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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ALEXANDER
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　356…323　B。C。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden


　　IT　being　my　purpose　to　write　the　lives　of　Alexander　the　king；　and　of　Caesar；　by　whom　Pompey　was　destroyed；　the　multitude　of　their　great　actions　affords　so　large　a　field　that　I　were　to　blame　if　I　should　not　by　way　of　apology　forewarn　my　reader　that　I　have　chosen　rather　to　epitomize　the　most　celebrated　parts　of　their　story；　than　to　insist　at　large　on　every　particular　circumstance　of　it。　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　my　design　is　not　to　write　histories；　but　lives。　And　the　most　glorious　exploits　do　not　always　furnish　us　with　the　clearest　discoveries　of　virtue　or　vice　in　men；　sometimes　a　matter　of　less　moment；　an　expression　or　a　jest；　informs　us　better　of　their　characters　and　inclinations；　than　the　most　famous　sieges；　the　greatest　armaments；　or　the　bloodiest　battles　whatsoever。　Therefore　as　portrait…painters　are　more　exact　in　the　lines　and　features　of　the　face；　in　which　the　character　is　seen；　than　in　the　other　parts　of　the　body；　so　I　must　be　allowed　to　give　my　more　particular　attention　to　the　marks　and　indications　of　the　souls　of　men；　and　while　I　endeavour　by　these　to　portray　their　lives；　may　be　free　to　leave　more　weighty　matters　and　great　battles　to　be　treated　of　by　others。　　　It　is　agreed　on　by　all　hands；　that　on　the　father's　side；　Alexander　descended　from　Hercules　by　Caranus；　and　from　Aeacus　by　Neoptolemus　on　the　mother's　side。　His　father　Philip；　being　in　Samothrace；　when　he　was　quite　young；　fell　in　love　there　with　Olympias；　in　company　with　whom　he　was　initiated　in　the　religious　ceremonies　of　the　country；　and　her　father　and　mother　being　both　dead；　soon　after；　with　the　consent　of　her　brother；　Arymbas；　he　married　her。　The　night　before　the　consummation　of　their　marriage；　she　dreamed　that　a　thunderbolt　fell　upon　her　body；　which　kindled　a　great　fire；　whose　divided　flames　dispersed　themselves　all　about；　and　then　were　extinguished。　And　Philip；　some　time　after　he　was　married；　dreamt　that　he　sealed　up　his　wife's　body　with　a　seal；　whose　impression；　as　be　fancied；　was　the　figure　of　a　lion。　Some　of　the　diviners　interpreted　this　as　a　warning　to　Philip　to　look　narrowly　to　his　wife；　but　Aristander　of　Telmessus；　considering　how　unusual　it　was　to　seal　up　anything　that　was　empty；　assured　him　the　meaning　of　his　dream　was　that　the　queen　was　with　child　of　a　boy；　who　would　one　day　prove　as　stout　and　courageous　as　a　lion。　Once；　moreover；　a　serpent　was　found　lying　by　Olympias　as　she　slept；　which　more　than　anything　else；　it　is　said；　abated　Philip's　passion　for　her；　and　whether　he　feared　her　as　an　enchantress；　or　thought　she　had　commerce　with　some　god；　and　so　looked　on　himself　as　excluded；　he　was　ever　after　less　fond　of　her　conversation。　Others　say；　that　the　women　of　this　country　having　always　been　extremely　addicted　to　the　enthusiastic　Orphic　rites；　and　the　wild　worship　of　Bacchus　（upon　which　account　they　were　called　Clodones；　and　Mimallones）；　imitated　in　many　things　the　practices　of　the　Edonian　and　Thracian　women　about　Mount　Haemus；　from　whom　the　word　threskeuein　seems　to　have　been　derived；　as　a　special　term　for　superfluous　and　over…curious　forms　of　adoration；　and　that　Olympias；　zealously；　affecting　these　fanatical　and　enthusiastic　inspirations；　to　perform　them　with　more　barbaric　dread；　was　wont　in　the　dances　proper　to　these　ceremonies　to　have　great　tame　serpents　about　her；　which　sometimes　creeping　out　of　the　ivy　in　the　mystic　fans；　sometimes　winding　themselves　about　the　sacred　spears；　and　the　women's　chaplets；　made　a　spectacle　which　men　could　not　look　upon　without　terror。　　　