The Anabasis of Alexander : $b or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the GreatArrian
History
The Anabasis of Alexander : $b or, The history of the wars and conquests of Alexander the Great
Arrian
Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C.; India -- History -- To 324 B.C.; Iran -- History -- To 640
Moreover Aristobulus has recorded the following story. Apollodorus
the Amphipolitan, one of Alexander’s Companions, was general of the
army which the king left with Mazaeus, the viceroy of Babylon.[927]
When he joined his forces with the king’s on the return of the
latter from India, and observed that he was severely punishing the
viceroys who had been placed over the several countries, he sent to
his brother Peithagoras and asked him to divine about his safety. For
Peithagoras was a diviner who derived his knowledge of the future from
the inspection of the inward parts of animals. This man sent back to
Apollodorus, inquiring of whom he was so especially afraid, as to
wish to consult divination. The latter wrote back: “The king himself
and Hephaestion.” Peithagoras therefore in the first place offered
sacrifice with reference to Hephaestion. But as there was no lobe
visible upon the liver of the sacrificial victim,[928] he stated this
fact in a letter, which he sealed and sent to his brother from Babylon
to Ecbatana, explaining that there was no reason at all to be afraid
of Hephaestion, for in a short time he would be out of their way. And
Aristobulus says that Apollodorus received this epistle only one day
before Hephaestion died. Then Peithagoras again offered sacrifice in
respect to Alexander, and the liver of the victim consulted in respect
to him was also destitute of a lobe. He therefore wrote to Apollodorus
to the same purport about Alexander as about Hephaestion. Apollodorus
did not conceal the information sent to him, but told Alexander, in
order the more to show his good-will to the king, if he urged him to
be on his guard lest some danger might befall him at that time. And
Aristobulus says that the king commended Apollodorus, and when he
entered Babylon, he asked Peithagoras what sign he had met with, to
induce him to write thus to his brother. He said that the liver of the
victim sacrificed for him was without a lobe. When Alexander asked what
the sign portended, he said that it was a very disastrous one. The
king was so far from being angry with him, that he even treated him
with greater respect, for telling him the truth without any disguise.
Aristobulus says that he himself heard this story from Peithagoras; and
adds that the same man acted as diviner for Perdiccas and afterwards
for Antigonus, and that the same sign occurred for both. It was
verified by fact; for Perdiccas lost his life leading an army against
Ptolemy,[929] and Antigonus was killed in the battle fought by him at
Ipsus against Seleucus and Lysimachus.[930] Also concerning Calanus,
the Indian philosopher, the following story has been recorded. When he
was going to the funeral pyre to die, he gave the parting salutation
to all his other companions; but he refused to approach Alexander to
give him the salutation, saying he would meet him at Babylon and there
salute him. At the time indeed this remark was treated with neglect;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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