It was in the early summer of 323 B.C. that Alexander was ready to start on his march, but the night before he was to leave Babylon, he became ill of a fever. For a few days he was still able to attend to some business from his bed, but he grew rapidly worse. Suddenly the army realized that he was dying, and his old friends, forgetting whatever estrangement had come between them, entreated to be allowed to see him once more. They were admitted to the chamber where he lay, and passed in silence before him. He was so weak that he "could not speak, and only touched the right hand of each, and raised his head a little, and signed with his eyes." The next day Alexander was dead. {357} Deep and awe-struck silence fell upon the city and camp for four days, and then, his generals having found amongst his papers plans for the western campaign, they endeavoured to carry them out. But they were not successful, and never again did the great army fight under one leader. Having lost the almost magical inspiration of Alexander's leadership, his successors were unable to keep the empire which he had conquered. Almost from the moment of his death, Alexander was worshipped as a god. He was the great hero of his age, and even in his life-time, it was believed that he was half-divine. Dying so young, he was only thirty-three, possessed of great strength and god-like beauty, capable of rare generosity, brave almost to recklessness, planning conquests so far-reaching that they appealed to the imagination of everyone, given to outbursts of savage anger and vindictive rage, all these characteristics were looked upon as more than human. For more than two thousand years, the name of Alexander has been immortal in the East. There is hardly an ancient city from Babylon almost to the borders of China, that does not claim Alexander as its founder; his name still clings to old traditions and legends; to this very day the Parsees curse him for having caused the destruction of the ancient sacred Persian writings when he captured Persepolis and burnt it. Later generations of men have differed as to the lasting value of some of his work, but the name of Alexander, and the story of his hero-deeds have become a permanent possession of the imagination of mankind. [1] From Justin. [2] Arrian: _Anabasis of Alexander_. [3] Plutarch: _Life of Demosthenes_. [4] Plutarch: _Life of Demosthenes_. [5] Third Philippic. [6] Second Olynthiac Oration. [7] On the Crown. [8] Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. [9] Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. [10] Ibid. [11] Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. [12] Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. [13] Arrian: _Anabasis of Alexander_. [14] Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. [15] Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. [16] Arrian: _Anabasis of Alexander_. [17] Arrian: _Anabasis of Alexander_. [18] From Plutarch: _Life of Alexander_. {358} CHAPTER XIX THE GIFTS OF GREECE TO THE WORLD I. THE GREEK SPIRIT