Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/250

 218 HlSrORT: OF GREECE. sonal vanity, — a common quality among literary Greeks, — Kal« listhenes probably had his full share. But there is no ground for believing that his character had altered. Whatever his vanity may have been, it had given no offence to Alexander during the earlier years, nor would it have given offence now, had not Alexander himself become a different man. On occasion of the demonstration led up by Anaxarchus at the banquet, Kallisthenes had been invited by Hephoestion to join in Ihe worship intended to be proposed towards Alexander ; and Hepha3stion afterwards alleged, that he had promised to comply .■* But his actual conduct affords reasonable ground for believing that he made no such promise ; for he not only thought it his duty to refuse the act of worship, but also to state publicly his reasons for disapproving it ; the more so, as he perceived that most of the Macedonians present felt like himself. He contend- ed that the distinction between gods and men was one which could not be confounded without impiety and wrong. Alexander had amply earned, — as a man, a general, and a king, — the highest honors compatible with humanity ; but to exalt him into a god would be both an injury to him, and an offence to the gods. Anaxarchus (he said) was the last person from whom such a proposition ought to come, because he was one of those whose only title to Alexander's society was founded upon his capacity to give instructive and wholesome counsel.^ Kallisthenes here spoke out, what numbers of his hearers felt. The speech was not only approved, but so warmly applauded by the Macedonians present, especially the older officers, — that Alexander thought it prudent to forbid all farther discussion upon this delicate subject. Presently the Persians present, ac- cording to Asiatic custom, approached him and performed their prostration ; after which Alexander pledged, in successive ing — that the fame even of the greatest warrior depends upon his com memorators. The boastfulness of a poet is at least pardonable, when h* exclaims, like Theokritus, Idyll, xvi. 73 — 'Eaaerai. ovro^ uvf/p, of e/iEV Kexpr/aer'' uoiSib, 'Pt'^af 7/ 'Axi?^£vc bccov fiija^, fj jSapvc Alag 'Ev neSiu "LiuoevTo^, odi $pv}'6f r/piov '?^ov. ' Plutarch, Alex. 5.5. 'Arrian, iv. 11. i:rl ao<pig. re koL zai&evacL 'A?.f jai'^/)w aivovra.