Caesars law for deuiding of landes Law Agraria Pompey gaue his consent with Caesar for passing his law Agraria Pompey maried Iulia the daughter of Caesar. Bibulus the Consull driuen out of the market place by Pompey The Law Agraria confirmed by the people Gaule and Illyria appointed vnto Caesar Piso and Gabinius Consulls Cato foresheweth the ruine of the common wealth of Pompey Clodius the Tribune Testeth vppon Pompey Pompey was grieuously scorned of Clodius Commission geueÌ„ to Pompey for bringing of corne into Rome The restoring againe of Ptolomy king of AEgypt to his realme Great repaire vnto Caesar winering at Luca. The violence of Pompey obtayning the second Consulship Pompey and Crassus secoÌ„d Consulships Prouinces deuided vnto Pompey Caesar and Crassus The death of Iulia the daughter of Caesar. The beginning of the dissention betwext Pompey Caesar. Variance among the Senate for Pompeys honor Cato spake in Pompeys fauor Pompey chosen Consull Pompey maried Cornelia the daughter of Scipio The vertues of Cornelia the daughter of Metellus Scipio Pompeys prouinces assigned him foure yeares further Pompey fell sicke at Naples Great reioycing for the recouery of PoÌ„peis helth Pride and foole conceit made Pompey despise Caesar. Appius soothed Pompey and fed his humor PoÌ„peys proud wordes Paule the CoÌ„sul bribed by Caesar. Curio Antonius Tribunes of the people bribed by Caesar. Pompey chosen to goe against Caesar. Cicero moueth reconciliation betwext Caesar and Pompey Rubicon fl Caesar passed ouer the riuer of Rubicon Caesars saying let the dye be cast Phaonius ouerbold words vnto PoÌ„pey Tumult at Rome apon Caesars comming Pompey forsooke Rome Caesar entred Rome when Pompey fled Caesar followeth Pompey Pompeis stratageame at Brundysinians for his flying thence from Caesar. Cicero reproued Pompey Caesar leaueth Pompey and goeth into Spayne PoÌ„peys power in Greece Pompey lying at Berroee traineth his souldiers Labienus forsaketh Caesar and goeth to Pompey Cicero followeth Pompey The clemency of Caesar. Caesar coÌ„ming out of Spayne returned to Brundusium Pompey ouerthrewe Caesar Pompey followeth Caesar into Thessaly Pompey mocked of his owne souldiers Caesar conquests Labienus general of Pompeis horsemeÌ„ Pompeys dreame before the battell of Pharsalia VVonderfull noises herd in Pompeys campe Pompeys army set in battel raye in Pharsalia Caesars order of fight Pompeis ordinance of his battell Caesar misliketh Pompeis ordinance Battel betwene Caesar and Pompey in Pharsalia Caius Crassinius geueth the onset of Caesars side Crassinius slaine PoÌ„peis horsemen put to flight by Caesar Pompeis flying in the fields of Phaâ—salia Asinius Pollio reperteth this battell The miserable state of Pompey Peticius dreame of Pompey Pompey â—â—baâ—keth in Peticius shippe a Romane Pompey arriueth in the Isle of Lesbos at the citie of Mitylene The sorowe of Cornelia for Pompeys ouerthrow The meeting of Pompey and his wife Cornelia The words of Cornelia vnto Pompey Pompeis aunswere vnto Cornelia Pompey reasoneth with Cratippus the Philisopher about diuine prouidence Pompey arriueth at Attalia in the contrie of Pamphylia Pompeys great error and Caesars crafty euise Theophanes Lesbian perswaded Pompey to flie into AEgypt Pompey arriueth AEgypt goeth to Pelusium Pothinus are eunuche and groome of the chamber to king Ptolomy ruleth all AEgypt The deliberacion of the AEgyptians for the receiuing of Pompey Theodotus perswaded them to kill Pompey A dead man byteth not Achillas appointed to kill Pompey How Pompey was received into AEgypt Pompey the great cruelly slaine as he landed The manlines and pacience of Pompey at his death The funeralls of Pompey Lucius Lentulus slaine Caesar arriueth in AEgypt Pompeis ring The murtherers of Pompey put to death How Pompey and Agesilaus came to their greatnes The faultes of Agesilaus and Pompey Thinges done by Agesilaus and Pompey in warres Agesilaus lost the signorie of the Lacedaemonians Pompeis faâ—le to forsake Rome A speciall point of a skilfull Captaine Agesilaus constanter than Pompey Pompeys flying into AEgypt is excused The face sheweth mens maners and condicions The parentage of Alexander Olympias the wife of Philip king of Macedon Olympias dreame King Philips dreame Olympias serpent The birth of Alexander The temple of Diana burnt at Ephesus VVonderfull things seene at the birth of Alexander Alexanders stature and personage Alexanders body had a maruelous sweete sauor Alexander coueted honor The noble minde of Alexander Leonidas the gouernor of Alexander Bucephal Alexanders horse The agility of Alexander in taming the wildnes of Bucephal the horse Philip prophecieth of his sonne Alexander Aristotle was Alexanders schoolemasters Aristotle borne in the city of Stagira An Epistle of Alexander vnto Aristotle Alexander the great practised phisicke Some thinke that this place should be meÌ„s of the riche coffer that was found among king Darius iuelle in the which Alexander would haue all Homers works kept Alexanders first souldierfare The city of Alexandropolis The quarells of Philip with Olympias and Alexander Alexander mocketh Philip his father Aridaeus king Philippes bastard begotten of a common strumpet Philima Philip king of Macedonâ— slaine by Pausanias The beginning of Alexanders reigne Alexander ouercome Syrmus king of the Triballians Thebes â—on and rased by Alexander The noble acte of Timoclea a noble womaÌ„ of Thebes Alexander chosen generall of all Graece Alexanders talke with Diogenes 〈…〉 signes appearing vnto Alexander before his iourney into Asia Alexanders armie into Asia The liberalitie of AlexaÌ„der Alexanders saying of Achilles Battell betwixt AlexaÌ„der and Darius at the riuer of Granicus Clitus saued Alexander Alexanders victory of the Persians at Granicus The memorie of Theodectes honored by Alexander The citie of Gordius in Phrygia where king Midas kept Darius armie and dreame Alexanders sicknesse in Cilicia Cydnus fl The wonderfull trust of Alexander in his phisitian Darius contemneth Amyntas profitable counsell Battell betwixt AlexaÌ„der and Darius in Cilicia Alexanders victory of Darius in Cilicia Darius mother wife and two daughters taken by Alexander The clemency of Alexander vnto the captiue Ladies The chastitie of Alexander Alexanders pleasant spech of womens beautie Alexander temperate in eating How Leonidas brought vp Alexander Alexanders life when he was at leisure Alexander pleasant prince as any could be Alexander beseegeth the citie of Tyre Alexanders dreame at the citie of Tyre Alexanders secoÌ„d dreame againe at Tyre Alexanders iorney against the Arabians Antiliban mens The corage and agilitie of Alexander The citie of Tyre beseged and taken by Alexander Alexander tooke the citie of Gaza The building of the citie of Alexandria Alexanders dreame in Eypt The lie of Pharos A wonder Alexanders iourney vtno the oracle of Hammon Cambyses army slaine by sandehilles Crowes guided AlexaÌ„der in his iorney The saying of Psammon the philosopher of the prouideÌ„ce of God. Alexander ascribeth god-head to himselfe Alexander made playes and feastes Darius sent Ambassadours vnto Alexander Statirae king Darius wife died in trauell of childe Tirius reporte to Darius of Statirae buriall Darius talke with Tireus the Eunuche The commendation of Alexanders chastisty Darius prayer
vnto the late king his predecessor and that when he came into the temple of Belus he sodainely vanished from him By this dreame it plainly appeared that the gods did signifie vnto him that the MACEDONIANS should haue noble successe in their doinges that Alexander should conquer all ASIA euen as king Darius had done when he was but Asgandes vnto the king and that shortly after he should end his life with great honor This furthermore made him bolde also when he saw that Alexander remained a good while in CILICIA supposing it had bene for that he was afraid of him Howbeit it was by reason of a sicknes he had the which some say he got by extreame paines and trauell others also bycause he washed him selfe in the riuer of Cydnus which was cold as Ise. Howsoeuer it came there was none of the other phisitians that durst vndertake to cure him thinking his disease vncurable and no medicines to preuaile that they could giue him and fearing also that the MACEDONIANS would laie it to their charge if Alexander miscaried But Philip ACARNANIAN considering his master was very ill and bearing him selfe of his loue and good will towardes him thought he shoulde not doe that became him if he did not proue seeing him in extremitie and daunger of life the vtmost remedies of phisicke what daunger so euer he put him selfe into and therefore tooke apon him to minister phisicke vnto Alexander and perswaded him to drincke it boldly if he would quickly be whole goe to the warres In the meane time Parmenio wrote him a letter from the campe aduertising him that he should beware of Philip his phisitian for he was bribed and corrupted by Darius with large promises of great riches that he would geue him with his daughter in mariage to kill his master Alexander when he had redde this letter layed it vnder his beddes head and made none of his neerest familliers acquainted therewith When the hower came that he should take his medicine Philip came into his chamber with other of the kings familliers brought a cup in his hand with the pocion he should drinke Alexander then gaue him the letter withall cheerefully tooke the cup of him shewing no maner of feare or mistrust of any thing It was a wonderfull thing and worth the sight how one reading the letter and thother drinking the medicine both at one instant they looked one apon another howbeit not both with like cheerefull countenaunce For Alexander looked merily apon him plainly shewing the trust he had in his phisitian Philip and how much he loued him and the phisitian also beheld Alexander like a man perplexed amazed to be so falsly accused straight lift vp his handes to heauen calling the goddes to witnesse that he was innocent and then came to Alexanders bed side and prayed him to be of good cheere and boldly to doe as if would aduise him The medicine beginning to worke ouercame the disease and draue for the time to the lowest partes of his body all his naturall strength and powers in somuch as his speach failed him and he fell into such a weaknes and almost sooning that his pulse did scant beate and his sences were welneere taken from him But that being past Philip in few days recouered him againe Now when Alexander had gotten some strength he shewed him selfe openly vnto the MACEDONIANS for they would not be pacified nor perswaded of his health vntill they had seene him In king Darius campe there was one Amyntas a MACEDONIAN banisht out of his contrie who knew Alexanders disposition very well He finding that Darius ment to meete with Alexander within the straightes and vallies of the mountaines besoughts him to tarie rather where he was being a plaine open contrie round about him considering that he had a great hoste of men to fight with a few enemies and that it was most for his aduantage to meete with him in the open field Darius aunswered him againe that he was afraid of nothing but that he would flie before he could come to him Amyntas replied for that O king I praie you feare not for I warrant you apon my life he will come to you yea and is now onwards on his way comming towards you All these perswasions of Amyntas could not turne Darius from making his campe to marche towardes CILICIA At the selfe same time also Alexander went towardes SYRIA to meete with him But it chaunced one night that the one of them missed of the other and when day was come they both retorned backe againe Alexander being glad of this happe making hast to meete with his enemy within the straights Darius also seeking to winne Alexanders lodging from whence he came and to bring his army out of the straites beganne then to find the fault error committed for that he had shut him selfe vp in the straights holden in on the one side with the mountaine and on the other with the Sea and the riuer of Pindarus that ranne betwene both and that he was driuen to disperse his armie into diuers companies in a stonie and ill fauored contrie ill for horsemen to trauel being on the contrarie side a great aduantage for his enemies which were excellent good footemen and but few in nomber But now as fortune gaue Alexander the field as he would wishe it to fight for his aduantage so could he tell excellently well how to set his men in battell raye to winne the victorie For albeit that Alexander had the lesse nomber by many then his enemie yet he had such policy and cast with him that he foresaw all and would not be enuironned For he did put out the right winge of his battell a great deale further then he did his left winge and fighting him selfe in the left winge in the foremost ranckes he made all the barbarous people flie that stood before him howbeit he was hurt on his thighe with a blow of a sword Chares writteth that Darius selfe did hurte him and that they fought together man to man Notwithstanding Alexander selfe writing of this battell vnto Antipater sayeth that in deede he was hurte on the thighe with a sword howbeit it did put him in no daunger but he writeth not that Darius did hurte him Thus hauing wonne a famous victory and slaine aboue a hundred and tenne thowsand of his enemies he could not yet take Darius bycause he fled hauing still foure or fiue forlonges vantage before him howbeit he tooke his charriot of battell wherein he fought and his bow also Then he retorned from the chase found the MACEDONIANS sacking spoiling all the rest of the campe of the barbarous people where there was infinite riches although they had left the most parte of their cariage behind them in the citie of DAMAS to come lighter to the battell but yet reserued for him selfe all king Darius tent which was full of a great nomber of officers
