[26] At the head marched the king’s friends and the royal troop, wreathed with chaplets made of a variety of flowers; on one side was heard the music of flute-players, on another the notes of the lyre; the army also joined the revels in vehicles adorned according to the means of each man and hung around with their most beautiful arms. The king and his companions rode in a chariot loaded down with golden [27] bowls and huge beakers of the same material. In this way the army for seven days marched in a riotous procession, an easy prey if the conquered had had any courage even against revellers; a single thousand, by Heaven!, provided they were real men and sober, could have captured in the midst of their triumph those who for seven days had been heavy with [28] drunkenness. But Fortune, who assigns renown and value to actions, turned to glory even this disgrace to an army. Both the age of that time, and afterwards posterity, regarded it as wonderful that they marched drunken through nations not wholly subdued, and that the barbarians took this rash conduct for [29] confidence. This splendid exhibition was followed by the executioner; for it was ordered that the satrap Astaspes, of whom mention was made before, should [30] be put to death; so true is it that cruelty is no obstacle whatever to luxury, nor luxury to cruelty.
BOOK X.
Isdem fere diebus Cleander et Sitalces et cum Agathone Heracon superveniunt, qui Parmenionem iussu regis occiderant. [2] V milia peditum cum equitibus M, sed et accusatores eos e provincia, cui praefuerant, sequebantur. [3] Nec tot facinora, quot admiserant, conpensare poterat caedis perquam gratae regi ministerium. Quippe cum omnia profana spoliassent, ne sacris quidem abstinuerant, virginesque et principes feminarum stupra perpessae corporum ludibria deflebant. [4] Invisum Macedonum nomen avaritia eorum ac libido barbaris fecerat. [5] Inter omnes tamen eminebat Cleandri furor, qui nobilem virginem constupratam servo suo pelicem dederat. [6] Plerique amicorum Alexandri non tam criminum, quae palam obiciebantur, atrocitatem, quam [p. 351] memoriam occisi per illos Parmenionis, quod tacitum prodesse reis apud regem poterat, intuebantur laeti reccidisse iram in irae ministros nec ullam potentiam scelere quaesitam cuiquam esse diuturnam. [7] Rex cognita causa pronuntiavit ab accusatoribus unum et id maximum crimen esse praeteritum, desperationem salutis suae: numquam enim talia ausuros, qui ipsum ex India sospitem aut optassent reverti aut credidissent reversurum. [8] Igitur hos quidem vinxit, DC autem militum, qui saevitiae eorum ministri fuerant, interfici iussit. [9] Eodem die sumptum est supplicium de iis quoque, quos auctores defectionis Persarum Craterus adduxerat Haud multo post Nearchus et Onesicritus, [10] quos longius in Oceanum procedere iusserat, superveniunt. [11] Nuntiabant autem quaedam audita, alia conperta: insulam ostio amnis obiectam auro abundare, inopem equorum esse — singulos eos conpererant ab iis, qui ex continenti traicere auderent, singulis talentis emi. [12] plenum esse beluarum mare: aestu secundo eas ferri magnarum navium corpora aequantes, tubae cantu deterritas sequi classem cum magno aequoris strepitu velut demersa navigia subisse aquas. [13] Cetera incolis crediderant, inter quae: Rubrum mare non a colore undarum, ut plerique crederent, sed ab Erythro rege appellari: [14] esse haud procul a continenti insulam pal- [p. 352] metis frequentibus consitam et in medio fere nemore columnam eminere, Erythri regis monumentum, litteris gentis eius scriptam. [15] Adiciebant navigia, quae lixas mercatoresque vexissent, famam auri secutis gubernatoribus in insulam esse transmissa nec deinde ab iis postea visa. [16] Rex cognoscendi plura cupidine accensus rursus eos terram legere iubet, donec ad Euphratis os adpellerent classem: inde adverso amne Babylona subituros. [17] Ipse animo infinita conplexus statuerat omni ad orientem maritima regione perdomita ex Syria petere Africam, Carthagini infensus, inde Numidiae solitudinibus peragratis cursum Gadis dirigere — ibi namque columnas Herculis esse fama vulgaverat — , [18] Hispanias deinde, quas Hiberiam Graeci a flumine Hibero vocabant, adire et praetervehi Alpes Italiaeque oram, unde in Epirum brevis cursus est. [19] Igitur Mesopotamiae praetoribus imperavit ut materia in Libano monte caesa devectaque ad urbem Syriae Thapsacum septingentarum carinas navium ponere: septemremis omnes esse deducique Babylona. Cypriorum regibus imperatum, ut aes stuppamque et vela praeberent.
