ALE 



marked a fpnce of about three leagues in circumference, and 

 built a city, which was called AlcNandna. In Ids than 20 

 dars the ramparts were raiftd, and the houfes built ; and, in 

 order to people it, he rant'umed all the prifoners he could 

 find, fettled in it feveral Macedonians, wlio were worn out in 

 the fervice, and permitted many natives of the country, at 

 their own requeil, to inhabit it. His next conflift was witii 

 the Scythians, whom he defeated with difficulty, and to 

 whom, as he had other objecls in view, he frranted a peace on 

 . their own terms. The Sacx, who were a poweiful nation, 

 fubmitted to him, and, by an embafly, requelled his fricnd- 

 ihip. 



At this timeAlexander received a reinforcement of upwards 

 of 16,000 men from Macedonia and Greece, and was thus 

 enabled to fubdue all thofe who rebelled ; and, to curb them 

 for the future, he built feveral fortrclFes in Margiana. But he 

 was gradually throwing oil both the habit and manners of a 

 Macedonian prince, and alTuming thofe of an eaftetn defpot. 

 He was alfo furrounded by a number of fycophants, who arc, 

 »nd ever will be, fays one of his biographers, the banc of 

 princes, and tJie curfe of nations. Thcfe, by indulging his 

 humour and foothing his paflions, precipitated him into ex- 

 travagances of condutl, and deprived him of that ccpiani- 

 niity and moderation, which were neceflary forprefcrviiig the 

 aequifitions he had made. One faithful Iriend declined con- 

 curring in this general adulation. At a banquet which 

 fuceeeded the facnfices performed at the anniverlary fcilival 

 of Bacchus, the honour of which Alexander had transferred 

 to the DIofcuri, ;'. e. to Caltor and Pollux, fome of 

 the attendants extolled the aflions of the Macedonian 

 piince above thofe of Caftor and Pollux, and even of Her- 

 cules. Clytus remonllrated, alledging, that " he could not 

 bear to hear fucli indignities offered to the gods, or the cre- 

 dit of ancient heroes undervalued, to tickle the ears of a liv- 

 ing prince." As to Alexander's actions, he allowed they 

 were great and glorious, but he maintained that they were 

 pot fupernatural ; that the army had (liared in them, and 

 that they had a right to participate in the praife belonging 

 to them. Alexander was indignant ; and as Clytus pro- 

 ceeded in the fame flrain, and affirmed that he had preferved 

 the life of the king at the battle of the Granicus, itretcliing 

 out his arm and laying, " this hand, O Alexander, faved 

 thee ;" the king rufned upon him, and endeavoured to kill 

 him, but was prevented by the interpohtion of friends. At 

 length, however, when his friends retired, he fciz.ed a lance, or 

 long Macedonian pike, and laid Clytus dead on theipot. His 

 paffion foon fubfided, and vefleAing on the deed he had per- 

 petrated, he indulged excelTive grief, refufed food ior three 

 days, neglected his apparel, and, as fome fay, would have 

 flain himfelf with the pike that killed Clytus. Flattered, 

 however, by tlie army, and perverted by the dete'lable doc- 

 trine of Anaxarchus of Abdera, the fopliili:, wlio taught 

 him, " that let a fovereign prince do what he will, all his 

 actions are juft and lawful," he foon became more compofed 

 and tranquil; and lettures of tliis kind were more acceptable 

 to his mind, already corrupted, than the honeft and moral dif- 

 courfes addrefled to him, with a view of fettling his mind, by 

 CalUllhenes, the difciple and relation of Arillctle. His fer- 

 vile attendants renewed their adulation, attempted to pcr- 

 fuade him that he was more than man, and that it was un- 

 juil and difloyal in his fubjefts not to own his divinity; and 

 fome of the moft officious of them, amongll whom Anaxar- 

 chus was the chief, endeavoured to engage the Greeks as 

 well as the Afiaties to pay him adoration. Alexander was 

 pleafed ; and was highly provoked by a fpeecli of Callif- 

 thenes, who attempted to awaken in his mind more fober 



Vol. I. 