the peace he tooke the kinges brother in ostage whose name was Philip and thirtie other children of the noblest mens sonnes of MACEDON whom he brought away with him to THEBES to let the GREECIANS see that the reputacion of the THEBANS power stretched farre the renowne also of their manner of gouernment and iustice It is the same Philip that made warre afterwardes with the GREECIANS to take their libertie frō them howbeit being but a boy at that time he was brought vp at THEBES in Pammenes house And this is the cause why some thought Philip did followe Epaminondas manner and it might be paraduenture he did learne of him to be quicke and ready in the warres which in deede was but a peece of Epaminondas vertue But as to the continency iustice magnanimitie and clemencie which were the speciall pointes that made Epaminondas of great fame Philip coulde neither by nature education nor studie euer attaine vnto The THESSALIANS hauinge sent afterwardes to THEBES to complaine of Alexander the tyran of PHERES that did againe molest and trouble the free cities of THESSALIE Pelopidas was sent thither Ambassador with Ismenias carying no power with him frō THEBES litle thinking he shoulde haye needed to haue made warres whereupon he was compelled to take men of the contrie selfe vppon the instant necessitie offered At the very same time also all MACEDON was vp in armes For Ptolomy had slaine the king and vsurped the kingdom and the seruaunts and frendes of the dead king called vpon Pelopidas for aide who desiring to come euen vppon the fact and hauing brought no men of warre out of his owne contrie with him did presently leauie certaine men where he was and so marched forward with them against Ptolomy Nowe Ptolomy when bothe their powers met did corrupt the souldiers Pelopidas had brought with money to take his parte But notwithstandinge this policy he had practised yet he was afeard of the name onely and greatnes of Pelopidas reputacion wherefore he went vnto Pelopidas as to a better man than him selfe and making maruelous much of him and intreating of him he made promise and bounde it by othe that he would keepe the realme for the brethren of the dead king and that he woulde take all those for his frendes or enemies whom the THEBANS did either loue or hate And for assurance of his promise he gaue him his sonne Philoxenus in ostage and fifty other of his frendes all the which Pelopidas sent vnto THEBES But in the meane time beinge maruelously offended with the treason of the souldiers against him vnderstandinge that the most parte of their goodes their wiues and children were in the citie of PHARSALE he thought if he coulde winne that it were a maruelous good way for him to be reuenged of the trechery of the souldiers against him whereupon he leauied certaine THESSALIANS went to that citie Pelopidas was no sooner come thither but Alexander the tyran arriued also with his armie Pelopidas supposing he had come to iustifie him selfe clearing the complaintes of the THESSALIANS made against him went to him though he knew him to be a very wicked man and one that delited in murder and sheading of blood Neuertheles he hoped he durst not haue attempted any thing against him for the authority and seigniories sake of THEBES by whom he was sent thither as also for his owne reputacion But the tyran seeing him slenderly accompanied and without traine of souldiers tooke him prisoner and wanne the city of PHARSALE at that present time But this act of his put his subiects in a great feare who seeing him commit so shamefull a deede against all equity did thinke straight he ment to spare no man but would vse men and all thinges else that came in his handes like a desperate man one that reckned him self cast away But when the THEBANS vnderstoode this newes they were maruelous sorie and straight sent an army thither appointinge other Captaines then Epaminondas bicause then they had some misliking of him Alexander the tyran hauing brought Pelopidas in the meane time to PHERES did suffer any man that woulde at the first to come and see him and speake with him supposinge his imprisonment had killed his hart and had made him very humble But when he was tolde the contrary how Pelopidas did comforte the citizens of PHERES and willed them to be of good cheare tellinge them the hower was now come that the tyran should smarte for al the mischiefes he had done and that he sent him word to his face he had no reason to hang and put his poore citizens daily to death as he did with sundry kindes of cruell torments who had in nothing offended him did let him alone knowinge that if euer he got out of his hands he would be reuenged of him The tyran wondering at this great stomake of his at his maruelous constancy fearing nothing asked what he ment to long for hasty death Pelopidas beinge tolde what he sayd aunswered him againe Mary sayd he bicause thow shouldest dye the sooner beinge more odious to the goddes and men then yet thou art After this answere the tyran would neuer suffer any man to come and speake with him againe But Thebe that was the daughter of the tyran Iason deceased and wife at that time of Alexander the tyran hearinge reporte of Pelopidas noble minde and corage by his keepers she hadde a meruelous desire to see him and to speake with him But when she came to see him like a woman she could not at the first discerne the greatnesse of his noble heart and excellent hidden vertue findinge him in such misery yet coniecturinge by exterior show nothinge his simple apparell his heares and beard growen very long how poorely he was serued and worse entertained she thought with her selfe his case was to be pittied and that he was in no state mete for the glory of his name wherewith she fell a weepinge for compassion Pelopidas that knewe not what she was beganne to muse at the first but when it was tolde him she was Iasons daughter then he curteously saluted her for her father Iasons sake who while he liued was his very good frend So Thebe said vnto him my Lord Pelopidas pittie thy poore Lady wife Truely so do I pitty thee quod Pelopidas againe to her that thou beinge no prisoner canst abide such a wicked Alexander This aunswere tickled Thebe at the heart who with great impacience did beare the cruelty violence and villany of the tyran her husband that besides all other infamous actes of his detestable life committed Sodomy with her youngest brother So she oft visitinge Pelopidas and boldly makinge her mone to him telling him closely all the iniuries her husbande offered her through Pelopidas talke with her by litle and litle she grew to abhorre him and to conceiue a hate in heart against him desiring reuenge of him But now the Captaines of
an other without any playing or vncomely talke In the middest of supper they that sought occasion of quarrell beganne to speake lewde wordes counterfeating to be dronke and to play many vile partes of purpose to anger Sertorius Whereuppon Sertorius whether it was that he coulde not abide to see those villanous partes or that he mistrusted their ill will towardes him by fumbling of their wordes in their mouthes and by their vnwonted irreuerent maner shewed vnto him fell backewards apon the bed where he sate at meate seeming no more to marke what they did or sayd Perpenna at that instant tooke a cuppe full of wine making as though he dranke let it fall of purpose The cuppe falling drowne made a noyse and that was the signe geuen among them Therewithall Antonius that sate aboue Sertorius at the table stabbed him in with his dagger Sertorius feeling the thrust stroue to rise but the traiterous murderer got vp on Sertorius brest held both his handes And thus was Sertorius cruelly murdered not able to defend him selfe all the conspirators falling apon him Sertorius death being blowen abroade the most parte of the SPANYARDS sent Ambassadors immediatly vnto Pompey and Metellus and yeelded them selues vnto them and Perpenna with those that remained with him attempted to doe some thing with Sertorius army and preparation But all fell out to his vtter destruction and ruine making the world know that he was a wicked man who could neither commaund nor knew how to obey For he went to assaile Pompey who had ouerthrowen him straight and was in the end taken prisoner And yet in that instant of his calamitie he did not vse him selfe like a valliant minded man and one worthy to rule for thinking to saue his life hauing Sertorius letters and wrytinges he offered Pompey to deliuer him all Sertorius letters sent him from the chiefest Senators of ROME wrytten with their owne handes requestinge Sertorius to bring his armie into ITALIE where he should finde numbers of people desirous of his comming and that gaped still for chaunge of gouernment But here did Pompey shewe him selfe a graue and no younge man deliueringe thereby the citie of ROME from great feare and daunger of chaunge and innouation For he put all Sertorius letters and wrytinges on a heape together and burnt them euery one without readinge any of them or sufferinge them to be red And moreouer he presently put Perpenna to death fearing he should name some which if they were named would breede new occasion of trouble sedition And as for the other conspirators some of thē afterwards were brought to Pompey who put them all to death and the rest of them fled into AFRICKS where they were all ouerthrowen by them of the contrie and not a man of them scaped but fell vnfortunately apon th edge of the sworde Aufidius only except Manlius companion in loue Who either bicause he was not reckened of or else vnknowen dyed an olde man in a pelting village of the barbarous people poore miserable and hated of all the world THE LIFE OF Eumenes DVris the Historiographer wryteth that Eumenes was borne in the citie of CARDIA in THRACIA being a cariers sonne of the same contrie who for pouertie earned his liuing by carying marchaundises to and fro and that he was notwithstanding honestly brought vp as well at schoole as at other comely exercises And furthermore how that he being but a boy Philip king of MACEDON chaunsing to come through the city of CARDIA where hauing nothing to do he tooke great pleasure to see the young men of the citie handle their weapons boyes to wrestle and among them Eumenes shewed such actiuitie and performed it with so good a grace withall that Philippe liked the boye well and tooke him away with him But sure their reporte seemeth truest which wryte that Philippe did aduaunce him for the loue he bare to his father in whose house he had lodged After the death of Philippe Eumenes continued his seruice with king Alexander his sonne where he was thought as wise a man as faithfull to his master as any and though he was called the Chaunceller or chiefe secretary yet the king did honor him as much as he did any other of his chiefest frendes familiars For he was sent his Lieutenaunt generall of his whole army against the INDIANS and was Perdiccas successor in the gouernment of his prouince Perdiccas being preferred vnto Hephaestions charge after his death Nowe bicause Neoptolemus that was one of the chiefe Squiers for the body vnto the king after the death of Alexander told the Lordes of the counsell of MACEDON that he had serued the king with his shield and speare and howe Eumenes had followed with his penne and paper the Lordes laughed him to scorne knowing that besides many great honors Eumenes had receiued the king esteemed so well of him that he did him the honor by mariage to make him his kinseman For the first Lady that Alexander knew in ASIA was Barsine Artabazus daughter by whom he had a sonne called his name Hevenles of two of her sisters he maried the one of them called Apama vnto Ptolomye her other sister also called Barsine he bestowed vpon Eumenes when he distributed the PERSIAN Ladies among his Lordes and familiars to marrie them Yet all this notwithstanding he often fell in disgrace with king Alexander stoode in some daunger by meanes of Hephaestion For Hephaestion following Alexanders courte on a time hauing appointed Euius a phiphe player a lodging which Eumenes seruauntes had taken vp for their maister Eumenes being in a rage went with one Mentor vnto Alexander crying out that a mā were better be a phiphe a common plaier of Tragedies then a souldier sithence such kinde of people were preferred before men of seruice that ventured their liues in the warres Alexander at that present time was as angrie as Eumenes roundly tooke vp Hephaestion for it howbeit immediatly after hauing chaunged his minde he was much offended with Eumenes bicause he thought him not to haue vsed that franke speech so much against Hephaestion as of a certaine presumptuous boldenes towardes him selfe And at an other time also when Alexander was sending Nearchus with his army by sea to cleere the coastes of the Occean it chaunsed the king was without money whereupon he sent to all his frendes to take vp money in prest and among others vnto Eumenes of whom he requested three hundred talentes Eumenes lent him but a hundred and sayd he had much a doe to get him so much of all his tenantes Alexander sayd nothing to him neither would he suffer them to take his hundred talentes but commaunded his officers to set Eumenes tent a fire bicause he would take him tardy with a lye before he could geue order to cary away his gold and siluer Thus was his tent burnt downe to the ground before they could
a man by their lookes might easily coniecture that they enuied him for either of them both thought them selues men sufficient and worthie to commaunde Eumenes not to aide him Howebeit Eumenes behaued him selfe very wisely For as touching their enuie he pacified that bicause he tooke not the money which he was cōmaunded to take for his owne vse for that he had no neede of it And as for their ambition and presumption disdaining to be commaunded by him though they could neither tell howe to commaunded nor obey he did reclaime them by a superstition he layed before them which was this He made them beleue that Alexander did appeare to him in his sleepe and that he shewed him a pauillion sumptuously sette out in the state and magnificence of a king in the which was a royall throne and tolde him that if they would kepe their councell place in that pauillion he would be present among them and ayde them in all their councells and conduct of their warres so that they would alwayes beginne by him He easily perswaded Antigenos and Teutamus to beleue that which he spake who would not goe to him to consult of any matters neither did he thinke it honorable for him selfe to be seene to go to other mens gates Wherefore with all their consents they incontinently set vp a goodly rich pauilion which was called Alexanders pauillion and there they kept their councells and assemblies for dispatch of all their weightiest causes After this they went towardes the hie contries and met with Peucestas on the way Eumenes very great frende who ioyned with them and other great pieres of the realme with all their power besides This did greatly strengthen the armie of the noble men of MACEDONIA as touching the number of men and their braue armors and furniture but for their owne persones bicause they had no man to commaunde them since the death of Alexander they were growen selfe willed by dissolute libertie and effeminate in their maner of life and moreouer they had gotten a tyrannicall fiercenesse nourished increased by the vanities of the barbarous people So that many of them being then together could not be quiet one with an other but shamefully flattered the old bandes of the MACEDONIAN souldiers geuing them money and making them bankets and feastes of sacrifices And thus in shorte time of a campe they brought it to be a dissolute tauerne where the noble men got the souldiers fauor that they might be chosen chieftaines of all the armie like as the common peoples voyces are bought in free cities where the people doe rule to be preferred to honorable states and offices of the common wealth Now Eumenes found straight that these pieres of the realme disdained one an other howebeit that they all feared and