I. AT about that same time Oleander and Sitalces, and Heracon with Agathon arrived, who at the king’s 2 order had killed Parmenion. 5000 infantry with 1000 horsemen followed them, but also accusers from the provinces of which they had been governors. And the service rendered by the assassination, although very pleasing to the king, could not make amends for the many crimes which they had committed. For not only had they pillaged everything secular, but they had not even withheld their hands from sacred objects, and maidens and women of high station who had suffered violation were weeping for [4] the insult to their persons. Their greed and lust had made the name of the Macedonians hateful to the [5] barbarians. Among them all, however, the mad passion of Cleander was préeminent, who after having assaulted a maiden of high birth had given her to one of his slaves as a concubine.
[6] Very many of Alexander’s friends had an eye, not so much to the atrocity of the crimes that were openly laid to the charge of these men, as to the memory that they had killed Parmenion, which might secretly help the accused with the king; and they rejoiced that his anger had recoiled upon the tools of his anger, and that no power gained through crime was lasting [7] for anyone. The king, having examined the case, declared that the accusers had passed over one crime, and that the greatest of all, namely, despair of his safety; for they never would have ventured on such conduct, if they had either wished him to return safely from India or had believed that he would [8] return. Therefore he bound these men in fetters, but ordered the 600 soldiers who had been the [9] instruments of their cruelty to be put to death. On the same day punishment was inflicted upon those also whom Craterus had brought in, who were responsible for the revolt of the Persians.
[10] Not long afterwards Nearchus and Onesicritus arrived, whom he had ordered to advance some distance [11] into the Ocean. They reported some things from hearsay, others which they had learned from observation: that there was an island opposite the mouth of the river, which abounded in gold, but lacked horses — these, they had learned, were bought at a talent apiece from those who ventured to bring them from the mainland — that the sea was full of [12] whales; that these, huge as great ships, floated with the course of the tide, and when frightened off by the blast of the trumpet, from following the ships, plunged under the water with a great roaring of the sea, like so many sunken vessels.
[13] As to other matters they had taken the word of the natives; that the Red Sea was so called, not from the colour of its waters, as most people believed, but [14] from a King Erythrus; that there was, not far from the mainland, an island thickly planted with palm-groves, and that in about the middle of the wood a lofty column arose, marking the grave of King Erythrus and inscribed in the characters of that [15] nation. They added that ships carrying sutlers and merchants, whose pilots had followed the report of gold, had crossed to the island, but after that had [16] never been seen by them again. The king, fired with eagerness to know more, bade them go back and coast along the shore until they brought the fleet to the mouth of the Euphrates; from there they would go up the river to Babylon.
[17] Alexander himself, having embraced infinite plans in his mind, had determined, after thoroughly subduing the entire seacoast of the Orient, to cross from Syria to Africa, being incensed against the Carthaginians, then passing through the deserts of Numidia, to direct his course to Gades — for the report had spread abroad that the pillars of Hercules were there [18] — then to visit Spain, which the Greeks called Hiberia from the river Hiberus, to approach and skirt the Alps and the seacoast of Italy, from which it is [19] only a short voyage to Epirus. With this in view he ordered the governors of Mesopotamia to cut timber on Mt. Libanus, transport it to Thapsacus, a city of Syria, and lay the keels of 700 ships; all were to be septiremes, and to be taken to Babylon. The kings of the Cypriotes were ordered to furnish copper, hemp and sails.
[20] Haec agenti Pori et Taxilis regum
litterae traduntur, Abisaren morbo, Philippum, praefectum ipsius, ex [p. 353] vulnere interisse oppressosque, qui vulnerassent eum. [21] Igitur Philippo substituit Eudaemonem — dux erat Thracum — , Abisaris regnum filio eius attribuit. [22] Ventum est deinde Parsagada: Persica est gens, cuius satrapes Orsines erat, nobilitate ac divitiis inter omnes barbaros eminens. [23] Genus ducebat a Cyro, quondam rege Persarum: opes et a maioribus traditas habebat et ipse longa imperii possessione cumulaverat. [24] Is regi cum omnis generis donis, non ipsi modo ea, sed etiam amicis eius daturus, occurrit. Equorum domiti greges sequebantur currusque argento et auro adornati, pretiosa supellex et nobiles gemmae, aurea magni ponderis vasa vestesque purpureae et signati argenti talentum Ш milia. [25] Ceterum tanta benignitas barbaro causa mortis fuit. Nam cum omnes amicos regis donis super ipsorum vota coluisset, Bagoae spadoni, qui Alexandrum obsequio corporis devinxerat sibi, [26] nullum honorem