BOOK XV. THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER. SECT. I. Alexander's birth. The temple of Ephesus is burnt the same day. The happy natural inclinations of that prince. Aristotle is appointed his preceptor, who inspires him with a surprising taste fo: learning. He breaks Bucephalus. A. M. 3648. ALEXANDER was born in the first year of the Ant. J. C. 356. 106th Olympiad.* The very day he came into the world, the celebrated temple of Diana at Ephesus was burnt. It is well known that this temple was one of the seven wonders of the world. It had been built in the name and at the expense of all Asia Minor. A great number of yearst were employed in building it. Its length was 425 feet, and its breadth 220. It was supporte. by 127 columns, threescore feet high, which as many kings had caused to be wrought at a great expense, and by the most excellent artists, who endeavoured to excel one another on this occasion. The rest of the temple corresponded in magnificence with these columns. Hegesias of Magnesia, according to Plutarch, says, That it was no wonder the temple was burned, because Diana was that day employed at the delivery of Olympias, to facilitate the birth of Alexander: a reflection, says our author, so very cold, that it might have extinguished the fire. Cicero,** who ascribes this saying to Timæus, declares it a very smart one, at which I am very much surprised. Possibly the fondness he had for jokes, made him not very delicate in things of this kind. One Erostratusft had set fire to the temple on purpose. Being put to the torture, in order to force him to confess his motive for * Plin. l. xxxvi. c. 14. Pliny says 220 years, which is not probable. t Anciently almost every city was governed by its particular king. $ Plut. in Alex. p. 665 He was an historian, and lived in the time of Ptolemy, son of Lagus. ¶ I do not know whether Plutarch's reflection be not still colder. ** Concinnè, ut multa, Timæus; qui, cùm in historiâ dixisse, quà rocte natus Alexander esset, eâder Dianæ Ephesiæ templum deflagravisse, adjunxit: minimè id esse mirandum, quod Diana, cum in partu Olympiadis adesse voluisset, abfuisset domo. De nat. deor I. ii. n. 69. tt Valer. Max. 1. vii. c. 14. committing so infamous an action, he owned that it was with the view of making himself known to posterity, and to immortalize his name, by destroying so noble a structure. The states general of Asia imagined they should prevent the success of his view, by publishing a decree, prohibiting the mention of his name. However, their prohibition only excited a greater curiosity; for scarce one of the historians of that age has omitted to mention so monstrous an extravagance, and at the same time to tell us the name of the criminal. The ruling passion in Alexander,* even from his tender years, was ambition, and an ardent desire of glory; but not for every species of glory. Philip, like a sophist, valued himself uron his eloquence and the beauty of his style; and had the vanity to cause to be engraved on his coins the several victories he had won at the Olympic games in the chariot-race. But it was not to this his son aspired. His friends asking him one day, whether he would not be present at the games above mentioned, in order to dispute the prize, for he was very swift of foot; he answered, That he would contend in them, provided kings were to be his antagonisis. Every time news was brought him, that his father had taken some city, or gained some great battle, Alexander, far from sharing in the general joy, used to say, in a plaintive tone of voice, to the young persons that were brought up with him, Friends, my jather will possess himself of every thing, and leave nothing for us to do. One day some ambassadors from the king of Persia being ar rived at court during Philip's absence, Alexander gave them so courteous and so polite a reception, and regaled them in so noble and generous a manner, as charmed them all. But that which most surprised them was, the good sense and judgment which he discovered in the several conversations they had with him. He did not propose to them any thing that was trifling, as might be expected from one of his age; such, for instance, as inquiring about the so-much-boasted gardens suspended in the air, the riches and magnificence of the palace and court of the king of Persia, which excited the admiration of the whole world; the famous golden plane-tree; and that golden vine,† the grapes of which were of emeralds, carbuncles, rubies, and all sorts of precious stones, under which the Persian monarch was said frequently to give audience to ambassadors: Alexander asked them questions of a quite different nature, inquiring which was the road to Upper