopas. Unless,
therefore, some one had dammed up the Pallacopas again, so that the
water might be turned back within the banks and carried down the
channel of the river, it would have drained the Euphrates into itself,
and consequently the Assyrian country would not be watered by it. But
the outlet of the Euphrates into the Pallacopas was dammed up by the
viceroy of Babylonia with great labour (although it was an easy matter
to construct the outlet), because the ground in this region is slimy
and most of it mud, so that when it has once received the water of the
river it is not easy to turn it back. But more than 10,000 Assyrians
were engaged in this labour even until the third month. When Alexander
was informed of this, he was induced to confer a benefit upon the land
of Assyria. He determined to shut up the outlet where the stream of
the Euphrates was turned into the Pallacopas. When he had advanced
about thirty stades, the earth appeared to be somewhat rocky, so that
if it were cut through and a junction made with the old canal along
the Pallacopas, on account of the hardness of the soil, it would not
allow the water to percolate, and there would be no difficulty in
turning it back at the appointed season. For this purpose he sailed
to the Pallacopas, and then continued his voyage down that canal into
the pools towards the country of the Arabs. There seeing a certain
admirable site, he founded a city upon it and fortified it. In it he
settled as many of the Grecian mercenaries as volunteered to remain,
and such as were unfit for military service by reason of age or wounds.
CHAPTER XXII.
AN OMEN OF ALEXANDER’S APPROACHING DEATH.
Having thus proved the falsity of the prophecy of the Chaldaeans, by
not having experienced any unpleasant fortune in Babylon,[950] as they
had predicted, but having marched out of that city without suffering
any mishap, he grew confident in spirit and sailed again through the
marshes, having Babylon on his left hand. Here a part of his fleet lost
its way in the narrow branches of the river through want of a pilot,
until he sent a man to pilot it and lead it back into the channel
of the river. The following story is told. Most of the tombs of the
Assyrian kings had been built among the pools and marshes.[951] When
Alexander was sailing through these marshes, and, as the story goes,
was himself steering the trireme, a strong gust of wind fell upon his
broad-brimmed Macedonian hat, and the fillet which encircled it. The
hat, being heavy, fell into the water; but the fillet, being carried
along by the wind, was caught by one of the reeds growing near the
tomb of one of the ancient kings.[952] This incident itself was an
omen of what was about to occur, and so was the fact that one of the
sailors[953] swam off towards the fillet and snatched it from the reed.
But he did not carry it in his hands, because it would have been wetted
while he was swimming; he therefore put it round his own head and thus
conveyed it to the king. Most of the biographers of Alexander say
that the king presented him with a talent as a reward for his zeal,
and then ordered his head to be cut off; as the prophets had directed
him not to permit that head to be safe which had worn the royal
fillet. However, Aristobulus says that the man received a talent; but
afterwards also received a scourging for placing the fillet round his
head. The same author says that it was one of the Phoenician sailors
who fetched the fillet for Alexander; but there are some who say it
was Seleucus, and that this was an omen to Alexander of his death and
to Seleucus of his great kingdom. For that of all those who succeeded
to the sovereignty after Alexander, Seleucus became the greatest king,
was the most kingly in mind, and ruled over the greatest extent of land
after Alexander himself, does not seem to me to admit of question.[954]
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE ARMY RECRUITED FROM THE PERSIANS.—HEPHAESTION’S MEMORY HONOURED.
When he returned to Babylon he found that Peucestas had arrived from
Persis, bringing with him 20,000 Persians, as well as many Cossaeans
and Tapurians, because these races were reported to be the most warlike
of those bordering on Persis. Philoxenus also came to him, bringing an
army from Caria; Menander, with another from Lydia, and Menidas with
the cavalry which had been put under his command.[955] At the same
time arrived embassies from Greece, the members of which, with crowns
upon their own heads, approached Alexander and crowned him with golden
crowns, as if forsooth they came to him as special envoys deputed to
pay him divine honours; and his end was not far off. Then he commended
the Persians for their great zeal towards him, which was shown by their
obedience to Peucestas in all things, and Peucestas himself for the
prudence which he had displayed in ruling them. He distributed these
foreign soldiers among the Macedonian ranks in the following way.
Each company was led by a Macedonian decurion, and next to him was a
Macedonian receiving double pay for distinguished valour; and then
came one who received ten staters,[956] who was so named from the pay
he received, being less than that received by the man with double pay,
but more than that of the men who were serving as soldiers without
holding a position of honour. Next to these came twelve Persians, and
last in the company another Macedonian, who also received the pay of
ten staters; so that in each company there were twelve Persians and
four Macedonians, three of whom received higher pay, and the fourth was
in command of the company.[957] The Macedonians were armed in their
hereditary manner; but of the Persians some were archers, while others
had javelins furnished with straps, by which they were held.[958] At
this time Alexander often reviewed his fleet, had many sham-fights with
his triremes and quadriremes in the river, and contests both for rowers
and pilots, the winners receiving crowns.
