Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/248

 216 HISTORY OF GREECE. antipathy of Alexander. The fate of Kleitus, who had arraifnied the same sentiments in the banqueting hall of Marakanda, -was fresh in the recollection of every one. The repugnance which many felt, but none ventured to express, at length found an organ in Kallisthenes of Olynthus. This philosopher, whose melancholy fate imparts a peculiar interest to his name, was nephew of Aristotle, and had enjoyed through his uncle an early acquaintance with Alexander during the boyhood of the latter. At the recommendation of Aristotle, Kallisthenes had accompanied Alexander in his Asiatic expedi- tion. He was a man of much literary and rhetorical talent, which he turned towards the composition of history — and to the history of recent times. i Alexander, full of ardor for conquest, was at the same time anxious that his achievements should be commemorated by poets and men of letters ; ^ there were seasons also when he enjoyed their conversation. On both these grounds, he invited several of them to accompany the army. The more prudent among them declined, but Kallisthenes obeyed, partly in hopes of procuring the reconstitution of his native city Olynthus, as Aristotle had obtained the like favor for Stageira.^ Kallisthenes had composed a narrative (not pre- served) of Alexander's exploits, which certainly reached to the battle of Ai'bela, and may perhaps have gone down farther. The few fragments of this narrative remaining seem to betoken extreme admiration, not merely of the bravery and ability, but also of the transcendent and unbroken good fortune, of Alexan- der — marking him out as the chosen favorite of the gods. This feeling wag perfectly natural under the grandeur of the events. 1 Kallisthenes had composed three historical works — 1. Hellenica — from the year 387-357 b. c. 2. History of the sacred war — from 357-346 B. c. 3. Tu Kar^ 'A?J^av6pov. His style is said by Cicero to have been rhetorical ; but the Alexandrine critics inlcuded him in their Canon of His- torians See Didot, Fragm. Hist. Alex. Magn. p. 6-9. for having been immortalized by Homer ( Arrian, i. 12, 2). ' It is said that Ephorus, Xenokrates, and Menedemus, all declined the invitation of Alexander (Plutarch, De Stoicorum Kepugnantiis, p. 1043). Respecting Menedemus, the fact can hardly be so- he must have been then too young to be invited.
 * See the observation ascribed to him expressing envy towards Achilles