Asia; the distance of the several places; in what the strength and rower of the king of Fersia consisted: in what part of the battle he fought; how he behaved towards his enendes; and in what manner he governed his subiects. These ambassadors admired him all the while and perceiving even at that time what he might one day become, they pointed out, in a few words, the difference they • Plut. in vit. Alex. p. 665–668. Id. de Fortun. Alex. p. 342. ↑ Athen 1. xii. p. 539 found between Alexander and Artaxerxes,* by saying one to an other, This young prince is great, and ours is rich. That man must be very insignificant, who has no other merit than his riches! So ripe a judgment in this young prince, was owing as much to the good education which had bee: given hini as to the excellence of his natural abilities. Several preceptors were appointed to teach him whatsoever was worthy the heir to a great kingdom; and the chief of these was Leonidas, a relation of the queen, and a person of the most severe morals. Alexander himself related afterwards, that this Leonidas, in their journeys together, "sed frequently to look into the trunks where his beds and clothes were laid, in order to see if Olympias his mother had not put something superfluous into them, which might administer to delicacy and luxury. But the greatest service l'hilip did his son, was ap pointing Aristotle his preceptor, the most famous and the most learned philosopher of his age, whom he intrusted with the whole care of his education. Oe of the reasonst which prompted Philip to choose him a master of so conspicuous a reputation and merit was, as he himself said, that his son might avoid committing a great many faults, of which he himself had been guilty. Philip was sensible, how great a treasure he possessed in the person of Aristotle; for which reason he settled a very consider able stipend upon him, and afterwards rewarded his pains and care in an infinitely more glorious manner; for having destroyed and laid waste the city of Stagira, the native place of that philoso pher, he rebuilt it, purely out of affection for him; reins.ated the inhabitants who had fled from it, or were made slaves; and gave them a fine park in the neighbourhood of Stagira, as a place for their studies and assemblies. Even in Plutarch's time, the stone seats which Aristotle had placed there were standing; as also spacious avenues of trees, under which those who walked were shaded from the sun-beams. Alexander likewise discovered no less esteem for his master, whom he believed himself bound to love as much as if he had been his father; declaring, That he was indebted to the me for living, and to the other for living well. The progress of the pupil was equal to the care and abilities of the preceptor. He grew passionately fond of philosophy; and learned the scveral branches of it, but with the discrimination suitable to his birth. Aristotle endeavoured to improve his judgment by laying down sure and cer tain rules, by which he might distinguish just and solid reasoning from what is merely specious; and by accustoming him to separate in discourse all such parts as only dazzle, from those which are Η ΩΡ *Artaxerxes Ochus. † Ὁ παῖς οὗτος, βασιλεὺς μέγας· ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος, πλούσιος Plut. in Apophtheg. p. 178. A city of Macedon, near the sea-shore. δὲ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ζῶν, διὰ τοῦτον δὲ καλώς ζῶν. ¶ Retinnit ex sapientiâ modum Tacit. truly solid, and snould constitute its whole value. He also exer cised him in metaphysics, which may be of great benefit to a prince, provided he applies himself to them with moderation, as they explain to him the nature of the human mind; how greatly it differs from matter; in what manner he perceives spiritual things; how he is sensible of the impression of those that surround him, and many other questions of the like import. The reader will naturally suppose, that he did not omit either the mathematics, which are so well calculated to give the mind a just turn of thinking; or the wonders of nature, the study of which, besides a great many other advantages, shows how very incapable the mind of man is to discover the secret principles of the things to which he is daily an eye-witness. But Alexander applied himself chiefly to morality, which is properly the science of kings, because it is the knowledge of mankind, and of all their duties. This he made his serious and profound study; and considered it, even at that time, as the foundation of prudence and wise policy. How much must such an education contribute to enable a prince to conduct himself well with regard to his own interests and the government of his people! The greatest