habuit admonitusque a quibusdam Bagoam Alexandro cordi esse respondit, amicos regis, non scorta se colere nec morís esse Persis, mares ducere, qui stupro effeminarentur. [27] His auditis spado potentiam flagitio et dedecore quaesitam in caput nobilissimi et insontis exercuit. Namque gentis eiusdem levissimos falsis criminibus clam struxit, monitos tum demum ea deferre, cum ipse iussisset. [28] In- [p. 354] terim, quotiens sine arbitris erat, credulas regis aures inplebat, dissimulans causam irae, quo gravior criminantis auctoritas esset. [29] Nondum suspectus erat Orsines, iam tamen vilior: reus enim in secreto agebatur latentis periculi ignarus. Et inportunissimum scortum ne in stupro quidem et dedecoris patientia fraudis oblitum, quotiens amorem regis in se accenderat, Orsinen modo avaritiae, interdum etiam defectionis arguebat. [30] Iam matura erant in perniciem innocentis mendacia, et fatum, cuius inevitabilis sors est, adpetebat. Forte enim sepulchrum Cyri Alexander iussit aperiri, in quo erat conditum eius corpus, cui dare volebat inferias. [31] Auro argentoque conditorium repletum esse crediderat — quippe ita fama Persae vulgaverant — , sed praeter clipeum eius putrem et arcus duos Scythicos et acinacem nihil repperit. [32] Ceterum corona aurea inposita amiculo, cui adsuerat ipse, solium, in quo corpus iacebat, velavit miratus tanti nominis regem tantis praeditum opibus haud pretiosius sepultum esse, quam si fuisset e plebe. [33] Proximus erat lateri spado: qui regem intuens: ‘Quid mirum,’ inquit, ‘est inania sepulchra esse regum, cum satraparum domus aurum inde egestum capere non possint? [34] Quod ad me attinet, ipse hoc bustum antea non videram, sed ex Dareo ita accepi in milia talentum condita esse cum Cyro. [35] Hinc ilia benignitas in te, ut, quod inpune habere non poterat Orsines, donando etiam gratiam iniret.’ [36] Concitaverat iam animum in iram, cum ii, quibus negotium idem dederat, [p. 355] superveniunt. Hinc Bagoas, hinc ab eo subornati falsis criminibus occupant aures. [37] Antequam accusari se suspicaretur Orsines, in vincula est traditus. Non contentus supplicio insontis spado ipse morituro manum iniecit. Quem Orsines intuens: ‘Audieram,’ inquit, ‘in Asia olim regnasse feminas: hoc vero novum est regnare castratum!’ [38] Hic fuit exitus nobilissimi Persarum nec insontis modo, sed eximiae quoque benignitatis in regem. [39] Eodem tempore Phradates regnum adfectasse suspectus occiditur. Coeperat esse praeceps ad repraesentanda supplicia, item ad deteriora credenda: [40] scilicet res secundae valent commutare naturam, et raro quisquam erga bona sua satis cautus est. Idem enim paulo ante Lyncestem Alexandrum delatum a duobus indicibus damnare non sustinuerat, [41] humiliores quoque reos contra suam voluntatem, quia ceteris videbantur insontes, passus absolvi, hostibus victis regna reddiderat: [42] ad ultimum vitae tantum ab semetipso degeneravit, ut invicti quondam adversus libidinem animi arbitrio scorti aliis regna daret, aliis adimeret vitam. [43] Isdem fere diebus litteras a Coeno accipit de rebus in Europa et Asia gestis, dum ipse Indiam subegit. [44] Zopyrio, Thraciae praepositus, cum expeditionem in Getas faceret, tempestatibus procellisque subito [p. 356] [45] coortis cum toto exercitu oppressus erat. Qua cognita clade Seuthes Odrysas, populares suos, ad defectionem conpulerat. Amissa propemodum Thracia ne Graecia quidem tumultibus inconcussa mansit. Nam Alexander punita insolentia satraparum quorundum, qui, dum in extremo orbe Indorum armis retinetur, summa scelera atque flagitia in provinciales exercuerant, ceteris metum iniecerat. Hi in paribus delictis eandem facinorum poenam veriti ad mercennariorum militum fidem confugerunt illorum manibus, si ad supplicium poscerentur, se tutaturi aut pecunia, quanta poterat, coacta fuga salutem petiverunt. Qua re cognita litterae ad omnes Asiae praetores missae sunt, quibus inspectis e vestigio omnes peregrinos milites, qui stipendia sub ipsis facerent, dimittere iubebantur. Erat inter eos Harpalus, quem Alexander, quod propter ipsius amicitiam olim a Philippo eiectus solum verterat, inter fidissimos habebat et post Mazaei mortem satrapeam Babyloniae attribuerat thesaurorumque custodiae praefecerat. Is igitur cum fiduciam, quam in singulari regis gratia habere poterat, magnitudine flagitiorum consumpsisset, quinque milia talentorum ex gaza regia abstulit conductaque sex milium mercennariorum manu in Europam evasit. Iampridem enim luxu et libidinibus in praeceps tractus desperataque regis venia adversus iram eius alienum subsidium circumspexerat et Athenienses, quorum cum potentiam et auctoritatem apud ceteros Graecos, tum occultum in Macedonas odium norat, sedulo coluerat. Itaque spem suis ostendit Athenienses adventu suo cognito copiisque et pecuniis, quas adduceret, coram inspectis protinus arma consiliaque esse sociaturos. Nam a populo inperito et mobili per homines inprobos et venales omnia se muneribus conseculurum existimabat. [p. 357]
[20] While he was thus engaged, letters of Kings Porus and Taxiles were delivered to him, reporting that Abisares had died a natural death, and Philippus, his satrap, as the result of a wound, and that those who had wounded the latter had been punished.