mistrusted him and sought but for oportunity to kill him Wherefore to preuent this he made as though he had occasion to occupie money and so borrowed a great summe of thē especially whom he knew most hated him to the end that from thenceforth they should no more distrust but trust him standing in feare to lose the money they had lent him And thereof followed a straunge thing for other mens money and goodes was the safetie of his life For where others geue money to saue their liues he by taking of money saued his owne life Now for the souldiers of the MACEDONIANS whilest they sawe they were without daunger of enemies to make them afraied they stil hong apon them that gaue them being desirous to be made Generalles and came euery morning to their vprising to waite apon them and follow them wheresoeuer they went But when Antigonus was come to campe hard by them with a great and puisant army and that their case required then a valliant Captaine and skilfull leader not the souldiers alone but all the pieres and states besides which in peace did braue it out did then willingly without motion made submit them selues vnto Eumenes to be at his commaundement For when Antigonus assaied all the wayes he could to passe ouer the riuer of Pasitigris the pieres which were layed in diuers places to let him from passing ouer heard nothing of it so that there was none but Eumenes onely that resisted him and fought with him where he slewe such a number of his men that he filled the riuer with them and tooke foure thowsande of them prisoners Againe when Eumenes was sicke these olde bandes did more plainly shew what opinion they had of him and of others to wit that they could banket them and make them good cheere at their houses yet that Eumenes onely of all other was worthiest to be their Captaine and to commaunde them For Peucestas hauing feasted them in the kingdom of PERSIA and geuen euery souldier a murton to sacrifice thought he had wonne great fauor credit among them But shortly after as the army marched against their enemies Eumenes by misfortune fell daungerously sicke therefore would needes be caried in a litter farre from the campe to be out of the noyse bicause he could talk no rest But they had not gone farre before they saw their enemies which hauing passed ouer certaine litle hills betwene them were comming downe into the valley When the souldiers sawe the glistering of the gilt armors of their enemies that glared in the sunne and the good order they marched withall in battell ray the Elephantes with the towers apon their backes and the men at armes with their purple coates apon their armors which was the apparell they wore when they went to fight with their enemies then the formest stayed apon it and cried out willing them to send for Eumenes to lead them for they would els goe no further if they had not him for their Generall And there withall they raised their pykes layed downe their shieldes at their feete calling from one to an other to stay to their priuate Captaines also and told them plainly that they would not sturre a foote from thence nor fight at all vnlesse Eumenes were among them to lead them Eumenes hearing of it came to them with great speede hastening his slaues and littermen to bring him thither and then opening his litter on euery side he held out his right hand to the souldiers and tolde them he was very glad of the good opinion they had of him The souldiers also so soone as they sawe him saluted him in the MACEDONIAN tongue and tooke vp their shieldes clapping them against their pykes with a great showre bidding their enemies come when they would they shoulde be fought withall now that their Captaine was among them Antigonus on thother side being informed by certaine prisoners which his souldiers had taken in skermish that Eumenes was fallen very sore sicke and by reason thereof was caried in a litter thought nowe he should haue no great a doe to discomfit the rest of the army and therefore made all possible speede he could to fight
Thereupon Pharnabazus told him his minde plainly surely sayd he if the king doe sende hither any other Captaine to be his Lieutenaunt be sure I will then take your parte straight But on thother side if he make me his Lieutenaunt in this warre trust to it I will do him the best seruice I can against you This aunswere passingly pleased Agesilaus who taking him by the hand and rising vp with him sayd vnto him I would wish my Lord Pharnabazus hauing so noble a minde as thou hast that thou were rather our frend then an enemy So Pharnabazus departing from thence with his men his sonne being left behinde ranne to Agesilaus and smiling told him King Agesilaus I will make thee my frend and therewith gaue him a dart he had in his hande Agesilaus tooke it of him and liking well the beawtie of the young youth and the curtesie he had offred him looked about him if any man in his company had any proper thing that he might bestow on him At the last he spied his secretarie Adeus horse which had a rich caparisson on he straight tooke it from him and gaue the horse furniture to this liuely youth Pharnabazus sonne who neuer after forgate it For it chaunsed afterwardes that being driuen out of his contrie by his brethren and flying into PELOPONNESVS Agesilaus made very much of him and did not sticke to further him in his loue abroade For he had a great fancie and liking to a boy of ATHENS whome they brought vp in wrestling one day to play for the best games But when he was growen a bigge man and strong and that he came to offer him selfe to be billed with them that should wrastle at the games Olympicall being in some perill to be vtterly refused this PERSIAN that loued him went vnto Agesilaus and besought his helpe that this wrastler might not receiue the foyle to be reiected Agesilaus being desirous to pleasure him performed his request with some difficultie Thus Agesilaus in all thinges else was a straight obseruer of the law but in his frendes causes to be straight laced in matters of iustice he sayd that was but an excuse for them that would do nothing for their frendes To this effect they finde a letter of his wrytten vnto Idrian Prince of CARIA for the deliuerie of his frende If Nicias haue not offended lette him goe if he haue offended then pardon him for my sake But howesoeuer it be let him goe This was Agesilaus manner in the most parte of his frends causes Notwithstanding occasions fell out oftentimes that he rather inclined to the benefit of the common wealth As appeared one day when he was driuen to remoue in haste on a sodaine and to leaue one sicke behinde him whome he loued deerelie the sicke man callinge him by his name as he was going his way besought him that he would not forsake him Agesilaus as Hieronymus the Philosopher reporteth turned backe againe and sayed O howe hard is it both to loue and to be wise Nowe had Agesilaus spent two yeares in this warre and was spoken of throughout ASIA beinge maruelously commended to the kinge him selfe for his great honestie his continencie his curtesie and plaine dealing For when he rode out into the contrie with his owne trayne onely he would euer lye in the holyest temples of the goddes bicause he woulde the goddes them selues shoulde be witnesses of his priuate doinges whereas commonly we are lothe that men shoulde see what we doe Furthermore amongest so many thowsande souldiers as were in his campe there coulde hardlie be founde a worse mattrisse then that him selfe did lye apon euerie night And as for heate and colde he coulde as easilie awaie with either of both as if by constitution of bodie he had bene borne to abide anie weather and season But aboue all it was a pleasaunt sight to the GRAECIANS that dwelt in ASIA when they sawe the great Lordes the kinges Lieutenauntes of PERSIA which before were prowde cruell riche and geuen to all lust and pleasure to honor and feare a man that went vp and downe in a poore cape beinge affrayed of euerie shorte worde that he spake like a LACONIAN insomuch as many of them called to minde Timotheus the Poetes verses who sayd As Mars hath no mercie so Greece skorneth gold Now all ASIA being vp and in garboile they willingly yelding to him in euery place after he had taken order with the cities had stablished the liberty of their cōmon weale without any bloodshed or banishment of any person he determined to goe further into the land and transporting the warres from the sea coastes of GRAECE to fight with the king of PERSIA in proper person and with the wealth happines of the ECBATANIANS and the SVSIANIANS and by that meanes to take his leasure from him who sitting stil before made the GRAECIANS make warre one with an other by force of money corrupting the Gouernours of euery citie In the meane time came Epycidas LACONIAN vnto him and brought him newes how SPARTA was grieuously troubled with warres enforced on them by the other GRAECIANS that therefore the Ephori did send for him home and commaunded him to returne to defend his contrie Ah vvretched Greece hovv cruell slaughters hast Thou brought vpon thee for to lay thee vvest For how should a man otherwise call this enuie treason and ciuill conspiracie among the GRAECIANS Who ouerthrew their good fortune that made them happy before turning their warres against the barbarous people out of GRAECE and now to bring it against themselues I am not of Demaratus opinion the CORINTHIAN that sayd the GRAECIANS delight was taken from them which sawe not Alexander the great sitting in Darius royall throne but rather I would thinke they should haue wept to haue left this honor vnto Alexander and the MACEDONIANS fondly losing so many famous Captaines of GRAECE at the battells of LENOTRES of CORONEA of CORINTHE and of ARCADIA Neuerthelesse Agesilaus neuer did better acte in his life nor euer shewed better example of obedience and iustice due to his contrie than he did in his returne home For sithe Hanniball that beganne to haue ill successe in his warres being in manner driuen out of ITALIE thought neuer but compelled to returne againe into his contrie to obey his contriemen which called him home to defend the warre the ROMANES made at their owne dores and that Alexander the great also being sent for home vppon the like occasion did not onely refuse to returne into MACEDON but made a ieast at it when newes was brought him of the great battell which his Lieutenaunt Antipater had fought with kinge Agis saying me thinkes when I heare these newes whilest we are ouercomming of kinge Darius here there hath bene a battell of rattes fought in ARCADIA Sith then I say these two famous Captaines haue made so litle account of their contrie may we not thinke the citie
ROME together at the day of his triuÌ„phe His army being thus dispersed straight reported abroad for newes a maruelous thing happened vnto him The cities seeing Pompey the great without souldiers hauing but a small traine about him of his familliar frendes onelyâ— went all of theÌ„ to meete him not as though he were returned home from his great conquests but from some iorney takeÌ„ for his pleasure Such was the loue of the people to him that they accompanied him to ROME whether he would or not with a greater power then that he had brought into ITALIE so that if he had bene disposed to haue made any innouation in the common wealth he had not needed his army In those dayes there was a law that no man should enter into ROME before his triumphe whereupon Pompey sent to the Senate to pray them to deserte the chosing of Consuls for a few daies bicause he might be present to further Piso who fued for the Consulship that yere They denied him his request by Catoes meanes that hindred it Pompey marueling to heare of his boldnes plaine speech which he only vsed of all other to defend his iust causes had a maruelous desire to win him to make him his frend So Cato hauing two neces Pompey desired to marry the one him selfe the other for his sonne But Cato mistrusting this desire of Pompeys that it was a colour only to win corrupt him denied him â—â—atly His wife sister on thother side they were angry with him for refusing to make alliance with Pompey the great About that time it chauÌ„ced that Pompey being very desirous to preserve Afranius to be Consul he caused certaine money to be geuen amongest the tribes of the peoples the same was deliuered out to some euen in his owne gardens This thing being reported abroad in the city euery man spake ill of Pompey that he put the Consulship to sale for money vnto those that could not deserue it by vertue sith him selfe only had obtained it by purchase of many a noble worthy deede Then sayd Cato to his wife and sister loe now we had bene partakers of this fault to had we matched with Pompey When they heard it they confessed he had reason to refuse the match for equity and his honor But now to his triumphe For the statelines magnificeÌ„ce therof although he had two dayes space to shew it yet he lacked time for there were many things prepared for the shewe that were not seene which would haue serued to haue set out an other triuÌ„phe First there were tables caried wheron were written the names titles of all the people and nacions for the which he triumphed as these that follow The kingdom of PONTVS ARMENIA CAPPADOCIA PAPHLAGONIA MEDIA COICHIS IBERIA ALBANIA SYRIA CILICIA MESOPOTAMIA furthermore the people that dwell about PHOENICIA PALAESTINE IVDAEA ARABIA all the pirats which he had ouercomen both by sea by land in all parts of the world In all these contries he tooke about a thowsand castels few lesse then nine hundred townes cities of pirats ships eight hundred nine thirtie desolate townes left without inhabitants replenished againe with people by him Moreouer these tables declared that the reuenue of the coÌ„mon wealth of ROME before these conquests he made amounted yerely but to fiue thowsand Miriades that from thence forth with the summes he had added vnto the former reuenue they should now receiue eight thowsand fiue hundred Miriades that he brought presently in ready gold siluer in plate iuells to put into the common treasory the value of twenty thowsand talents besides that which had bene distributed alredy amongst the souldiers of the which he that had left for his share had fifteene hundred Drachmas The prisoners that were led in the shew of this triumphe besides the Captaines of the pirats were these that follow The sonne of Tigranes king of ARMENIA with his wife daughter the wife of king Tigranes himselfe called Zosome Aristabulus king of IVRIE Mithridates sister with fiue sonnes of hers some Ladies of SCYTHIA The ostages also of the IBERIANS and the ALBANIANS and also of the kings of the COMMAGENIANS ouer besides a great number of other markes of triumphes which him selfe or his Lieutenauntes had wonne at sundry battells in diuers places But the greatest honor that euer he wanne and which neuer other Consull of the ROMANES but him selfe obtained was this that he made his third triumphe of the three partes of the world Diuers other ROMANES had triumphed thrise before him howbeit he first triumphed of AFRICKE the seconde time of EVROPE the third time of ASIA So that it appeared by these three triumphes that he had triumphed in maner of all the lande that is inhabited being at that time as it is reported by them which compare his doinges vnto Alexander the great vnder foure and thirty yeares of age though in troth at that time he was neere forty O happy had it bene for him if he had dyed when he had Alexanders fortune for all his life afterwardes made his prosperitie hatefull or his aduersity miserable Imploying the honor and authority he had gotten by his valliantnes fauoring mens vniust causes the more he furthered them the more he lessened his honor and vnwares brought his greatnes to nothing For like as when the strongest places of a citie which receiuinge their enemies into them doe geue them the benefit of their owne strength euen so through Pompeys power Caesar growing to be great ouerthrew him in the end with the selfe same meanes he imployed to the ouerthrowe of others And thus it fortuned Lucullus at his returne out of ASIA where Pompey had vncurteously vsed him was then very well taken of the Senate and much more when Pompey was also come to ROME For the Senate did counsell and incorage him to deale in thaffaires of the state seeing him waxe very slow and geuen too much to his ease pleasure by reason of his great wealth he had gotten So when Pompey was come he beganne to speake against him and through the frendshippe and assistance of Cato confirmed all his doinges in ASIA which Pompey had broken and reiected Pompey finding he had such a repulse of the Senate was driuen to haue recourse vnto the Tribunes of the people and to fall in frendship with light young men Of the Tribunes the most impudent vilest person was Clodius who receiued him made him a praye vnto the people For he had Pompey euer at his elbow against his honor caried him vp downe the market place after him to speake as occasion serued to confirme any matter or deuise which he preferred vnto him to flatter the common people And further for recompence of his goodwill he craued of Pompey not as a thing dishonorable but
