CHAPTER II.

ALEXANDER AT NYSA.

All this was very pleasant to Alexander to hear; for he wished that

the legend about the wandering of Dionysus should be believed, as well

as that Nysa owed its foundation to that deity, since he had himself

reached the place where Dionysus came, and had even advanced beyond

the limits of the latter’s march. He also thought that the Macedonians

would not decline still to share his labours if he advanced further,

from a desire to surpass the achievements of Dionysus. He therefore

granted the inhabitants of Nysa the privilege of remaining free and

independent; and when he inquired about their laws, he commended them

because the government was in the hands of the aristocracy. He required

them to send 300 of their horsemen to accompany him, and to select

and send 100 of the aristocrats who presided over the government of

the State, who also were 300 in number. He ordered Acuphis to make

the selection, and appointed him governor of the land of Nysaea. When

Acuphis heard this, he is said to have smiled at the speech; whereupon

Alexander asked him why he laughed. Acuphis replied:—“How, O king,

could a single city deprived of 100 of its good men be still well

governed? But if thou carest for the welfare of the Nysaeans, lead

with thee the 300 horsemen, and still more than that number if thou

wishest: but instead of the hundred of the best men whom thou orderest

me to select lead with thee double the number of the others who are

bad, so that when thou comest here again the city may appear[625] in

the same good order in which it now is.” By these remarks he persuaded

Alexander; for he thought he was speaking with prudence. So he ordered

them to send the horsemen to accompany him, but no longer demanded the

hundred select men, nor indeed others in their stead. But he commanded

Acuphis to send his own son and his daughter’s son to accompany him.

He was now seized with a strong desire of seeing the place where the

Nysaeans boasted to have certain memorials of Dionysus. So he went to

Mount Merus with the Companion cavalry and the foot guard, and saw

the mountain, which was quite covered with ivy and laurel and groves

thickly shaded with all sorts of timber, and on it were chases of all

kinds of wild animals.[626] The Macedonians were delighted at seeing

the ivy, as they had not seen any for a long time; for in the land of

the Indians there was no ivy, even where they had vines. They eagerly

made garlands of it, and crowned themselves with them, as they were,

singing hymns in honour of Dionysus, and invoking the deity by his

various names.[627] Alexander there offered sacrifice to Dionysus, and

feasted in company with his companions.[628] Some authors have also

stated, but I do not know if any one will believe it, that many of

the distinguished Macedonians in attendance upon him, having crowned

themselves with ivy, while they were engaged in the invocation of the

deity, were seized with the inspiration of Dionysus, uttered cries of

Evoi in honour of the god, and acted as Bacchanals.[629]