alexander-第18部分

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out　finding　fit　men　to　fill　up　the　vacant　places　in　the　army。　On　the　twenty…fourth　he　was　much　worse；　and　was　carried　out　of　his　bed　to　assist　at　the　sacrifices；　and　gave　order　that　the　general　officers　should　wait　within　the　court；　whilst　the　inferior　officers　kept　watch　without　doors。　On　the　twenty…fifth　he　was　removed　to　his　palace　on　the　other　side　the　river；　where　he　slept　a　little；　but　his　fever　did　not　abate；　and　when　the　generals　came　into　his　chamber　he　was　speechless　and　continued　so　the　following　day。　The　Macedonians；　therefore；　supposing　he　was　dead；　came　with　great　clamours　to　the　gates；　and　menaced　his　friends　so　that　they　were　forced　to　admit　them；　and　let　them　all　pass　through　unarmed　by　his　bedside。　The　same　day　Python　and　Seleucus　were　despatched　to　the　temple　of　Serapis　to　inquire　if　they　should　bring　Alexander　thither；　and　were　answered　by　the　god　that　they　should　not　remove　him。　On　the　twenty…eighth；　in　the　evening；　he　died。　This　account　is　most　of　it　word　for　word　as　it　is　written　in　the　diary。　　　At　the　time；　nobody　had　any　suspicion　of　his　being　poisoned；　but　upon　some　information　given　six　years　after；　they　say　Olympias　put　many　to　death；　and　scattered　the　ashes　of　Iolaus；　then　dead；　as　if　he　had　given　it　him。　But　those　who　affirm　that　Aristotle　counselled　Antipater　to　do　it；　and　that　by　his　means　the　poison　was　brought；　adduced　one　Hagnothemis　as　their　authority；　who；　they　say；　heard　King　Antigonus　speak　of　it；　and　tell　us　that　the　poison　was　water；　deadly　cold　as　ice；　distilled　from　a　rock　in　the　district　of　Nonacris；　which　they　gathered　like　a　thin　dew；　and　kept　in　an　ass's　hoof；　for　it　was　so　very　cold　and　penetrating　that　no　other　vessel　would　hold　it。　However；　most　are　of　opinion　that　all　this　is　a　mere　made…up　story；　no　slight　evidence　of　which　is；　that　during　the　dissensions　among　the　commanders；　which　lasted　several　days；　the　body　continued　clear　and　fresh；　without　any　sign　of　such　taint　or　corruption；　though　it　lay　neglected　in　a　close　sultry　place。　　　Roxana；　who　was　now　with　child；　and　upon　that　account　much　honoured　by　the　Macedonians；　being　jealous　of　Statira；　sent　for　her　by　a　counterfeit　letter；　as　if　Alexander　had　been　still　alive；　and　when　she　had　her　in　her　power；　killed　her　and　her　sister；　and　threw　their　bodies　into　a　well；　which　they　filled　up　with　earth；　not　without　the　privity　and　assistance　of　Perdiccas；　who　in　the　time　immediately　following　the　king's　death；　under　cover　of　the　name　of　Arrhidaeus；　whom　he　carried　about　him　as　a　sort　of　guard　to　his　person；　exercised　the　chief　authority。　Arrhidaeus；　who　was　Philip's　son　by　an　obscure　woman　of　the　name　of　Philinna；　was　himself　of　weak　intellect；　not　that　he　had　been　originally　deficient　either　in　body　or　mind；　on　the　contrary；　in　his　childhood；　he　had　showed　a　happy　and　promising　character　enough。　But　a　diseased　habit　of　body；　caused　by　drugs　which　Olympias　gave　him；　had　ruined；　not　only　his　health；　but　his　understanding。


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