of an armie may easily be brought from his wife and safe counsell with rumor and tumult of a few fearefull men that should perswade him it were a shame and dishonor for him if he did otherwise yet were this no straunge matter but a fault to be pardoned But for Pompey the great whose campe the ROMANES called their contrie and his tent the Senate and called all the Praetors and Consuls that gouerned at ROME rebells and traitors to the common wealth of ROME who coulde excuse him who was neuer seene commaunded by other then him selfe but had bene alwayes chiefe Captaine and Generall in any warre he made and euer had the vpper hand but that he was drawen on by the scoffes of Faonius and Domitius to hazard battell to endaunger the whole Empire and liberty of ROME only for feare they should call him king Agâ—memnon Who if he had so much regarded present infamie he should haue fought from the beginning for defence of the citie of ROME and not to haue taken example of Themistocles policie by flying and afterwards to thinke it a shame as he did to lye in THESSALIE a time without fighting Neither did God appoint them the fieldes of Pharsalia for a Theater or close campe of necessitie to fight which of them shoulde haue the Empire of ROME Further there was no Heraulde to summone him to fight as there are at games of price where he must aunswere to his name and come and fight or else to loose the honor of the crowne vnto an other But there were infinite other fieldes and townes and as a man woulde say the whole earth which the commoditie of his armie by sea gaue him choyse to conquer if he would rather haue followed the steppes of Fabius Maximus of Marius of Lucullus or of Agesilaus him selfe who did paciently abide no lesse tumultes within the citie selfe of SPARTA when the THEBANS went to summone him to come out to fight for all the rest of his contrie And in AEGYPT also he did abide many false accusations against him wherewith the king him selfe did burden him praying him alwayes to haue a litle pacience In fine hauing followed the best counsell which he had determined with him selfe from the beginning he saued the AEGYPTIANS against their willes and furthermore he did not only keepe the citie of SPARTA from so great a daunger but did also set vp tokens of triumphe in the same against the THEBANS whereby he was not compelled at that time to lead them out to the slaughter and besides that gaue his citizens occasion to obtaine victorie afterwardes Hereupon Agesilaus was highly praised of them whose liues he had saued against their wills And Pompey contrarily was blamed by them selues through whom he had offended yet some say that he was deceiued by his father in law Scipio For he meaning to keepe the most parte of the money to him selfe which he had brought out of ASIA did hasten and perswade Pompey to geue battell telling him that there was no money left The which though it had bene true a worthie Captaine should not so lightly haue bene brought into error vpon a false accompt to hazard him selfe to loose all Thus may we see what both of them were by comparing them together Furthermore for their iorneys into AEGYPT the one fled thither by force the other willingly went thither with small honor for moneys sake to serue the barbarous people with intent afterwards to make warre with the GRAECIANS Lastly in that which we accuse the AEGYPTIANS for Pompeys sake for the like matter doe they againe accuse Agesilaus For the one was cruelly put to death betrayed by them whom he trusted Agesilaus forsooke them which trusted him and went to the enemies hauing brought aide to fight against them The end of Pompeys life THE LIFE OF Alexander the great HAuing determined in this volume to write the life of king Alexander of Iulius Caesar that ouercame Pompey hauing to speake of many things I will vse none other preface but only desire the readers not to blame me though I do not declare al things at large but briefly touch diuers chiefly in those their noblest acts most worthy of memory For they must remember that my intent is not to write histories but only liues For the noblest deedes doe not alwayes shew mens vertues and vices but ofteÌ„times a light occasion a word or some sporte makes mens naturall dispositions and maners appeare more plaine then the famous battells wonne wherein a slaine tenne thowsand men or the great armies or cities wonne by siege or assault For like as painters or drawers of pictures which make no accompt of other partes of the bodie do take resemblaunces of the face and fauor of the countenauce in the which consisteth the iudgement of their maners disposition euen so they must geue vs leaue to seeke out the signes and tokens of the minde only and thereby shewe the life of either of them referring you vnto others to wryte the warres battells and other great thinges they did It is certaine that Alexander was discensed from Hercules by Caranus and that of his mothers side he came of the blood of the AEacides by Neoptolemus They say also that king Philip his father when he was a young man fell in fancie with his mother Olympias which at that time also was a younge maiden and an orphane without father or mother in the I le of SAMOTHRACIA where they were both receiued into the misterie and fraternity of the house of the religious and that afterwards he did aske her in mariage of her brother Arymbas with whose consent they were maried together The night before they lay in wedded bed the bride dreamed that lightning fell into her belly and that withall there was a great light fire that dispersed it selfe all about into diuers flames King Philip her husband also shortly after he was maried dreamed that he did seale his wiues belly and that the seale wherewith he sealed left behinde the printe of a Lyon. Certaine wisards and soothsayers tolde Philip that this dreame gaue him warning to looke straightly to his wife But Aristander TELMECIAN aunswered againe that it signified his wife was conceiued with childe for that they doe not seale a vessell that hath nothinge in it and that she was with childe with a boy which should haue a Lions hart It is reported also that many times as she lay asleepe in her bed there was seene a serpent lying by her the which was the chiefest cause as some presuppose that withdrewe Philips loue and kindnes from her and caused him that he lay not so oft with her as before he was wont to doe either for that he feared some charme or enchauntment or else for that he thought him selfe vnmeete for her company supposing her to be beloued of some god Some do also report this after an other sort as in this
booke desired to read much He learned also the Iliades of Homer of Aristotles correction which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the corrected as hauing passed vnder the rule laid it euery night vnder his beds head with his dagger calling it as Onesicrates writeth the institution of martiall discipline And when he was in the high contries of ASIA where he coulde not readily come by other bookes he wrote vnto Harpalus to send them to him Harpalus sent him the histories of Philistus with diuers tragedies of Euripides Sophocles and AEschylus and certaine hymnes of Telestus and Philoxenus Alexander did reuerence Aristotle at the first as his father and so he tearmed him bicause from his natural father he had life but from him the knowledge to liue But afterwardes he suspected him somewhat yet he did him no hurt neither was he so frendly to him as he had bene whereby men perceiued that he did not beare him the good will he was wont to doe This notwithstanding he left not that zeale and desire he had to the studie of Philosophie which he had learned from his youth and still continued with him For he shewed diuers testimonies thereof As the honor he did vnto Anaxarchus the Philosopher The fiftie talentes which he sent vnto Xenocrates Dandamis and Calanus of whome he made great account When king Philip made warre with the BIZANTINES Alexander being but sixteene yeare olde was left his Lieutenaunt in MACEDON with the custodie and charge of his great seale at what time he also subdued the MEDARIANS which had rebelled against him and hauing wonne their citie by assault he draue out the barbarous people and made a Colonie of it of sundrie nations and called it ALEXANDROPOLIS to say the citie of Alexander He was with his father at the battell of CHAERONEA against the GRAECIANS where it was reported that it was he that gaue charge first of all apon the holie bande of the THEBANS Furthermore there was an old oke seene in my time which the contry men commonly call Alexanders oke bicause his tent or pauillion was fastned to it and not farre from thence is the charnell house where those MACEDONIANS were buried that were slaine at the battell For these causes his father Philip loued him very deerely and was glad to heare the MACEDONIANS call Alexander king him selfe their Captaine Howbeit the troubles that fell out in his court afterwards by reason of Philippes new mariages and loues bred great quarrell and strife amongest the women for the mischiefe of dissention gealozy of women doth separate the harts of kings one from an other whereof was chiefest cause the sharpenes of Olympias who being a gealous woman fretting and of a reuenging minde did incense Alexander against his father But the chiefest cause that prouoked Alexander was Attalus at the mariage of Cleopatra whom Philip maried a maiden falling in fancie with her when him selfe was past mariage This was the matter Attalus being vncle vnto this Cleopatra fell droncke at the mariage and hauing in his cuppes he perswaded the MACEDONIANS that were at the feast to pray to the goddes that they might haue a lawfull heire of Philippe and Cleopatra to succeede him in the kingdome of MACEDON Alexander being in a rage therewith threwe a cuppe at his head and sayd vnto him why traytor what am I dost thou take me for a bastard Philip seeing that rose from the bourd and drew out his sword but by good fortune for them both being troubled with choller and wine he fell downe on the grounde Then Alexander mockinge him loe sayd he to the MACEDONIANS here is the man that prepared to go out of EVROPE into ASIA and stepping onely from one bedde to an other ye see him layed alongest on the ground After this great insolency he tooke his mother Olympias away with him and carying her into his contrie of EPIRVS he left her there and him selfe afterwards went into ILLYRIA In the meane time Demaratus CORINTHIAN a frend of king Philippes and very familliar with him came to see him Philip when he had curteously welcommed him asked him howe the GRAECIANS did agree together Truely O king quod he it importes you much to inquier of the agreement of the GRAECIANS when your owne court is so full of quarrell contencion These words nipped Philip in such sorte caused him to know his fault that through Demaratus meanes whom he sent to perswade Alexander to returne Alexander was made to come backe againe Now whē Pexodorus a Prince of CARIA desiring for necessities sake to enter in league and frendship with Philip offred his eldest daughter in mariage vnto Aridaeus king Philips sonne had sent Aristocritus Ambassador into MACEDON for that purpose the frends of Alexander his mother began againe to inueigle him with new reports and suspicions how Philip by this great mariage would aduaunce Aridaeus to his vtter vndoing and leaue him his heire in the kingdom Alexander being nettled therwith sent one Thessalus a plaier of tragedies into CARIA to Pexodorus to perswade him to leaue Aridaeus that was a bastard a foole rather to make alliāce with Alexander This offer pleased Pexodorus far better to haue Alexander his sonne in law than Aridaeus Philip vnderstanding this went himself into Alexanders chāber taking Philotas with him the sonne of Parmenio one of his familliars bitterly tooke vp Alexander telling him that he had a base mind was vnworthy to be left his heire after his death if he would cast himselfe away marying the daughter of a CARIAN that was a slaue subiect of a barbarous king Therupō he wrote letters vnto CORINTH that they should send Thessalus boūd vnto him And furthermore he banished out of MACEDON Harpalus Nearchus Phrygius Ptolomy his sonnes companions whom Alexander afterwards called home againe placed them in great authority about him Shortly after Pausanias susteining villany by the counsell and commaundement of Attalus Cleopatra crauing Iustice of Philip and finding no amends he conuerted all his anger against him and for spight slue him him selfe Of this murther most men accused Quene Olympias who as it is reported allured this young man hauing iust cause of anger to kill him And Alexander also went not cleare from suspition of this murther For some say that Pausanias after this villanie was done him complained vnto Alexander and told him how he had bene abused who recited these verses to him of Euripides in the tragedie of Medea where she said in anger that she would be reuenged Both of the bridegroome and the bride And of the father in lavve Notwithstanding afterwardes he caused diligent searche to be made and all them to be seuerely punished that were of the conspiracie and was angrie also that his mother Olympias had cruelly slaine Cleopatra So he came to be king of MACEDON at twenty yeares of age and found his