Now arrived the special envoys whom he had despatched to Ammon to
inquire how it was lawful for him to honour Hephaestion. They told him
that Ammon said it was lawful to offer sacrifice to him as to a hero.
Rejoicing at the response of the oracle, he paid respect to him as a
hero from that time. He also despatched a letter to Cleomenes, who was
a bad man and had committed many acts of injustice in Egypt.[959] For
my own part I do not blame him for his friendship to Hephaestion and
for his recollection of him even when dead; but I do blame him for many
other acts. For the letter commanded Cleomenes to prepare chapels for
the hero Hephaestion in the Egyptian Alexandria, one in the city itself
and another in the island of Pharos, where the tower is situated.[960]
The chapels were to be exceedingly large and to be built at lavish
expense. The letter also directed that Cleomenes should take care
that Hephaestion’s name should be attached to them; and moreover that
his name should be engraved on all the legal documents with which the
merchants entered into bargains with each other.[961] These things I
cannot blame, except that he made so much ado about matters of trifling
moment. But the following I must blame severely: “If I find,” said the
letter, “the temples and chapels of the hero Hephaestion in Egypt well
completed, I will not only pardon you any crimes you may have committed
in the past, but in the future you shall suffer no unpleasant treatment
from me, however great may be the crimes you have committed.” I cannot
commend this message sent from a great king to a man who was ruling
a large country and many people, especially as the man was a wicked
one.[962]
CHAPTER XXIV.
ANOTHER OMEN OF ALEXANDER’S DEATH.
But Alexander’s own end was now near. Aristobulus says that the
following occurrence was a prognostication of what was about to happen.
He was distributing the army which came with Peucestas from Persia,
and that which came with Philoxenus and Menander from the sea,[963]
among the Macedonian lines, and becoming thirsty he retired from his
seat and thus left the royal throne empty. On each side of the throne
were couches with silver feet, upon which his personal Companions were
sitting. A certain man of obscure condition (some say that he was even
one of the men kept under guard without being in chains), seeing the
throne and the couches empty, and the eunuchs standing round the throne
(for the Companions also rose up from their seats with the king when
he retired), walked through the line of eunuchs, ascended the throne,
and sat down upon it.[964] According to a Persian law, they did not
make him rise from the throne; but rent their garments and beat their
breasts and faces as if on account of a great evil.
When Alexander was informed of this, he ordered the man who had sat
upon his throne to be put to the torture, with the view of discovering
whether he had done this according to a plan concerted by a conspiracy.
But the man confessed nothing, except that it came into his mind at
the time to act thus. Even more for this reason the diviners explained
that this occurrence boded no good to him. A few days after this, after
offering to the gods the customary sacrifices for good success, and
certain others also for the purpose of divination, he was feasting with
his friends, and was drinking far into the night.[965] He is also said
to have distributed the sacrificial victims as well as a quantity of
wine to the army throughout the companies and centuries. There are some
who have recorded that he wished to retire after the drinking party to
his bed-chamber; but Medius, at that time the most influential of the
Companions, met him and begged him to join a party of revellers at his
residence, saying that the revel would be a pleasant one.
CHAPTER XXV.
ALEXANDER SEIZED WITH FEVER.
The Royal Diary gives the following account,[966] to the effect that
he revelled and drank at the dwelling of Medius; then rose up, took a
bath, and slept; then again supped at the house of Medius and again
drank till far into the night. After retiring from the drinking party
he took a bath; after which he took a little food and slept there,
because he already felt feverish. He was carried out upon a couch to
the sacrifices, in order that he might offer them according to his
daily custom. After performing the sacred rites he lay down in the
banqueting hall until dusk. In the meantime he gave instructions to
the officers about the expedition and voyage, ordering those who were
going on foot to be ready on the fourth day, and those who were going
to sail with him to be ready to sail on the fifth day. From this place
he was carried upon the couch to the river, where he embarked in a boat
and sailed across the river to the park. There he again took a bath and
went to rest.
On the following day he took another bath and offered the customary
sacrifices. He then entered a tester bed, lay down, and chatted with
Medius. He also ordered his officers to meet him at daybreak. Having
done this he ate a little supper and was again conveyed into the tester
bed. The fever now raged the whole night without intermission. The next