Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/256

 224 HISTORY OF GREKCE. der discloses the real state of feeling which prompted him to the destruction of Kallisthenes; hatred towards that spirit of citizen- ship and free speech, which Kallisthenes not only cherished, in common with Aristotle and most other literary Greeks, but had courageously manifested in his protest against the motion for worshipping a mortal. Kallisthenes was first put to the tortui-e and then hanged.' His tragical fate excited a profound sentiment of sympathy and indignation among the philosophers of antiquity .2 The halts of Alexander were formidable to friends and com- panions; his marches, to the unconquered natives whom he chose to treat as enemies. On the return of Kraterus from Sogdiana, Alexander began his march from Baktra (Balkh) southward to the mountain range Paropamisus or Caucasus (Hindoo-Koosh) ; leaving however at Baktra Amyntas, with a large force of 1 0,000 foot and 3500 horse, to keep these intractable territories in sub- jugation.^ His march over the mountains occupied ten days ; he then visited his newly-founded city Alexandria in the Paro- pamisadas. At or near the river Kophen (Kabool river), he was joined by Taxiles, a powerful Indian prince, who brought as a ' Arrian, iv. 14, 5. Curtius also says — " Callisthenes quoqtie tortus inteiiit, initi consilii in caput regis innoxius, sed haudquaquam aula8 et assentantium accommodatus ingenio (viii. 8, 21)."' Compare Plutarch, Alex. 5.5. This is tlie statement of Ptolemy; who was himself concerned in the transactions, and was the officer through whom the conspiracy of the pages had been revealed. His partiality might permit him to omit or soften wiiat was discreditahle to Alexander, but he may be fully trusted when he re- cords an act of cruelty. Aristobulus and others affirmed that Kallisthenes was put in chains and carried about in this condition for some time; after which he died of disease and a wretched state of body. But the witnesses liere are persons whose means of information we do not know to be so good as those of Ptolemy; besides that, the statement is intrinsically less probal)!e. lator, et Amici Discrimine, f 65 ; Thcophrast. ap. Ciceron. Tusc. Disp. iii. 10. Curtius says that this treatment of Kallisthenes was followed by a late repentance on the part of Alexander (viii. 8, 23). On this point there is no other evidence — nor can I think the statement probable. ' Arrian, iv. 22, 4
 * See the language of Seneca, Nat. Quaest. vi. 23 : Plutarch, De Adu-