not tell where there came crowes vnto them that did guide them flying before them flying fast when they saw them follow them and stayed for them when they were behind But Callisthenes writeth a greater wonder then this that in the night time with the very noise of the crowes they brought them againe into the right waie which had lost their waie Thus Alexander in th end hauing passed through this wildernes he came vnto the temple he sought for where the prophet or chiefe priest saluted him from the god Hammon as from his father Then Alexander asked him if any of the murtherers that had killed his father were left aliue The priest aunswered him and bad him take heede he did not blaspheme for his father was no mortall man Then Alexander againe rehersing that he had spoken asked him if the murderers that had conspired the death of Philip his father were all punished After that he asked him touching his kingdome if he would graunt him to be king ouer all the world The god aunswered him by the mouth of his prophet he should and that the death of Philip was fully reuenged Then did Alexander offer great presentes vnto the god and gaue money large to the priests ministers of the temple This is that the most parte of writers doe declare touching Alexanders demaund and the oracles geuen him Yet did Alexander him selfe write vnto his mother that he had secret oracles from the god which he would onely impart vnto her at his retorne into MACEDON Others saie also that the prophet meaning to salute him in the Greeke tongue to welcome him the better would haue said vnto him O Paidion as much as deere sonne but that he tripped a litle in his tongue bycause the Greeke was not his naturall tongue and placed an s for an n in the latter ende saying O Pai dios to wit O sonne of Iupiter and that Alexander was glad of that mistaking Whereupon there ranne a rumor straight among his men that Iupiter had called him his sonne It is said also that he heard Psammon the philosopher in EGYPT and that he liked his wordes very well when he saide that god was king of all mortall men For ê™ he he that commaundeth all things must needes be god But Alexander selfe spake better and like philosopher when he said That god generally was father to all mortall men but that particularly he did elect the best sorte for him selfe To conclude he shewed him selfe more arrogant vnto the barbarous people and made as though he certainly beleued that he had bene begotten of some god but vnto the GRAECIANS he spake more modestly of diuine generation Porin a letter he wrote vnto the ATHENIANS touching the citie of SAMOS he said I gaue ye not that noble free citie but it was geuen you at that time by him whom they called my Lord father meaning Philip. Afterwardes also being striken with an arrow and feeling great paine of it My frendes said he This blood which is spilt is mans blood and not as Homer said No such as from the immortall gods doth flovv And one day also in a maruelous great thunder when euery man was afraid Anaxarcbus the Rethoritian being present said vnto him O thou sonne of Iupiter wilt thou doe as much no said he laughing on him I will no be so fearefull to my frends as thou wouldest haue me disdaining the seruice of fishe to my borde bycause thou seest not princes heades serued in And the report goeth also that Alexander vpon a time sending a litle fishe vnto Hephes 〈…〉 Anaxarchus should saye as it were in mockery that they which aboue others seeke for 〈…〉 with great trouble and hazard of life haue either small pleasure in the world or els 〈…〉 as others haue By these proofes and reasons alleaged we maie thinke that Alexander lead no vaine nor presumptuous opinion of him selfe to thinke that he was otherwise begotten of a god but that he did it in policie to kepe other men vnder obedience by the opinion conceiued of his godhead Retorning out of PHOENICIA into EGYPT he made many sacrifices feastes and precessions in honor of the goddes sondry daunces Tragedies and such like pastimes goodly to behold not onely for the sumptuous serring out of them but also for the good will and diligence of the setters forth of them which striued euery one to exceede the other For the kings of the CYPRIANS were the setters of them forth as at ATHENS they dâ—aâ—â— by lot a citizen of euery tribe of the people to defraie the changes of these pastimes These kinges were very earnest who should doe best but specially Nicocreon king of SALAMDAâ—â—â— CYPRVS and Pasicrates Lord of the citie of SOLES For it fell to their lot to fournish run of the excellentest plaiers Pasicrates fournished Athenodorus and Nicocreon Thessalus whom Alexander loued singulerly well though he made no shew of it vntill that Athenodorus was declared victor by the iudges deputed to geue sentence For when he went from the plaies he told them he did like the iudges opinion well notwithstanding he would haue bene extented to haue geuen the one halfe of his realme not to haue seene Thessalus ouercome Athenodorus being condemned vpon a time by the ATHENIANS bycause he was not in ATHENS at the feastes of Bacchus when the Comedies and Tragedies were plaied and a fine set of his head for his absence he besought AlexaÌ„der to write vnto them in his behalfe that they would release his penalty Alexander would not so doe but sent thether his money whereof he was condemned and paide it for him of his owne purse Also when Lycon SCALPHIAN an euedlent stage player had pleased Alexander well and did foiste in a verse in his comedy conteining a petition of tenne talents Alexander laughing at it gaue it him Darius at that time wrote vnto Alexander and vnto certen of his frendes also to pray him take tenne thousand tallentes for the raumson of all those prisoners he had in his handes and for all the contrie landes and signories on this side the riuer of Euphrates and one of his daughters also in mariage that from thence forth he might be his kinsman and frend Alexander imparted this to his counsell Amongest them Parmenio said vnto him if I were Alexander ê™ he surely I would accept this offer So would I in deede ê™ Alexander againe if I were Parmenio In fine he 〈…〉 againe vnto Darius that if he would submit him selfe he would vse him courteously if not that then he would presently marche towardes him But he repented him afterwardes when king Darius wife was dead with childe For without dissimulation it greeued him much that he had lost so noble an occasion to shew his courtesie and clemencie This notwithstanding he gaue her body honorable buriall sparing for no cost Amongest the Eunuches of the queenes chamber there was one Tireus taken prisoner among the
king merueling at it at the length sayd vnto him why my boy doest thou not geue me the ball Bicause your maiestie doth not aske it me q he Alexander then vnderstanding his meaning laughed at the boy did much for him afterwards There was attending on him also one Proteas as pleasaunt conceited man that could slentfinely It chaunced vpon some occasion that Alexander fell out with him whereuppon some of his frends were intercessors to the king for him besought him to pardon him and Proteas him selfe also being present craued pardon with teares in his eyes Alexander thereupon forgaue him Then pleasauntly replied Proteas I desire it may please your grace that I may receiue some testimonie to assure me I am in your fauor Thereuppon the king straight commaunded one to geue him fiue talents The goods and riches he gaue vnto his familliars and gard about him were very great as it appeareth plainly by a letter which his mother Olympias wrote vnto him to this effect I know thou sparest not to geue thy frends large giftes and that thou makest much of them but thereby thou makest them kings fellowes they get many frendes and leaue the poste alone without any His mother did many times write such like matters vnto him the which Alexander kept very secret sauing one day when he opened one of them Hephaestion being present drew neere and red the letter with him as he was wont to do Alexander did let him alone but when he had red it he plucked the seale of armes from his finger wherewith he did vse to seale his letters and put it to Hephaestions mouth He gaue also vnto the soone of Mazeus that was the chiefest man about Darius a seconde gouernment besides that which he had before and greater than the first This young noble man refused it saying why and it please your grace before there was but one Darius but you now make many Alexanders He gaue vnto Parmenio also Bagoas house where as is reported he found a thowsand talents worth of the spoyles and goods of the SVSIANS He wrote also vnto Antipater that he should keepe a gard about his person for he had many enemies that lay in waite for him He did send also many goodly presents vnto his mother but withall he wrote vnto her that she would meddle no more with his matters nor gifts taking vpon her the office of a Captaine She storming at it he paciently did brooke her anger Antipater an other time wryting a long letter vnto him against his mother Olympias when he had red it ouer loe said he Antipater knoweth not that one teare of the mothers eye will wipe out tenne thowsande such letters Furthermore Alexander perceiuing on a time that his frendes became very dissolute licentious in dyet and life and that Agnon TEIAN had his corked shooes nayled with siluer nayles that Leonatus also caused diuers cammells to be loden amongest his cariage with powder of AEGYPT to put apon him when he wrestled or vsed any other exercise of body that also they caried after Philotas toyles for chase and hunting of a hundred furlong long and that there were also that vsed pretious perfumes swete sauors when they bathed them selues more then there were that rubbed them selues with plaine oyle and that they had fine chamberlaines to rubbe them in the bath and to make their beddes soft and delicate he wisely and curteously rebuked them and sayd I maruell sayd he that you which haue fought in so often and great battells doe not remember that they which trauell doe sleepe more sweete and soundly than they that take their ease and doe nothing and that you doe not marke that comparing your life with the manner of the life of the PERSIANS to liue at pleasure is a vile thinge and to trauell is Princely And howe I pray you can a man take paine to dresse his owne horse or to make cleane his launce or helmet that for slothfull curiosities sake disdaineth to rubbe his owne bodie with his fine fingers Are you ignorant that the type of honor in all our victorie consisteth in scorning to doe that which we see them doe whom we haue vanquished and ouercome To bring them therefore by his example to acquaint them selues with hardnes he tooke more paines in warres and in hunting and did hazard him selfe more daungerously then euer he had done before Whereuppon an Ambassador of LACEDAEMON being present to see him fight with a Lyon and to kill him sayd vnto him truely your grace hath fought well with this Lyon and tried which of you two should be king Craterus after that caused this hunting to be set vp in the temple of Apollo in DELPHES where are the images of the Lyon of the dogges and of the king fighting with the Lyon and of him selfe also that came to helpe him all those images being of copper some made by Lysippus the rest by Leothares Thus Alexander did put him selfe vnto all iuberdies as well to exercise his strength and corage as also to allure his men to doe the like This notwithstanding his frendes and familliars hauing wealth at will as men exceeding riche they would needes liue delicately and at ease and woulde take no more paines misliking vtterly to goe vp and downe the contries to make warre here and there and thereuppon beganne a litle to finde fault with Alexander and to speake euill of him Which at the first Alexander tooke quietly saying that it was honor for a king to suffer him selfe to be slaundered and ill spoken of for doing of good And yet the least good turnes he did vnto his frendes did shewe his hartie loue and honor he bare them as shall appeare vnto you by some examples that followe Peucestas being bitten by a beare did let his frendes vnderstande it by letters but he wrote nothing thereof vnto Alexander Alexander was offended therewith and wrote vnto him thus Sende me worde at the least yet how thou doest and whether any of thy fellowes did forsake thee at the hunting to th ende they may be punished Hephaestion being absent about certaine businesse he had Alexander wrote vnto him that as they were hunting a beast called Ichnewmon Craterus vnfortunately crossinge Perdiccus darte was striken through both his thighes Peucestas being cured of a great disease Alexander wrote vnto Alexippus his Phisitian that had cured him and gaue him thankes Craterus also being sicke he dreamed of him one night and therefore made certaine sacrifices for the recouerie of his health and sent vnto him willing him to doe the like And when the Phisitian Pausanias ment to geue him a drinke of Eelleborum he wrote letters vnto him telling him what daunger he was in and prayed him to be carefull how he receiued that medicine He did also put Ephialtes and Cissus in prison who brought him the first newes of Herpalus flying bicause they did wrongfully accuse slaūder him When he
