Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/242

 210 HISTORY OF GREECE. great instruments of Alexander's victories had been Philip's old soldiers, whom he now despised — and among them Parmenio, whom he had put to death. liemarks such as these, poured forth in the coarse language of a half-intoxicated Macedonian veteran, provoked loud contra- diction from many, and gave poignant offence to Alexander; who now for the first time heard the open outburst of disap- probation, before concealed and known to him only by surmise. But wrath and contradiction, both from him and from others, only made Kleitus more reckless in the outpouring of his own feelings, now discharged with delight after having been so long pent up. He passed from the old Macedonian soldiers to him- self individually. Stretching forth his right hand towards Alex- ander, he exclaimed — " Recollect that you owe your life to me ; this hand preserved you at the Granikus. Listen to the out- spoken language of truth, or else abstain from asking freemen to supper, and confine yourself to the society of barbaric slaves." All these reproaches stung Alexander to the quick. But nothing was so intolerable to him as the respectful sympathy for Par- menio, which brought to his memory one of the blackest deeds of his life — and the reminiscence of his preservation at the Granikus, which lowered him into the position of a debtor to- wards the very censor under whose reproof he was now smart- ing. At length wrath and intoxication together drove him into uncontrollable fury. He started from his couch, and felt for his dagger to spring at Kleitus ; but the dagger had been put out of reach by one of his attendants. In a loud voice and with the Macedonian word of command, he summoned the body guards and ordered the trumpeter to sound an alarm. But no one obeyed so grave an order, given in his condition of drunkenness. His principal officers, Ptolemy, Perdikkas and others, clung round him, held his arms and body, and besought him to abstain from violence ; others at the same time tried to silence Kleitus and hurry him out of the hall, which had now become a scene of tumult and consternation. But Kleitus was not in a humor to confess himself in the wrong by retiring ; while Alexander, furious at the opposition now, for the first time, offered to his will, exclaimed, that his officers held him in chains as Bessus Lad held Dai-ius, and left him nothing but the name of a king.