From the funeral pile
HEN he came
into Persia, he distributed money among the women, as their own kings had been
wont to do, who as often as they came thither, gave every one of them a piece
of gold; on account of which custom, some of them, it is said, had come but
seldom, and Ochus was so sordidly covetous, that to avoid this expense, he
never visited his native country once in all his reign. Then finding Cyrus's
sepulchre opened and rifled, he put Polymachus, who did it, to death, though
he was a man of some distinction, a born Macedonian of Pella. And after he had
read the inscription, he caused it to be cut again below the old one in Greek
characters; the words being these: "O man, whosoever thou art, and from
whencesoever thou comest (for I know thou wilt come), I am Cyrus, the founder
of the Persian empire; do not grudge me this little earth which covers my
body." The reading of this sensibly touched Alexander, filling him with the
thought of the uncertainty and mutability of human affairs. At the same time,
Calanus having been a little while troubled with a disease in the bowels,
requested that he might have a funeral pile erected, to which he came on
horseback, and after he had said some prayers and sprinkled himself and cut
off some of his hair to throw into the fire, before he ascended it, he
embraced and took leave of the Macedonians who stood by, desiring them to pass
that day in mirth and good-fellowship with their king, whom in a little time,
he said, he doubted not but to see again at Babylon. Having thus said, he lay
down, and covering up his face, he stirred not when the fire came near him,
but continued still in the same posture as at first, and so sacrificed
himself, as it was the ancient custom of the philosophers in those countries
to do. The same thing was done long after by another Indian, who came with
Caesar to Athens, where they still show you "the Indian's monument." At his
return from the funeral pile, Alexander invited a great many of his friends
and principal officers to supper, and proposed a drinking match, in which the
victor should receive a crown. Promachus drank twelve quarts of wine, and won
the prize, which was a talent, from them all; but he survived his victory but
three days, and was followed, as Chares says, by forty-one more, who died of
the same debauch, some extremely cold weather having set in shortly after.
Plutarch: ALEXANDER
