alexander-第6部分

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eople　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；　upon　which　there　was　a　laugh　and　some　mockery　among　the　soldiers；　as　this　was　the　last　day　of　it。　The　king；　seeing　him　in　perplexity；　and　always　anxious　to　support　the　credit　of　the　predictions；　gave　order　that　they　should　not　count　it　as　the　thirtieth；　but　as　the　twenty…third　of　the　month；　and　ordering　the　trumpets　to　sound；　attacked　the　walls　more　seriously　than　he　at　first　intended。　The　sharpness　of　the　assault　so　inflamed　the　rest　of　his　forces　who　were　left　in　the　camp；　that　they　could　not　hold　from　advancing　to　second　it；　which　they　performed　with　so　much　vigour　that　the　Tyrians　retired；　and　the　town　was　carried　that　very　day。　The　next　place　he　sat　down　before　was　Gaza；　one　of　the　largest　cities　of　Syria；　when　this　accident　befell　him。　A　large　bird　flying　over　him　let　a　clod　of　earth　fall　upon　his　shoulder；　and　then　settling　upon　one　of　the　battering　engines；　was　suddenly　entangled　and　caught　in　the　nets；　composed　of　sinews；　which　protected　the　ropes　with　which　the　machine　was　managed。　This　fell　out　exactly　according　to　Aristander's　prediction；　which　was；　that　Alexander　should　be　wounded　and　the　city　reduced。　　　From　hence　he　sent　great　part　of　the　spoils　to　Olympias；　Cleopatra；　and　the　rest　of　his　friends；　not　omitting　his　preceptor　Leonidas；　on　whom　he　bestowed　five　hundred　talents'　weight　of　frankincense　and　an　hundred　of　myrrh；　in　remembrance　of　the　hopes　he　had　once　expressed　of　him　when　he　was　but　a　child。　For　Leonidas；　it　seems；　standing　by　him　one　day　while　he　was　sacrificing；　and　seeing　him　take　both　his　hands　full　of　incense　to　throw　into　the　fire；　told　him　it　became　him　to　be　more　sparing　in　his　offerings；　and　not　to　be　so　profuse　till　he　was　master　of　the　countries　which　those　sweet　gums　and　saying；　come　from。　So　Alexander　now　wrote　to　him；　saying；　〃We　have　sent　you　abundance　of　myrrh　and　frankincense；　that　for　the　future　you　may　not　be　stingy　to　the　gods。〃　Among　the　treasures　and　other　booty　that　was　taken　from　Darius；　there　was　a　very　precious　casket；　which　being　brought　to　Alexander　for　a　great　rarity；　he　asked　those　about　him　what　they　thought　fittest　to　be　laid　up　in　it；　and　when　they　had　delivered　their　various　opinions；　he　told　them　he　should　keep　Homer's　Iliad　in　it。　This　is　attested　by　many　credible　authors；　and　if　what　those　of　Alexandria　tell　us；　relying　upon　the　authority　of　Heraclides；　be　true；　Homer　was　neither　an　idle　nor　an　unprofitable　companion　to　him　in　his　expedition。　For　when　he　was　master　of　Egypt；　designing　to　settle　a　colony　of　Grecians　there；　he　resolved　to　build　a　large　and　populous　city；　and　give　it　his　own　name。　In　order　to　which；　after　he　had　measured　and　staked　out　the　ground　with　the　advice　of　the　best　architects；　he　chanced　one　night　in　his　sleep　to　see　a　wonderful　vision；　a　grey…headed　old　man；　of　a　venerable　aspect；　appeared　to　stand　by　him；　and　pronounce　these　verses：…

　　　　　　　　　〃An　island　lies；　where　loud　the　billows　roar；　　　　　　　　　　　Pharos　they　call　it；　on　the　Egyptian　shore。〃

　　Alexander　upon　this　immediately　rose　up　and　went　to　Pharos；　which；　at　that　time；　was　an　island　lying　a　little　above　the　Canobic　mouth　of　the　river　Nile；　though　it　has　now　been　joined　to　the　mainland　by　a　mole。　As　soon　as　he　saw　the　commodious　situation　of　the　place；　it　being　a　long　neck　of　land；　stretching　like　an　isthmus　between　large　lagoons　and　shallow　waters　on　one　side　and　the　sea　on　the　other；　the　latter　at　the　end　of　it　making　a　spacious　harbour；　he　said；　Homer；　besides　his　other　excellences；　was　a　very　good　architect；　and　ordered　the　plan　of　a　city　to　be　drawn　out　answerable　to　the　place。　To　do　which；　for　want　of　chalk；　the　soil　being　black；　they　laid　out　their　lines　with　flour；　taking　in　a　pretty　large　compass　of　ground　in　a　semi…circular　figure；　and　drawing　into　the　inside　of　the　circumference　equal　straight　lines　from　each　end；　thus　giving　it　something　of　the　form　of　a　cloak　or　cape；　while　he　was　pleasing　himself　with　his　design；　on　a　sudden　an　infinite　number　of　great　birds　of　several　kinds；　rising　like　a　black　cloud　out　of　the　river　and　the　lake；　devoured　every　morsel　of　the