master of rhetoric* that antiquity could ever boast, and who has left so excellent a treatise on that subject, took care to make that science part of his pupil's education: and we find that Alexander, even in the midst of his conquests, was often very urgent with Aristotle to send him a treatise on that subject. To t's we owe the work entitled Alexander's Rhetoric; in the beginning of which Aristotle proves to him the vast advantages a prince may reap from eloquence, as it gives him the greatest ascendant over the minds of men, which he ought to acquire as well by his wisdom as authority. Some answers and letters of Alexander, which are still extant, show that he possessed, in its greatest perfection, that strong, that manly eloquence, which abounds with sense and ideas; and which is so entirely free from superfluous ex pressions, that every single word has its meaning; which, properly speaking, is the eloquence of kings.† His esteem, or rather his passion, for Homer, shows, not only with what figure and success he applied himself to polite literature, but the judicious use he made of it, and the solid advantages he proposed to himself from it. He was not prompted to peruse this poet merely out of curiosity, or to unbend his mind, or from a great fondness for poesy; but his view in studying this admirable writer was, in order to borrow such sentiments from him as are worthy a great king and conqueror; courage, intrepidity, magnanimity, temperance, prudence; the art of commanding well in war, and governing well in peace. And, indeed, the verse which Aristot in Rhetor. ad Alex. p. 608, 609. ↑ Imperatoria brevitate. Tacit. pleased him most in Homer,* was that were Agamemnon is represented as a good king and a brave warrior. After this, it is no wonder that Alexander should have so high an esteem for this poet. Thus, when, after the battle of Arbela, the Macedonians had found among the spoils of Darius a gold casket (enriched with precious stones,) in which the exquisite perfumes used by that prince were put; Alexander, who was quite covered with dust, and regardless of essences and perfumes, destined this rich casket to hold Homer's poems, which he considered the most perfect and the most precious production of the human mind. He admired particularly the Iliad, which he called, The best provision for a warrior. He always had with him that edition of Homer which Aristotle had revised and corrected, and to which the title of the Edition of the Casket was given; and he laid it, with his sword, every night, under his pillow. Ford, even to excess, of every kind of glory, he was displeased with Aristotle, his master, for having published, in his absence, certain metaphysical pieces, which he himself desired to possess alone; and even at the time when he was employed in the conquest of Asia, and the pursuit of Darius, he wrote to him a letter, which is still extant, wherein he complains upon that very account. Alexander says in it, that he had much rather surpass the rest of men in the knowledge of sublime and excellent things, than in the greatness and extent of his power. He in like manner requested Aristotle, not to show the treatise of rhetoric above mentioned to any person but himself. 1 will confess, that there is an excess in this strong desire of glory, which prompts him to suppress the merit of others, in order that his alone may appear; but then we at least must confess, that it discovers such a passion for study as is very laudable in a prince; and the very reverse of that indifference, not to say contempt and aversion, which most young persons of high birth express for all things that reiate to learning and study Plutarch points out to us, in a few words, the infinite advantage that Alexander reape from this taste, with which his inaster (than whom no man possessed greater talents for the education of youth) had inspired him from his most tender infancy. He loved, says that author, to converse with learned men, to improve himself in knowledge, and to study,** three sources of a monarch's happiness, which enable him to secure himself from numberless difficulties; Iliad. 3. v. 179. † Τῆς πολεμικῆς ἀρετῆς ipódiov. The word, which I have not been able to rerder better, signifies, that in the Iliad are found whatever relates to the art of war and the qualities of a general: in a word, all things necessary to form a good cor..mander. Aul. Gel. I. xx. c. 5. ̓Αμφότερον, βασιλεὺς τ ̓ ἀγαθὸς, κρατερός τ' αἰχμητής. ↑ Pretiosissimum humani animi opus. Plin. 1. vii. c. 29. [ Ἐγὼ δὲ βουλοίμην ἂν ταῖς περὶ τὰ ἀριστα ἐμπειρίαις, ἢ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν διαφέρει. Arist. p. 609. ** Ην φιλόλογος, καὶ φιλομαθὴς, καὶ φιλαναγνώστης. |