eulogy of alexander.

whoever therefore reproaches alexander as a bad man, let him do so; but let him first not only bring before his mind all his actions deserving reproach, but also gather 426into one view all his deeds of every kind. then, indeed, let him reflect who he is himself, and what kind of fortune he has experienced; and then consider who that man was whom he reproaches as bad, and to what a height of human success he attained, becoming without any dispute king of both continents,984 and reaching every place by his fame; while he himself who reproaches him is of smaller account, spending his labour on petty objects, which, however, he does not succeed in effecting, petty as they are. for my own part, i think there was at that time no race of men, no city, nor even a single individual to whom alexander’s name and fame had not penetrated. for this reason it seems to me that a hero totally unlike any other human being could not have been born without the agency of the deity. and this is said to have been revealed after alexander’s death by the oracular responses, by the visions which presented themselves to various people, and by the dreams which were seen by different individuals. it is also shown by the honour paid to him by men up to the present time, and by the recollection which is still held of him as more than human. even at the present time, after so long an interval, other oracular responses in his honour have been received by the nation of the macedonians. in relating the history of alexander’s achievements, there are some things which i have been compelled to censure; but i am not ashamed to admire alexander himself. those actions i have branded as bad, both from a regard to my own veracity, and at the same time for the benefit of mankind.985 for this 427reason i think that i undertook the task of writing this history not without the divine inspiration.