Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/288

 256 HISTORY Of GREECE. two next days, his malady became hourly more aggravated. On the last day of the two, Alexander could with difficulty support the being lifted out of bed to perform the sacrifice ; even then, however, he continued to give orders to the generals about the expedition. On the morrow, though desperately ill, he still made the efibrt requisite for performing the sacrifice ; he was then car- ried across from the garden-house to the palace, giving orders that the genei*als and officers should remain in permanent attend- ance in and near the hall. He caused some of them to be called to his bedside ; but though he knew them perfectly, he had by this time become incapable of utterance. One of his last words spoken is said to have been, on being asked to whom he be- queathed his kingdom, " To the strongest ; " one of his last acts was, to take the signet ring from his finger, and hand it to Per- dikkas.* For two nights and a day he continued in this state, without either amendment or repose. Meanwhile, the news of his mal- ady had spread through the army, filling them with grief and consternation. Many of the soldiers, eager to see him once more, forced their way into the palace, and were admitted unarmed. They passed along by the bedside, with all the demonstrations of affliction and sympathy : Alexander knew them, and made show of friendly recognition as well as he could ; but was unable to say a word. Several of the generals slept in the temple of Se- rapis, hoping to be informed by the god in a dream whether they ought to bring Alexander into it, as a suppliant to experience the divine healing power. The god informed them in their dream, that Alexander ought not to be brought into the temple — that it would be better for him to be left where he was. In the after- noon he expired — June 323 B. c. — after a life of thirty-two years and eight months — and a reign of twelve years and eight months.^ ' These last two facts arc mentioned by Arrian (vii. 26, 5) and Diodorus (xvii, 117), and Justin (xii. 15): but they found no place in the Court Journal. Curtius (x. v. 4) gives them with some enlargement. thentic, being extracted both by Arrian and by Plutarch, from the Ephe- merides Rcgisc, or short Court Journal ; which was habituall}> xept by !»"•
 * The details, respecting the last illness of Alexander, are peculiarly au-