LEXANDER now
intent upon his expedition into India, took notice that his soldiers were so
charged with booty that it hindered their marching. Therefore, at break of
day, as soon as the baggage wagons were laden, first he set fire to his own,
and to those of his friends, and then commanded those to be burnt which
belonged to the rest of the army. An act which in the deliberation of it had
seemed more dangerous and difficult than it proved in the execution, with
which few were dissatisfied; for most of the soldiers, as if they had been
inspired, uttering loud outcries and warlike shoutings, supplied one another
with what was absolutely necessary, and burnt and destroyed all that was
superfluous, the sight of which redoubled Alexander's zeal and eagerness for
his design. And, indeed, he was now grown very severe and inexorable in
punishing those who committed any fault. For he put Menander, one of his
friends, to death, for deserting a fortress where he had placed him in
garrison, and shot Orsodates, one of the barbarians who revolted from him,
with his own hand.
At this time a sheep happened to yean a lamb, with the perfect shape and color
of a tiara upon the head, and testicles on each side; which portent Alexander
regarded with such dislike, that he immediately caused his Babylonian priests,
whom he usually carried about with him for such purposes, to purify him, and
told his friends he was not so much concerned for his own sake as for theirs,
out of an apprehension that after his death the divine power might suffer his
empire to fall into the hands of some degenerate, impotent person. But this
fear was soon removed by a wonderful thing that happened not long after, and
was thought to presage better.
Plutarch: ALEXANDER
LEXANDER now intent upon his expedition into India, took notice that his soldiers were so charged with booty that it hindered their marching. Therefore, at break of day, as soon as the baggage wagons were laden, first he set fire to his own, and to those of his friends, and then commanded those to be burnt which belonged to the rest of the army. An act which in the deliberation of it had seemed more dangerous and difficult than it proved in the execution, with which few were dissatisfied; for most of the soldiers, as if they had been inspired, uttering loud outcries and warlike shoutings, supplied one another with what was absolutely necessary, and burnt and destroyed all that was superfluous, the sight of which redoubled Alexander's zeal and eagerness for his design. And, indeed, he was now grown very severe and inexorable in punishing those who committed any fault. For he put Menander, one of his friends, to death, for deserting a fortress where he had placed him in garrison, and shot Orsodates, one of the barbarians who revolted from him, with his own hand.