Philip；　after　this　vision；　sent　Chaeron　of　Megalopolis　to　consult　the　oracle　of　Apollo　at　Delphi；　by　which　he　was　commanded　to　perform　sacrifice；　and　henceforth　pay　particular　honour；　above　all　other　gods；　to　Ammon；　and　was　told　he　should　one　day　lose　that　eye　with　which　he　presumed　to　peep　through　that　chink　of　the　door；　when　he　saw　the　god；　under　the　form　of　a　serpent；　in　the　company　of　his　wife。　Eratosthenes　says　that　Olympias；　when　she　attended　Alexander　on　his　way　to　the　army　in　his　first　expedition；　told　him　the　secret　of　his　birth；　and　bade　him　behave　himself　with　courage　suitable　to　his　divine　extraction。　Others　again　affirm　that　she　wholly　disclaimed　any　pretensions　of　the　kind；　and　was　wont　to　say；　〃When　will　Alexander　leave　off　slandering　me　to　Juno？〃　　　Alexander　was　born　the　sixth　of　Hecatombaeon；　which　month　the　Macedonians　call　Lous；　the　same　day　that　the　temple　of　Diana　at　Ephesus　was　burnt；　which　Hegesias　of　Magnesia　makes　the　occasion　of　a　conceit；　frigid　enough　to　have　stopped　the　conflagration。　The　temple；　he　says；　took　fire　and　was　burnt　while　its　mistress　was　absent；　assisting　at　the　birth　of　Alexander。　And　all　the　Eastern　soothsayers　who　happened　to　be　then　at　Ephesus；　looking　upon　the　ruin　of　this　temple　to　be　the　forerunner　of　some　other　calamity；　ran　about　the　town；　beating　their　faces；　and　crying　that　this　day　had　brought　forth　something　that　would　prove　fatal　and　destructive　to　all　Asia。　　　Just　after　Philip　had　taken　Potidaea；　he　received　these　three　messages　at　one　time；　that　Parmenio　had　overthrown　the　Illyrians　in　a　great　battle；　that　his　race…horse　had　won　the　course　at　the　Olympic　games；　and　that　his　wife　had　given　birth　to　Alexander；　with　which　being　naturally　well　pleased；　as　an　addition　to　his　satisfaction；　he　was　assured　by　the　diviners　that　a　son；　whose　birth　was　accompanied　with　three　such　successes；　could　not　fail　of　being　invincible。　　　The　statues　that　gave　the　best　representation　of　Alexander's　person　were　those　of　Lysippus　（by　whom　alone　he　would　suffer　his　image　to　be　made）；　those　peculiarities　which　many　of　his　successors　afterwards　and　his　friends　used　to　affect　to　imitate；　the　inclination　of　his　head　a　little　on　one　side　towards　his　left　shoulder；　and　his　melting　eye；　having　been　expressed　by　this　artist　with　great　exactness。　But　Apelles；　who　drew　him　with　thunderbolts　in　his　hand；　made　his　complexion　browner　and　darker　than　it　was　naturally；　for　he　was　fair　and　of　a　light　colour；　passing　into　ruddiness　in　his　face　and　upon　his　breast。　Aristoxenus　in　his　Memoirs　tells　us　that　a　most　agreeable　odour　exhaled　from　his　skin；　and　that　his　breath　and　body　all　over　was　so　fragrant　as　to　perfume　the　clothes　which　he　wore　next　him；　the　cause　of　which　might　probably　be　the　hot　and　adust　temperament　of　his　body。　For　sweet　smells；　Theophrastus　conceives；　are　produced　by　the　concoction　of　moist　humours　by　heat；　which　is　the　reason　that　those　parts　of　the　world　which　are　driest　and　most　burnt　up　afford　spices　of　the　best　kind　and　in　the　greatest　quantity；　for　the　heat　of　the　sun　exhausts　all　the　superfluous　moisture　which　lies　in　the　surface　of　bodies；　ready　to　generate　putrefaction。　