Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/250

 242 ALEXANDER. that account, he added, that he ought not to wonder if strange questions had as strange answers made to them. Then he went on and inquired of the next, what a man should do to be exceedingly beloved. " He must be very powerful," said he, "without making himself too much feared." The answer of the seventh to his question, how a man might become a god, was, " By doing that which was impossible for men to do." The eighth told him, "Life is stronger than death, because it supports so many miseries." And the last being asked, how long he thought it decent for a man to live, said, " Till death appeared more desirable than life." Then Alexander turned to him whom he had made judge, and commanded him to give sentence. " All that I can determine," said he, " is, that they have every one answered worse than ano- ther." " Nay," said the king, " then you shall die first, for giving such a sentence." "Not so, king," replied the gymnosophist, " unless you said falsely that he should die first who made the worst answer." In conclusion he gave them presents and dismissed them. But to those who were in greatest reputation among them, and lived a private quiet life, he sent Onesicritus, one of Diogenes the Cynic's disciples, desiring them to come to him. Calanus, it is said, very arrogantly and roughly commanded him to strip himself, and hear what he said, naked, otherwise he would not speak a word to him, though he came from Jupiter himself. But Danda- mis received him with more civility, and hearing him discourse of Socrates, Pythagoras, and Diogenes, told him he thought them men of great parts, and to have erred in nothing so much, as in having too great respect for the laws and customs of their country. Others say, Danda- mis only asked him the reason why Alexander undertook so long a journey to come into those parts. Taxiles, however, persuaded Calanus to wait upon Alexander.