Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/229

 PARMENIO SLAIN BY THE OFFICERS. 197 and Menidas, the officers immediately subordinate to Parmenio at Ekbatana ; proclaiming Parmenio guilty of higli treason, and directing them to kill him at once. Large rewards were offered to Polydamas if he performed this commision with success, while his two brothers were retained as hostages against scruples or compunction. He promised even more than was demanded — too happy to purchase this reprieve from what had seemed im- pending death. Furnished with native guides and with swift dromedaries, he struck by the straightest road across the desert of Khorasan, and arrived at Ekbatana on the eleventh day — a distance usually requiring more than thirty days to traverse.* Entering the camp by night, without the knowledge of Parme- nio, he delivered his despatch to Kleander, with whom he con- certed measures. On the morrow he was admitted to Parmenio, while walking in his garden with Kleander and the other officers marked out by Alexander's order as his executioners. Poly- damas ran to embrace his old friend, and was heartily welcomed by the unsuspecting veteran, to whom he presented the letters professedly coming from Alexander and Philotas. While Par- menio was absorbed in the perusal, he was suddenly assailed by a mortal stab from the hand and sword of Kleander. Other wounds were heaped upon him as he fell, by the remain'.-/ offi- cers, — the last even after life had departed.^ ' Strabo, XV. p. 724; Diodor. xvii. 80; Curtius, vii. 2, 11-18. are recounted in the greatest detail by Curtius ; but his details are in gen- eral harmony with the brief heads given by Arrian from Ptolemy and Aristobulus — except as to one material point. Plutarch (Alex. 49), Diodorus (xvii. 79, 80), and Justin (xii. 5), also state the fact in the same manner. Ptolemy and Aristobulus, according to the narrative of Arrian, appear to have considered that Philotas was really implicated in a conspiracy against Alexander's life. But when we analyze what they are reported to have said, their opinion will not be found entitled to much weight. In the first place, ihey state (Arrian, iii. 26, 1) that the conspiracy of Pliilotas had been before made known to Alexander while he was in Egypt, but that he did not then believe it. Now eighteen months had elapsed since the stay in Egypt; and the idea of a conspiracy going on for eighteen months is preposterous. That Philotas was in a mood in which he might be snppo-<ei1 hkelv to conspii-e, is one proposition ; that he actually did conspire ,^ Another 17*
 * Curtius, vii. 2, 27. The proceedings respecting Philotas and Farmenio