him that it was an ill signe Alexander thereuppon gaue order straight that they shoulde doe sacrifice for the health of Clitus and speciallie for that three dayes before he dreamed one night that he sawe Clitus in a mourninge gowne sittinge amongest the sonnes of Parmenio the which were all dead before This notwithstanding Clitus did not make an ende of his sacrifice but came straight to supper to the kinge who had that day sacrificed vnto Castor and Pollux At this feast there was olde drinking and all the supper time there were certaine verses song and made by a Poet called Pranichus or as others say of one Pierion against certaine Captaines of the MACEDONIANS which had not long before bene ouercome by the barbarous people and only to shame them and to make the companie laugh With these verses auncient men that were at this feast became much offended and grewe angrie with the Poet that made them and the minstrell that song them Alexander on thother side and his familliars liked them verie well and commaunded the minstrell to sing still Clitus therewithall being ouer-taken with wine and besides of a churlish nature prowde and arrogant fell into greater choller and sayd that it was neither well nor honestlie done in that sorte to speake ill of those poore MACEDONIAN Captaines and speciallie amongest the barbarous people their enemies which were farre better men then they that laughed them to scorne although their fortune much worse then theirs Alexander then replied and sayd that saying so he pleaded for him selfe calling cowardlinesse misfortune Then Clitus standing vp sayd againe but yet this my cowardlynes saued thy life that callest thy selfe the sonne of the goddes when thou turnedst thy backe from Spithridates sword and the blood which these poore MACEDONIANS did shedde for thee and the woundes which they receiued of their bodies fighting for thee haue made thee so great that thou disdainest now to haue king Philip for thy father and wilt needes make thy selfe the sonne of Iupiter Hammon Alexander being moued with these words straight replied O villen thinkest thou to scape vnpunished for these prowde words of thine which thou vsest continually against me making the MACEDONIANS rebell against Alexander Clitus aunswered againe too much are we punished Alexander for our paines and seruice to receiue such reward nay most happy thinke we them that long sence are dead and gone not now to see the MACEDONIANS scourged with roddes of the MEDES compelled to curry fauor with the PERSIANS to haue accesse vnto their king Thus Clitus boldly speaking against Alexander and Alexander againe aunswering and reuiling him the grauest men sought to pacifie this sturre and tumult Alexander then turning him selfe vnto Xenodochâ—s .. CARDIAN and Artemius COLOPHONIAN doe you not thinke sayd he that the GRAECIANS are amongest the MACEDONIANS as demy goddes that walke among brute beastes Clitus for all this would not geue ouer his impudency and mallapertnesse but cried out and bad Alexander speake openlie what he had to say or else not to bidde free men come to suppe with him that were wont to speake franckely if not to keepe with the barbarous slaues than honored his PERSIAN girdell and long white garment Then coulde Alexander no longer hold his choller but tooke an apple that was vpon his table and threw it at Clitus and looked for his sworde the which Aristophanes one of his gard that waited on him had of purpose taken from him And when euerie man came straight about him to stay him and to pray him to be contented he immediatly rose from the borde and called his gard vnto him in the MACEDONIAN tongue which was a signe of great trouble to followe after it and commaunded a trompetor to sound the allarme But he drawing backe would not sound whereuppon Alexander strake him with his fist Notwithstanding the trompetor was greatly commended afterwards for that he only kept the campe that they rose not All this could not quiet Clitus whereupon his frends with much a doe thrust him out of the halle but he came in againe at an other dore and arrogantly and vnreuerently rehearsed this verse of the Poet Euripides out of Andromaches tragedie Alas for sorovv euill vvayes Are into Grace crept novv a dayes Then Alexander taking a partisan from one of his gard as Clitus was comming towardes him and had lift vp the hanging before the dore he ranne him through the body so that Clitus fell to the ground and fetching one grone died presently Alexanders choller had left him straight and he became maruelous sorowfull and when he saw his frendes round about him say neuer a word he pluckt the partisan out of his body would haue thrust it into his owne throte Howbeit his gard about him caught him by the hands caried him perforce into his chamber there he did nothing all that night but weepe bitterly the next day following vntill such time as he was able to crie no more but lying on the ground onely laie sighing His frendes hearing his voice no more were afraid and came into his chamber by force to comfort him But Alexander would heare none of them sauing Ariftâ—nder the Soothesayer who remembred him of his dreame he had of Clitus before which was prognostication of that which had happened whereby it appeared that it was his desteny before he was borne This seemed to comfort Alexander Afterwardes they brought in Callisthenes the philosopher akinsman of Aristotles and Anaxarchus borne in AEDERA Of these two Callisthenes fought by gentle talke not mouing any matter offensiue to comfort Alexanders sorow But Anaxarchus that from the beginning had taken a way by him selfe in the studie of philosophie being accompted a braine sicke man and one that despised his companions he comming into Alexanders chamber also with him cryed out at the dore as he came in See yonder is Alexander the great whom all the world lookes apon and is affraid of See where he lies weeping like a slaue on the ground that is affraid of the lawe and of the reproche of men as if he him selfe should not geue them law and stablish the boundes of iustice or iniustice sithence he hath ouercome to be Lord and master and not to be subiect and slaue to a vaine opinion Knowest thou not that the poets saie that Iupiter hath Themis to wit right and iustice placed of either hand on him what signifieth that but all that the prince doth is wholy right and iust These wordes of Anaxarchus did comfort the sorowfull harte of king Alexander at that time but therewithall they made Alexanders maners afterwardes more fierce and dissolute For as he thereby did maruelously grow in fauor with the king euen so did he make the company of Callisthenes who of him selfe was not very pleasaunt bicause of his grauery and sowrenes much more hatefull and misliked then before It is written also that there was certain talke one night at
Bucephal dyed at this battell not in the fielde but afterwardes whilest he was in cure for the woundes he had on his body but as Onesicritus sayth he dyed euen worne for very age Alexander was as sory for his death as if he had lost any of his familiar friendes and for proofe thereof he built a great citie in the place where his horse was buryed apon the riuer of Hydaspes the which he called after his name Bucephalia It is reported also that hauing lost a dogge of his called Peritas which he had brought vppe of a whelpe and loued very dearely he built also a citie and called it after his name Sotion writeth that he hearde it reported thus of Potamon LESBIAN This last battell against king Porus killed the MACEDONIANS hartes and made them that they had no desire to goe any further to conquer INDIA For finding that they had such a doe to ouercome them though they were but twenty thowsand footemen and two thowsand horse they spake yll of Alexander when he went about to compell them to passe ouer the ryuer of Ganges vnderstanding by the contry men that it was two and thirty furlong ouer and a hundred fadam deepe and howe that the banke of the ryuer was full of souldiers horsemen and Elephants For it was reported that the kings of the GANGARIDES the PRAESIANS were on thother side with foure score thowsand horsemen two hundred thowsand footemen eight thowsand charrets or carts of warre wel armed and six thowsand Elephants of warre This was no fable nor fryuolous tale For a king called Androcottus who raigned not long after gaue vnto Seleucus fiue hundred Elephants at one time conquered all INDIA with sixe hundred thowsand fighting men Alexander then offended with his mens refusall kept close in his tent for certeine daies and lay vpon the ground saying that he did not thanke them for all that they had done thithervnto vnles they passed ouer the ryuer of Ganges also And that to returne backe againe it was as much as to confesse that he had bene ouercome At the length when he sawe and considered that there was great reason in his friendes perswasions which labored to comfort him and that his souldiers came to the dore of his tent crying and lamenting humbly beseeching him to leade them backe againe in th ende he tooke pitie of them and was contented to returne This notwithstanding before he departed from those parties he put forth many vaine and false deuises to make his name immortall amonge that people He made armors of greater proportion then his owne and mangers for horses higher then the common sort moreouer he made bytts also farre heauier then the common sort and made them to be throwen and scattered abroad in euery place He built great aultars also in honor of the godds the which the kings of the PRAESIANS haue in great veneration at his day and passing ouer the riuer doe make sacrifices there after the manner of the GRAECIANS Androcottus at that time was a very young man and sawe Alexander him selfe and sayd afterwards that Alexander had well neare taken and wonne all the contry the king which then raigned was so hated of all his subiectes for his wicked life and base parentage he came of Departing thence he went to see the great sea Oceanum and made diuers botes with ores in the which he easily went downe the riuers at his pleasure Howbeit this his pleasant going by water was not without warre for he would land oftentymes and did assaile cities and conquered all as he went Yet in assailing the citie of the MALLIANS which they say are the warlikest men of all the INDIANS he was almost slaine there For hauing with darts repulsed the ennemies from the wall he him selfe was the first man that sette foote on a ladder to gett vp the which brake assoone as euer he was gotten vpon the ramper Then the barbarous people comming together against the wall did throwe at him from beneathe and many tymes lighted vpon him Alexander hauing fewe of his men about him made no more a doe but leaped downe from the wall in the middest of his ennemies and by good happe lighted on his feete His harnes making a great noyse with the fall the barbarous people were afraid thinking they had seene some light or spirite goe before him so that at the first they all betooke them to their legges and ranne scatteringly here and there But after that when they came againe to them selues and sawe that he had but two gentlemen onely about him they came and sette apon him of all handes and fought with him at the sworde or pushe of the pyke and so hurt him very sore through his armor but one amonge the rest being somewhat further of gaue him such a terrible blowe with an arrowe that he strake him through his curats and shot him in at the side vnder his brest The blow entred so into his body that he fell downe on one of his knees Whereuppon he that had striken him with his arrow ranne sodainly to him with a cimiter drawen in his hand Howbeit Peucestas Limnaus stepped before him and were both hurt Limnaus was slaine presently and Peucestas fought it out till at the length Alexander selfe slew the barbarous man with his owne hand after he had many greeuous woundes vpon his body At the length he had a blow with a dart on his necke that so astonied him that he leaned against the wall looking apon his enemies In the meane time the MACEDONIANS compassing him round about tooke him and caried him into his tent halfe in a sownde and was past knowledge Whereupon there ranne a rumor straight in the campe that Alexander was dead They had much a doe to cut the arrow asonder that was of wodde so his curats being plucked of with great paine yet were they to plucke the arrow head out of his body which stucke in one of his bones the which as it is reported was foure fingers long and three fingers broad So that when they plucked it out he sownded so oft that he was almost dead This notwithstanding he ouercame the daunger and escaped Being very weake he kept diet a long time to recouer him selfe and neuer came out of his tent vntill he heard the MACEDONIANS cry and make great noyse about his tent desirous to see him Then he put on a night gowne and came out amongest them all and after he had done sacrifice vnto the godds for recouery of his health he went on his iorney againe and in the same did conquer many great contreyes and tooke diuers goodly cities He did also take tenne of the wise men of the contry which men doe all go naked and therefore are called GYMNOSOPHISTE to wit Philosophers of INDIA who had procured Sabbas to rebell against him and had done great hurt vnto the MACEDONIANS And bicause they were taken
to be the sharpest and readiest of aunswer he did put them as he thought many hard questions told them he would put the first man to death that aunswered him worst and so the rest in order and made the eldest amonge them Iudge of their aunswers The question he asked the first man was this Whether the dead or the liuing were the greater number He aunswered the liuing For the dead sayd he are no more men The second man he asked whether the earth or the sea brought forth most creatures He aunswered the earth For the sea sayd he is but a part of the earth To the third man which of all beastes was the subtillest That sayd he which man hetherto neuer knew To the fourth why he did make Sabbas rebell bicause sayd he he should liue honorably or dye vilely To the fift which he thought was first the daye or the night He aunswered the daye by a day The kinge finding his aunswer straunge added to this speech straunge questions must needes haue straunge aunswers Comming to the sixt man he asked him how a man should come to be beloued If he be a good man sayd he not terrible To the seuenth how a man should be a god In doing a thing said he impossible for a man. To the eight which was the stroÌ„ger life or death life said he that suffreth so many troubles And vnto the ninth and last man how long a man should liue vntill sayd he he thinke it better to dye then to liue When Alexander had heard these aunswers he turned vnto the Iudge bad him giue his iudgement vpon them The Iudge said they had all aunswered one worse then another Then shalt thou die first said Alexander bicause thou hast giuen such sentence not so O king ê™ he if thou wilt not be a lier bicause thou saidst that thou wouldest kil him first that had aunswered worst In fine Alexander did let them go with rewardes He sent Onesicritus also vnto the other wise men of the INDIANS which were of greatest fame among theÌ„ that led a solitary quiet life to pray them to come vnto him This Onesicritus the Philosopher was Diogenes the Cinika scholler It is reported that Calanus one of these wise men very sharply proudly bad him put of his clothes to heare his words naked or otherwise that he would not speake to Him though he came from Iupiter him self Yet Dandamis aunswered him more gently For he hauing learned what maner of men Socrates Pythagoras and Diogenes were said that they seemed to haue bene wise men wel borne notwithstanding that they had reuerenced the lawe too much in their life time Others write notwithstanding that Dandamis said nothing els but asked why Alexander had takeÌ„ so painful a iorney in hand as to come into INDIA For Calanus whose right name otherwise was Sphines king Taxiles perswaded him to go vnto Alexander who bicause he saluted those he met in the INDIAN tongue saying Ocle as much to say as God saueye the GRAECIANS named him Calanus It