Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/251

 I-KANRNESS OF KALL1STHENE3. 21£ goblefs of wine, those Greeks and Macedonians with vhom he had lield previous concert. To each of them th<! goblet was handed, and each, after drinking to answer the pledge, approached the king, made his prostration, and then received a salute. Lastly, Alexander sent the pledge to Kallisthenes, who, after drinking like the rest, approached him, for the purpose of re- ceiving the salute, but without any prostration. Of this omission Alexander was expressly informed by one of the Companions ; upon which he declined to admit Kallisthenes to a salute. The latter retired, observing, "Then I shall go away, worse off than others as far as the salute goes." ^ Kallisthenes was imprudent, and even blamable, in making this last observation, which without any necessity or advantage, aggravated the offence already given to Alexander. He was more imprudent still, if we look simply to his own personal safety in standing forward publicly to protest against the suggestion for rendering divine honors to that prince, and in thus creating the main offence which even in itself was inexpiable. But here the occasion was one serious and important, so as to convert the im- prudence into an act of genuine moral courage. The question was, not about obeying an order given by Alexander, for no order had been given — but about accepting or rejecting a motion made by Anaxarchus ; which Alexander, by a shabby, preconcerted manoeuvre, affected to leave to the free decision of the assembly, in full confidence that no one would be found intrepid enough to oppose it. If one Greek sophist made a proposition, in itself servile and disgraceful, another sophist could do himself nothing but honor by entering public protest against it ; more especially since this was done (as we may see by the report in Arrian) in terms no way insulting, but full of respectful admiration, towards Alexander personally. The perfect success of the speech is in itself a proof of the propriety of its tone ; ^ for the Macedonian ' Arrian, iv. 12, 7. (pMjfiaTi saottov ex(JV uTiEifii. ' Arrian, iv. 12, 1. uvcuoai /lev f/eyaluarl 'AAe^avi5poi', 'MoKeSoGi 6e npof •dvfiov eIt^'eIv Curtius, viii. 5, 20. " ^quis auribus Callisthenes velut vindex publicsa libertatis audiebatur. Expresserat non assensionem modo, sed etiam vo- cem, senio'-um praecipue quibus gravis crat invetcrati moris externa ma^ tatio."