134 GREEK PHILOSOPHY. 



these, reasonable as they are, were not likely to produce much effect 

 upon the minds of his enemies. The person of their victim was beyond 

 their reach ; but such means of annoyance as still remained were not 

 neglected. Some mark of honour at Delphi, probably a statue, had 

 been on a former occasion (perhaps the embassy alluded to above) 

 insult passed decreed him by a vote of the people. This vote seems to have been 

 upon him. a j. n j g j me rescinded, an insult the more mortifying, if, as appears 

 likely, it was inflicted on the pretext that he had acted the part of a 

 spy in the Macedonian interest. 1 In a letter to Antipater he speaks 

 of this proceeding in a tone of real greatness, perfectly free from the 

 least affectation of indifference. He alleges that it does not occasion 

 him great uneasiness, but that he still feels hurt by it. 2 It is impos- 

 sible to find expressions more characteristic of an unaffectedly magna- 

 nimous nature, or which better illustrate the description of that dispo- 

 sition given by himself in one of his works. 3 



Coolness A subject which it is likely occasioned him during the latter years 



towards him o f hj s \{fe far greater pain than anything which the fickle public 



on the part * " i . i . ' i , 



of Alexander, of Athens could think or do, was the coolness which had arisen be- 

 tween himself and his illustrious pupil. It seems to have been closely 



Callisthenes. connected with the conduct of Callisthenes, whom we have mentioned 

 above (p. 126), who had accompanied Alexander into Asia by his 

 particular recommendation. This individual possessed a cultivated 

 mind, a vigorous understanding, and a bold and fearless integrity, com- 

 bined with a strong attachment to the homely virtues and energetic 

 character of the Macedonians, and a corresponding hatred and contempt 

 for the Persian manners which had been adopted by Alexander after 

 his successes. Unfortunately no less for those whom it was his desire 

 to reform than for himself, the sterling qualities of his mind were 

 obscured by a singular want of tact and discretion. 4 He had no talent 

 for seizing the proper moment to tell an unwelcome truth, and so far 

 from being able to sweeten a reproof by an appearance of interest and 

 affection for the party reproved, he often contrived to give his real zeal 



Aristotle's the colouring of offended vanity or personal malice. Aristotle is said 



advice to him to have Dreaded from the very first that evil would follow from these 

 defects in his character, and to have advised him to abstain from fre- 

 quent interviews with the king, and when he did converse with him, 

 to be careful that his conversation was agreeable and goodhumoured. 5 

 He probably judged that the character and conduct of Callisthenes 

 would of itself work an effect with a generous disposition like Alex- 



1 Demochares, cited by Aristocles. Euseb. Prsep. Ev. xv. 2. 



2 jElian, Var. Hist. xiv. 1. o&rws exco, &s /nr/re poi <r<}>6pa /u.t\eiv virfp O.VT&V, 

 yu^re fir?5ei> /teAetj/. Pausanias (vi. 4, 8) speaks of a statue at Olympia said to be 

 his : but it had no name, nor was it known who had placed it there. 



3 Nicom. Ethic, iv. p. 1123, col. 1, line 34. 



4 Aristotle himself said of him, on hearing of his behaviour at court, that he was 

 \6y<p fjLfv Svvarbs Kal /ueyos, vovv 8' OVK eT^e;/. Hermippus ap. Plutarch, Vit. 

 Alex. sec. 54. 



5 Valerius Max. vii. 2. 