is reported that this Calanus did shew Alexander a figure similitude of his kingdom which was this He threw down before him a dry seare peece of leather then put his foote apon one of the endes of it The leather being troden down on that side rose vp in al partes els going vp down with all still treading vpon the sides of the leather he made Alexander see that the leather being troden downe on the one side did rise vp of al sides els vntil such time as he put his foote in the middest of the leather then al the whole leather was plain alike His meaning thereby was to let AlexaÌ„der vnderstaÌ„d that the most part of his time he should keepe in the middest of his contry not to goe farre from it Alexander coÌ„tinued seuen moneths trauelling vpon the riuers to go see the great sea Oceanum Then he tooke ship sailed into a litle Iland called SCYLLVEYâ—S howbeit others call it PSITVLâ—â—â—â— There he landed made sacrifices vnto the gods viewed the greatnes nature of the sea OceanuÌ„ all the situacion of the coast apon that sea as farre as he could go Then he made his praiers vnto the gods that no conqueror liuing after him should go beyond the bounds of his iorney conquest so returned homeward He coÌ„maunded his ships should fetch a coÌ„passe about leaue INDIA on the right hand made Nearebus Admirall of all his fleete Onesicritus chiefe Pilote He him self in the meane time went by land through the contry of the ORITES there he found great scarsitye of vittels lost many of his men so that he caried not out of INDIA the fourth part of his men of war which he brought thither which were in al six score thowsand footemen fifteen thowsand horsmen Some of theÌ„ died of greeuous disseases others by ill diet others by extreme heat drowght the most of theÌ„ by hunger trauailing through this barren contry where the poore men liued hardly had onely a few sheepe which they fed with sea fish that made their flesh fauor very il fauoredly At the leÌ„gth when in three score daies iorney he had painfully trauelled through this contry he theÌ„ entred into the coÌ„try called GEDROSIA where he found great pleÌ„ty of al kind of vittels which the gouernour kings princes neighbours vnto the same did seÌ„d vnto him After he had refreshed hi army there a litle he weÌ„t through the coÌ„try of CARMANIA where he continued seueÌ„ daies together banketing going stil through the coÌ„ntry For night day he was feasting continually with his frends apon a scaffold loÌ„ger then broad rising vp of height drawn with eight goodly horse After that scaffold followed diuers other charrets couered ouer some with goodly rich arras purple silk others with trim fresh boughes which they renued at euery fields end in those were Alexanders other frends captaines with garlands of flowers apon their heades which drank made mery together In all this armie there was neither helmet pike dart nor target seene but gold siluer bowles cups flagons in the souldiers hands al the way as they went drawing wine out of great pipes vessels which they caried with them one drinking to another some marching in the fields going forward others also set at the table About theÌ„ were the minstrels playing pipping on their flutes shalmes womeÌ„ singing daunsing fooling by the way as they weÌ„t In all this dissolute marching through the coÌ„try in the middest of their dronkeÌ„nes they mingled with it sport that euery maÌ„ did striue to couÌ„terfeat all the insoleÌ„cies of Bacchus as if god Bacchus him self had ben there in person had led the mommery WheÌ„ he came vnto the kings castel of
the gate Thereuppon the gates were opened they comming in their gownes went vnto his bed side to see him That selfe day Python Seleucus were appointed by the kings friends to go to the temple of the god Serapis to knowe if they should bringe king Alexander thither The god aunswered them that they should not remoue him from thence The eight and twenty day at night Alexander dyed Thus it is written word for word in manner in the houshold booke of remembrance At that present tyme there was no suspition that he was poysoned Yet they say that six yeares after there appeared some proofe that he was poisoned Whereupon his mother Olympias put many men to death and cast the ashes of Iolas into the wind that was dead before for that it was said he gaue him poyson in his drinke They that thinke it was Aristotle that counselled Antipater to do it by whose meane the poyson was brought they say that Agnothemis reporred it hauing heard it of king Antigonus owne mouth The poyson as some say was cold as Ise and falleth from a rocke in the territory of the citie of NONACRIS it is gathered as they would gather a deawe into the horne of the foote of an asse for there is no other kinde of thinge that wil keepe it it is so extreme cold percing Others defend it say that the report of his poysoning is vntrue for proofe therof they alleage this reason which is of no smal importance that is That the chiefest Capteines fel at great variance after his death so that the corps of Alexander remained many dayes naked without buriall in a whot dry contry yet there neuer appeared any signe or token apon his body that he was poysoned but was still a cleane and faire corps as could be Alexander left Roxane great with childe for the which the MACEDONIANS did her great honor but she did malice Statira extreamely did finely deceiue her by a counterfeat letter she sent as if it had comen from Alexander willing her to come vnto him But when she was come Roxane killed her and her sister and then threw their bodies into a well and filled it vp with earth by Perdiccas helpe and consent Perdiccas came to be king immediatly after Alexanders death by meanes of Aridaeus whom he kept about him for his gard and safety This Aridaeus beeing borne of a common strumpet and common woman called Philinna was halfe lunaticke not by nature nor by chaunce but as it is reported put out of his wits when he was a young towardly boy by drinkes which Olympias caused to be geuen him and thereby continued franticke The end of Alexanders life THE LIFE OF Iulius Caesar. AT what time Sylla was made Lord of all he would haue had Caesar put away his wife Cornelia the daughter of Cinna Dictator but when he saw he could neither with any promise nor threate bring him to it he tooke her ioynter away from him The cause of Caesars ill will vnto Sylla was by meanes of mariage for Marius thelder maried his fathers own sister by whom he had Marius the younger whereby Caesar he were cosin germaines Sylla being troubled in waightie matters putting to death so many of his enemies when he came to be cōqueror he made no reckoning of Caesar but he was not contented to be hidden in safety but came and made sute vnto the people for the Priesthoodshippe that was voyde when he had scant any heare on his face Howbeit he was repulsed by Syllaes meanes that secretly was against him Who when he was determined to haue killed him some of his frendes told him that it was to no purpose to put so young a boy as he to death But Sylla told them againe that they did not consider that there were many Marians in that young boy Caesar vnderstanding that stale out of ROME and hidde him selfe a long time in the contrie of the SABINES wandring still from place to place But one day being caried from house to house he fell into the handes of Syllaes souldiers who searched all those places and tooke them whom they found hidden Caesar bribed the Captaine whose name was Cornelius with two talentes which he gaue him After he had escaped them thus he went vnto the sea side and tooke shippe and sailed into BITHYNIA to goe vnto king Nicomedes When he had bene with him a while he tooke sea againe and was taken by pyrates about the I le of PHARMACVSA for those pyrates kept all vppon that sea coast with a great fleete of shippes and botes They asking him at the first twentie talentes for his ransome Caesar laughed them to scorne as though they knew not what a man they had taken of him selfe promised them fiftie talents Then he sent his men vp and downe to get him this money so that he was left in maner alone among these theeues of the CILICIANS which are the cruellest butchers in the world with one of his frends and two of his slaues only and yet he made so litle reckoning of them that when he was desirous to sleepe he sent vnto them to commaunde them to make no noyse Thus was he eight and thirtie dayes among them not kept as prisoner but rather waited vppon by them as a Prince All this time he woulde boldly exercise him selfe in any sporte or pastime they would goe to And other while also he woulde wryte verses and make orations and call them together to say them before them and if any of them seemed as though they had not vnderstoode him or passed not for them he called them blockeheades and brute beastes and laughing threatned them that he would hang them vp But they were as merie with the matter as could be and tooke all in good parte thinking that this his bold speach came through the simplicity of his youth So when his raunsome was come from the citie of MILETVM they being payed their money and he againe set at libertie he then presently armed and manned out certaine ships out of the hauen of MILETVM to follow those theeues whom he found yet riding at ancker in the same Iland So he tooke the most of them had the spoile of their goods but for their bodies he brought them into the city of PERGAMVM there committed thē to prison whilest he him selfe went to speake with Iunius who had the gouernment of ASIA as vnto whom the execution of these pirats did belong for that he was Praetor of that contrie But this Praetor hauing a great fancie to be fingering of the money bicause there was good store of it answered that he would consider of these prisoners at better leasure Caesar leauing Iunius there returned againe vnto PERGAMVM and there hung vp all these theeues openly vpon a crosse as he had oftentimes promised them in the I le he would doe when they thought he did but ieast
him The people apon his motion being determined to ayde them Phocion straight sounding the trumpet at the breaking vp of the assembly gaue them no further leysure but to take their weapons and so led them incontinently to MEGARA The MEGARIANS receiuing him Phocion shut vp the hauen of NISAEA and brought two long walls from the citie vnto it and so ioyned it vnto the sea Whereby he stood not greatly in feare of his enemies by land and for the sea the ATHENIANS were Lordes of it Now when the ATHENIANS had proclaimed open warre against king Philip and had chosen other Captaines in his absence and that he was returned from the Iles aboue all thinges he perswaded the people king Philip requiring peace and greatly fearing the daunger to accept the condicions of peace Then one of these busy Orators that was still accusing one or other said vnto him why Phociō how darest thou attēpt to turne the ATHENIANS frō warre hauing now their swordes in their hands yes truely said Phocion though in warre I know I shal commaund thee in peace thou wilt commaund me But when the people would not harken to him and that Demosthenes caried them away with his perswasions who counselled them to sight with king Philip as farre from ATTICA as they could I pray thee friend q Phocion vnto him let vs not dispute where we shall fight but consider how we shall ouercome the which if we can so bring to passe be sure we shall put the warre farre enough from vs For men that are ouercome be euer in feare and daunger wheresoeuer they be When the ATHENIANS had lost a battell against Philip the seditious Orators that hunted after innouacion preferred Charidemus to be chosen generall of the ATHENIANS whereuppon the Magistrates Senatours being affraid and taking with them all the Court and Senate of the ARBOPAGITS they made such earnest sute to the people with the teares in their eyes that at last but with much a doe they obteyned that the affaires of the citie might be put into Phocions handes gouernment He thought good to accept the articles and gentle condicions of peace which Philip offered them But after that the Orator Demades moued that the citie of ATHENS would enter into the common treatie of peace common assembly of the states of GRAECE procured at king Philips request Phocion would not agree to it vntill they might vnderstand what demaunds Philip would make at the assembly of the GRAECIANS When his opinion through the peruersnes of time could not be liked of them that he saw the ATHENIANS soone after repented them that they did not followe his counsell when they heard they should furnish king Philip with shippes and horsemen then he told them the feare whereof ye now complaine made me to withstand that which now ye haue consented vnto But sithence it is so that you haue nowe past your consents you must be contented and not be discoraged at it remembring that your auncestors in times past haue sometyme commaunded and other while obeyed others and yet haue so wisely and discreetely gouerned them selues in both fortunes that they haue not onely saued their citie but all GRAECE besides When newes came of king Philips death the people for ioy would straight haue made bonfires and sacrifices to the goddes for the good newes but Phocion would not suffer them and sayd that it was a token of a base minde to reioyce at any mans death besides that the armie which ouerthrew you at CHAERONEA hath not yet lost but one man And when Demosthenes also would commonly speake ill of Alexander and specially when he was so neare THEBES with his armie Phocion rehearsed vnto him these verses of Homer Hovv great a folly is it for to stand Against a cruell king VVhich beeing armd and hauing svvord in hand Seekes fame of euery thing What when there is such a great fire kindled wilt thou cast the citie into it for my part therefore though they were willing yet will I not suffer them to cast them selues away for to that ende haue I taken vpon me this charge and gouernment And afterwards also when Alexander had rased the citie of THEBES and had required the ATHENIANS to deliuer him Demosthenes Lycurgus Hyperides and Caridemus and that the whole assembly and counsell not knowing what aunswer to make did all cast their eyes vppon Phocion and cryed vnto him to say his opinion he then rose vppe and taking one of his friendes vnto him called Nicocles whome he loued and trusted aboue all men els he sayd thus openly vnto them These men whome Alexander requireth haue brought this citie to this extremitie that if he required Nicocles here I would giue my consent to deliuer him For I would thinke my selfe happy to lose my life for all your safetie Furthermore though I am right hartely sory sayd he for the poore afflicted THEBANS that are come into the citie for succour yet I assure ye it is better one citie mourne then two And therefore I thinke it is best to intreate the Conqueror for both rather then to our certeine destruction to fight with him that is the stronger It is sayd also that Alexander refused the first decree which the people offered him vppon Phocions request and sent awaye the Ambassadors and would not speake with them But the second which Phocion him selfe brought he tooke beeing tolde by his fathers olde seruaunts that king Philip made great accompt of him Whereuppon Alexander did not onely giue him audience and graunt his request but further followed his counsell For Phocion perswaded him if he loued quietnes to leaue warre if he desired fame then that he should make warre with the barbarous people but not with the GRAECIANS So Phocion feeding Alexanders humor with such talke and discourse as he thought would like him best he so altered and softened Alexanders disposition that when he went from him he willed him that the ATHENIANS should looke to their affayres for if he should dye he knewe no people fitter to commaund then they Furthermore bicause he would be better acquainted with Phocion and make him his friend he made so much of him that he more honored him then all the rest of his friends To this effect Duris the historiographer writeth that when Alexander was growen very great and had ouercome king Darius he left out of his letters this worde Chaerin to wit ioy and health which he vsed commonly in all the letters he wrote and would no more honor any other with that maner of salutacion but Phocion Antipater Chares also writeth the same And they all doe confesse that Alexander sent Phocion a great gift out of ASIA of a hundred siluer talents This money being brought to ATHENS Phocion asked them that brought it why Alexander gaue him such a great reward aboue all the other Citizens of ATHENS Bicause sayd they he onely esteemeth thee to be a good and honest