A L K 



thoughts. His reafoning was incffedlual ; and it was d-.'tcr- 

 mined tliat when liie king drank to any guell, lie (iiouid iin« 

 mediately rife, adore him, and having received a kit* from 

 the king, depart. 



The feveiid circumllanees tliat liave been now recited, 

 produced a new confpiracy againll the lung ; and the con- 

 Ipiratons, being difcovered, were iloncd to death by the 

 army. Callillhencs was apprehended, and, as fome fay, 

 carried about in chains, till lie died a natund diath, but 

 according to others, he was full racked and then crucified. 

 I'he deatii of Callillhencs, fays Seneca (Nat. Qiiift. lib. 

 vi. c. 23.), is an eternal reproach to Alexander, and a crime 

 of fo horrid a nature, that no quality, however excellent, 

 nor militaiy exploit, however iliullrious, can ever eflace it» 

 infamy. In favour of Alexander it is laid, that he killed 

 many thoufaiid PeiTians ; that he dethroned and killed Da- 

 rius, the moll powerful king of the earth ; that he conquered 

 innumerable provinces and nations, penetrated as far as the 

 ocean, and extended the bounds of his empire fiom the moft 

 remote part of Tiirace to the extremities of the call. In 

 anfwer to each of thefe particulars, " Yes" fays Seneca, 

 " but he murdered CalUllhenes ;" a crime of lo heinous a 

 nature, that it entirely obliterates the glory of all his other 

 attlons. 



Tiie only (Irong hold which the rebels dill retained was 

 the .Sogdian loek, or the rock of Oxus, into which Ox- 

 yartes, the Badlrian, had conveyed his wife and family. It 

 was defended by Arima/.es, with 30,000 foldiers under liis 

 command, and furnifhed with provlfions for two years. It 

 was deemed by its lituation impregnable ; and therefore, 

 when Alexander, before he commenced tlie liege, fummoncd 

 tlie garrifon to fubniit, the commander infulted him, and 

 alked " whether Alexander, who was able to do all things, 

 could alfo fly ; and whether nature, on a ludden, had given 

 him wings ?" Alexander was highly exafperatcd, and felcdttd 

 from the mountaineers in his aniiy 300 of the moft active 

 and dexterous, dircfting them to fcek a path to the top of 

 the rock ; to which the greater number of them at lail af- 

 cended by means of wedges and ropes. When Alexander 

 perceived the appointed ligiial, he fent a melfage to the 

 commander, fummoning him to furrender, and informing 

 him, " that he had now a corps of winged foldlcrs." The 

 whole Macedonian camp refounded with the fiiout of " vic- 

 toi"v,'^ and the Barbiirlans furrendered the place at dlfcre- 

 tioii. Alexander's refenlment was invircible, and regardlefs 

 of tlie diftates of humanity, he ordered Arimav.cs and the 

 principal nobility of the country who fought ihelter in his 

 camp to be fcourged with rods, and afterwards to be fixed 

 to ciollcs at the foot of the rock. After the reduction of 

 Sogdia, he marclied into the country of the I'aratacs, 

 where was another fortrefs, called the rock of Chorianes, 

 wliich was alfo deemed impregnable. Alter the liege was 

 begun, Chorianes, the commander, was induced by Oxyaitcs 

 to furrender it ; and having been enrolled in the number of 

 Alexander's friends, he was entruilcd witii the charge of it, 

 and in return for this honourable treatment, fupplied the 

 Macedonian army with provlfions. On one of ihele occa- 

 fions, Roxana, tiie daughter of Oxyartes, who was efteeined 

 the moil beautiful woman in Alia, after the death of the 

 wife of Darius, fell into the hands of the conqueror ; and 

 fuch was the influence of her channs, that he publicly cf- 

 pouleil her. 



India was the next objedl to which Alexander dlreifted his 

 attention. Accordingly he difpatchcd a herald to Taxiles, 

 and the other princes on this lide the river Indus, enjoining 

 their fubmifSon ; and Hepha:ftion, with part of the army, 



4 I v.as 