[21] Accordingly, he appointed, in place of Philippus Eudaemon — he was a general of the Thracians — and gave the kingdom of Abisares to that king’s son.
[22] From there they came to Parsagada; that is a Persian race, whose satrap was Orsines, prominent among all the barbarians for high birth and wealth.
[23] He traced his descent from Cyrus, formerly king of the Persians; he had wealth, both what he had inherited from his forefathers and what he himself had amassed during long possession of sovereignty.
[24] He met the king with gifts of every kind, intending to give presents not only to Alexander but to his friends as well. Troops of tamed horses followed him and chariots adorned with silver and gold, costly furniture and splendid gems, golden vases of great weight, purple vestments, and 3000 talents of coined [25] silver. But this great generosity of the barbarian was the cause of his death. For when he had honoured all the friends of the king with gifts beyond their highest hopes, to Bagoas, a eunuch who had won the regard of Alexander through prostitution, he [26] paid no honour, and on being admonished by some that Bagoas was dear to Alexander, replied that he was honouring the friends of the king, not his harlots, and that it was not the custom of the Persians to mate with males who made females of themselves by prostitution.
[27] On hearing this, the eunuch exercised the power which he had gained by shame and disgrace against the life of an eminent and guiltless man. For he secretly supplied the most worthless fellows of that same nation with false accusations, warning them not to make them public until he himself should have [28] given the word. Meanwhile, whenever no witnesses were present, he filled the credulous ears of the king with lies, concealing the reason for his anger, in order to add greater weight to his accusations.
[29] Orsines as yet was not suspected, but nevertheless was already less esteemed; for he was secretly being incriminated without being aware of the hidden danger. And that most shameless harlot, not forgetting his deception even amid debauchery and the endurance of shame, whenever he had aroused the king’s passion for himself, charged Orsines now with avarice, sometimes even with treason.
[30] And now the calumnies were ripe for the ruin of a blameless man, and Fate was on hand, whose will is inescapable. For it chanced that Alexander ordered the tomb of Cyrus to be opened, in which his body had been laid at rest, and to which Alexander wished [31] to pay funereal honours. He had be
lieved it to be a storehouse filled with gold and silver — for that was common rumour among the Persians — , but except the king’s mouldering shield, two Scythian bows, [32] and a scimitar he found nothing. However, having placed a crown of gold upon the coffin in which the body lay, he covered it over with the robe which he himself was accustomed to wear, expressing surprise that a king of such renown and endowed with such power had been buried no more sumptuously than [33] if he had been one of the common folk. The eunuch was at Alexander’s side; looking significantly at him, he said: “What wonder if the tombs of kings are empty, when the houses of their satraps cannot contain the gold that they have amassed from them?
[34] For my part, I had never seen the tomb before, but I learned from Darius that 3000 talents of gold were [35] buried with Cyrus. Hence that generosity to you, in order that what Orsines could not keep with safety, he might even curry favour by giving away.”
[36] He had already aroused the king’s mind to anger, when those to whom he had entrusted the same business arrived. On one side Bagoas, on the other those whom he had suborned, filled the king’s ears [37] with false charges. Before Orsines suspected that he was being accused he was delivered into bondage. Not content with the punishment of an innocent man, the eunuch laid his hand upon him as he was about to be executed. Orsines with a glance at him said: “I had heard that women once reigned in Asia; this however is something new, for a eunuch to [38] reign!” Such was the end of one of the noblest of the Persians, who was not only blameless but of [39] remarkable kindness towards the king. At the same time Phradates, suspected of aspiring to royal power, was put to death. Alexander had begun to be too hasty in inflicting prompt punishment, and also in [40] believing calumnies; so true is it that success is able to change one’s nature, and that rarely is anyone cautious enough towards his own good fortune. For this same man shortly before had not been able to bring himself to punish Lyncestes Alexander [41] though he had been charged by two witnesses, had even suffered humbler criminals to be acquitted against his desire because the rest believed them innocent, and had restored their thrones to [42] vanquished enemies; but towards the end of his life he had so degenerated from his true self, that though formerly of a mind proof against lust, at the caprice of a catamite he gave kingdoms to some and took life from others.
Delphi Complete Works of Quintus Curtius Rufus Page 131