the GRAECIANS which was the losse of their libertie For not many yeares before there was brought an oracle from DODONE vnto ATHENS that they shoulde looke well to the rockes of Diana that straungers shoulde not possesse them And about that tyme also the couerings with the which they doe adorne the holy beddes of the mysteries beeing wette with water became from a purple culler which they had before to looke yellowe and pale as it had beene the couering of a deade bodie Yea and that which was moste to bee wondered at of all other was this that taking other couerings which were not holy and putting them in the same water they did without chaunging keepe their culler they had before When one of the Ministers of the temple also did washe a litle pygge in the sea in a cleane place by the wharfe there sodainely came a greate fishe that bytte at it and caryed the hinder partes of the pygge cleane awaye with it Whereby men coniectured that the goddes did signifie vnto them that they should lose the lowest parte of their citie nearest to the sea and should keepe the highest partes thereof This notwithstanding the garrison did not offend nor trouble the ATHENIANS bicause of the honestie of their Captaine Menyllus Now there were aboue twelue thowsand Citizens that for their pouertie lost the benefit of their freedome of the which parte of them remayned at ATHENS vnto whome it seemed they offered great wronge and iniurie and parte of them also went into THRACIA where Antipater assigned them townes and landes to inhabite They seemed to be men like vnto them that had beene taken by assaulte or by seege within a citie which had beene compelled to forsake their contrie Furthermore the shamefull death of Demosthenes in the I le of CAIAVRIA and of HYPERIDES by the citie of CLEONES whereof we haue written heretofore were almost occasion giuen them to lament the tymes of the raigne of king Philip and Alexander As it is reported that when Antigonus was slayne they that had ouercomen him were so cruell vnto their subiectes that a laborer in the contrie of PHRYGIA digging the earthe beeing asked what he sought for aunswered sighing I seeke for Antigonus Then many men beganne to say as much when they remembred the noble mindes of those two great Princes howe mercifull they were to pardon in their anger forgetting their displeasure not like Antipater who craftily cloked his tyrannicall power which he vsurped by beeing famillier going simplely apparelled and faring meanely and yet showed him selfe notwithstanding a more cruell Lorde and tyrant vnto them whome he had ouercome Neuertheles Phocion obtayned of him the restoring agayne of diuers men whome he had banished and those whome he coulde not gette to bee restored yet he procured that they shoulde not be banished into so farre contries as others which had beene sent beyonde the Mountaines Acroceraunians and the head of Taenarus out of GRAECE but that they had libertie to remayne within the contrie of PELOPONNESVS amonge the which was one Agnonides a Sycophant and false accuser Furthermore he gouerned them that remayned in ATHENS with great iustice and lenitie and such as he knewe to be good men and quiet them he alwayes preferred to some office but such as he sawe were fantastyke people and desirous of chaunge he kept them from office and tooke all occasion from them so that they vanished awaye of them selues and learned in tyme to loue the contrye and to followe tillage When he sawe Xenocrates also paye a certeine pension or tribute to the common wealth which all straungers dwelling in ATHENS did vse yearely to paye he woulde haue made him a free man and offered to put his name amongest the number of free Citizens But Xenocrates refused it saying he woulde haue no parte of that freedome for the hinderance whereof he had beene sent Ambassador And when Menyllus had sent Phocion money he made him aunswer that Menyllus was no greater Lorde then Alexander had beene neyther had he at that tyme any greater occasion to receyue his present then when he had refused King Alexanders gyfte Menyllus replying agayne sayde that if he had no neede of it for him selfe yet he might let his sonne Phocus haue it But Phocion aunswered if my sonne Phocus will leaue his naughtye lyfe and become an honest man that which I will leaue him shall serue his turne very well but if it bee so that he will still holde on the course he hath taken there is no riches then that can suffice him An other tyme also he aunswered Antipater more rowndely when he woulde haue had him done an vnhonest thinge Antipater sayde he can not haue me his friende and flatterer both Antipater selfe was wont to saye that he had two friendes in ATHENS Phocion and Demades of the which he coulde neuer make the one to take any thinge of him and the other he coulde neuer satisfie him And truely Phocions pouertye was a greate glorye of his vertue sythe he was growen olde continuing in the same after he had beene so many tymes generall of the ATHENIANS and had receyued suche friendshippe and curtesie of so many Kinges and Princes Where Demades to the contrarye delighted to shewe his riches in thinges that were contrarye to the lawes of the citie For a decree beeing made at ATHENS commaunding that no straunger vppon forfeyture of a thowsand Drachmas to bee payed by the defrayer of the daunces to the citie shoulde bee any of the Dauncers that daunced at any common playes or sportes Demades one daye making certeyne games and sportes at his owne charges brought a hundred Dauncers of straungers at one tyme and withall brought also a hundred thowsand Drachmas to paye the forfeyture thereof Another tyme when he maryed his sonne Demas he sayde vnto him sonne when I maryed thy mother there was so small roste that my next neyghbour knewe not of it where nowe at thy maryage Kinges and Princes are at the charge of the feaste Furthermore when the ATHENIANS were importunate with Phocion to goe to Antipater to intreate him to take his garrison out of their citie he still refused the ambassade eyther bycause he had no hope to obtayne it or for that he sawe the people more obedient vnto reason for feare of the garrison Howebeit he obtayned of Antipater that he shoulde not bee too hastye in demaundinge of his money but shoulde deferre it tyll a further tyme So the ATHENIANS perceiuing they could doe no good with Phocion they intreated Demades who willingly tooke the matter vpon him and went with his sonne into MACEDON whether doubtles his destinie caried him to his vtter destruction euen at that very time when Antipater was fallen sicke of a dissease whereof he dyed Whereby the affayres of the Realme went through the handes of Cassander his sonne who had intercepted a letter of this Demades which he had sent vnto Antigonus in ASIA
otherwise by open force it was impossible to be had Wherefore after the death of Alexander that kept castell being poysoned as it is reported by Antigonus practise the castell being left in the handes of his wife Nicaea who gouerned the state of CORINTHE and did carefully cause the Acrocorinthe to be kept he immediately sent his sonne Demetrius thither and put Nicea in good hope to mary her with this young Prince a thing that pleased this Lady well though she was very olde So for her selfe she was wonne straight by meanes of his young sonne Demetrius whome he vsed as a stale to intrappe her Howbeit Nicaea for all this goodly offer forsooke not her castell but alwayes made it straightly to be looked vnto Antigonus seemed to make no accompt of it but dayly gaue him selfe to make sumptuous sacrifices feasts and playes to the gods within the citie of CORINTHE for the marriage as though he had ment no other thing but bancketing and iolitie all that might be When the hower was come to see these sportes and that the Musition Amaebeus began to singe he him selfe made as though he would accompany Nicaea vnto the Theater being conueyed thither in a sumptuous riche lytter as it had bene for a Queene She was very glad of this honor and thought nothing lesse then of that which happened her But when Antigonus came to the ende of the streete that turned to goe vp the hill towards the castell he had her keepe on still to the Theater and him selfe in the meane time left Amoebeus there with his singing and all the feast of the mariage and went straight vp to the castell forcing him selfe aboue his strength and yeares When he was at the toppe of the hill and found the gates shut he knocked with his staffe and commaunded the garrison to open him the gates They wondring to see him there in person did let him in When he was gotten into the castell he was so exceding ioyfull of it that he had no reason to moderate his ioye but would bancket in the middest of streetes and in the market place hauing minstrells to playe vpon their instruments at his table wearing garlands of flowers on their heads for ioye and did so fondly and lightly behaue him selfe as if he had bene a light young man and not as he was an olde man who had proued such sundry chaunges of fortune and yet suffered him selfe to be thus caried away with pleasure that he imbraced and spake to euery man he met Whereby it is easie to iudge that ioy possessing a man without wit or discretion it maketh him besides him selfe and doth more trouble his wits then payne or feare Now Antigonus hauing wonne the castell of the Acrocorinthe as you haue heard he put into the hands of those he trusted best to be safely kept and therefore made Persaus the Philosopher Captaine or the castell But in deede Aratus was in mind to haue attempted to taking of the castell in Alexanders life tyme yet he let it alone bicause he ioyned him selfe with the ACHATANS But at that tyme there was offered him another occasion againe to attempt it and this it was At CORINTHE there were foure brethren borne in SYRIA of the which one of them being called Diocles was a souldier of the garrison of the castell and the rest hauing robbed the kings treasure went straight vnto SICYONE to AEgias the banker whome Aratus imployed in his facultie These three brethren immediately told him part of the gold they had robbed and afterwards one of them called Erginus comming often to see him by litle and litle told him all the rest By this meanes AEgias fell into famillier acquaintance with him and talked with him of the garrison of the castell of the Acrocorinthe Erginus told him that going vnto his brother vp those steepe and highe rockes he found a path as it were cut out of the rocke that went to a place of the wall of the castell which was very lowe AEgias hearing that auswered him smyling also my friend what meane you to steale a litle peece of golde to hinder the king when in one howers space you can sell such a great masse of money together for aswell shall you dye if you be apprehended for this felony as if you were otherwise attained for treason Erginus with that fell a laughing and promised that he would feele his brother Diocles minde in it for he did not greatly trust his other brethren So returning shortly after he bargayned with Aratus to bring him to a place of the wall that was not aboue fifteene foote highe promising that he would helpe him to execute the rest with his brother Diocles. Aratus promised then to giue him fifty talents if he brought his enterprise to passed and if he sayled that he would then giue either of them a house and a talent Erginus would haue the whole 50. talents put into AEgias the bankers handes Aratus had not so much ready money and besides he would not take it vp at vsery for feare of giuing cause to suspect his enterprise Wherefore he tooke all his place of gold and siluer and his wiues iewells and layed them to gage to AEgias to disburse the sayd summe But Aratus had so great and noble a mind in him and was so bent to doe notable acts that knowing howe Phocion and Epaminondas had bene esteemed for the iustest and honestest men of GRAECE bicause they had refused great giftes that were offered them and would neuer sell nor stayne their honor for money he yet surpassing them was contented to spend his owne to bring any good enterprise to passe did put his life in daunger for the common benefit of his contry men they them selues knowing nothing of his enterprise which turned all to their benefit What is he then that will not wonder at the great magnanimitie and corage of such a man and that will not euen nowe as it were be willing to ayde him considering how dearely he bought so great a daunger of his person and howe he laied his plate and all the riches he had to gage to be brought the night among the middest of his enemies where he was to fight for his owne life hauing no other gage nor pledge but the hope of such a noble enterprise and nothing els But now though the enterprise of it self was daungerous an error chauncing through ignorance at the first made it yet more daungerous For Aratus had sent Technon one of his men before with Diocles to viewe the wall This Technon had neuer spoken with Diocles howbeit he thought in his minde what manner of man he was by the markes that Erginus had giuen him of him that he had a blacke curled heare that his face was blacke and that he had no beard Nowe Technon being come to the place where Erginus sayd he would be with Diocles he stayed before the towne in a place called ORNIS