And　this　hot　constitution；　it　may　be；　rendered　Alexander　so　addicted　to　drinking；　and　so　choleric。　His　temperance；　as　to　the　pleasures　of　the　body；　was　apparent　in　him　in　his　very　childhood；　as　he　was　with　much　difficulty　incited　to　them；　and　always　used　them　with　great　moderation；　though　in　other　things　be　was　extremely　eager　and　vehement；　and　in　his　love　of　glory；　and　the　pursuit　of　it；　he　showed　a　solidity　of　high　spirit　and　magnanimity　far　above　his　age。　For　he　neither　sought　nor　valued　it　upon　every　occasion；　as　his　father　Philip　did　（who　affected　to　show　his　eloquence　almost　to　a　degree　of　pedantry；　and　took　care　to　have　the　victories　of　his　racing　chariots　at　the　Olympic　games　engraven　on　his　coin）；　but　when　he　was　asked　by　some　about　him；　whether　he　would　run　a　race　in　the　Olympic　games；　as　he　was　very　swift…footed；　he　answered；　he　would；　if　he　might　have　kings　to　run　with　him。　Indeed；　he　seems　in　general　to　have　looked　with　indifference；　if　not　with　dislike；　upon　the　professed　athletes。　He　often　appointed　prizes；　for　which　not　only　tragedians　and　musicians；　pipers　and　harpers；　but　rhapsodists　also；　strove　to　outvie　one　another；　and　delighted　in　all　manner　of　hunting　and　cudgel…playing；　but　never　gave　any　encouragement　to　contests　either　of　boxing　or　of　the　pancratium。　　　While　he　was　yet　very　young；　he　entertained　the　ambassadors　from　the　King　of　Persia；　in　the　absence　of　his　father；　and　entering　much　into　conversation　with　them；　gained　so　much　upon　them　by　his　affability；　and　the　questions　he　asked　them；　which　were　far　from　being　childish　or　trifling　（for　he　inquired　of　them　the　length　of　the　ways；　the　nature　of　the　road　into　inner　Asia；　the　character　of　their　king；　how　he　carried　himself　to　his　enemies；　and　what　forces　he　was　able　to　bring　into　the　field）；　that　they　were　struck　with　admiration　of　him；　and　looked　upon　the　ability　so　much　famed　of　Philip　to　be　nothing　in　comparison　with　the　forwardness　and　high　purpose　that　appeared　thus　early　in　his　son。　Whenever　he　heard　Philip　had　taken　any　town　of　importance；　or　won　any　signal　victory；　instead　of　rejoicing　at　it　altogether；　he　would　tell　his　companions　that　his　father　would　anticipate　everything；　and　leave　him　and　them　no　opportunities　of　performing　great　and　illustrious　actions。　For　being　more　bent　upon　action　and　glory　than　either　upon　pleasure　or　riches；　he　esteemed　all　that　he　should　receive　from　his　father　as　a　diminution　and　prevention　of　his　own　future　achievements；　and　would　have　chosen　rather　to　succeed　to　a　kingdom　involved　in　troubles　and　wars；　which　would　have　afforded　him　frequent　exercise　of　his　courage；　and　a　large　field　of　honour；　than　to　one　already　flourishing　and　settled；　where　his　inheritance　would　be　an　inactive　life；　and　the　mere　enjoyment　of　wealth　and　luxury。　　　The　care　of　his　education；　as　it　might　be　presumed；　was　committed　to　a　great　many　attendants；　preceptors；　and　teachers；　over　the　whole　of　whom　Leonidas；　a　near　kinsman　of　Olympias；　a　man　of　an　austere　temper；　presided；　who　did　not　indeed　himself　decline　the　name　of　what　in　reality　is　a　noble　and　honourable　office；　but　in　general　his　dignity；　and　his　near　relationship；　obtained　him　from　other　people　the　title　of　Alexander's　foster…father　and　governor。　But　he　who　took　upon　him　the　actual　place　and　style　of　his　pedagogue　was　Lysimachus　the　Acarnanian；　who；　though　he　had　nothing　to　recommend　him；　but　his　lucky　fancy　of　calling　himself　Phoenix；　Alexande