CHAPTER XXVII.

THE ANSWER OF COENUS.

When Alexander had uttered these remarks, and others in the same

strain, a long silence ensued, for the auditors neither had the

audacity to speak in opposition to the king without constraint, nor did

they wish to acquiesce in his proposal. Hereupon, he repeatedly urged

any one who wished it, to speak, if he entertained different views

from those which he had himself expressed. Nevertheless the silence

still continued a long time; but at last, Coenus, son of Polemocrates,

plucked up courage and spoke as follows[719]:—“O king, inasmuch as

thou dost not wish to rule Macedonians by compulsion, but sayest thou

wilt lead them by persuasion, or yielding to their persuasion wilt not

use violence towards them, I am going to make a speech, not on my own

behalf and that of my colleagues here present, who are held in greater

honour than the other soldiers, and most of us have already carried off

the rewards of our labours, and from our pre-eminence are more zealous

than the rest to serve thee in all things; but I am going to speak on

behalf of the bulk of the army. On behalf of this army I am not going

to say what may be gratifying to the men, but what I consider to be

both advantageous to thee at present, and safest for the future. I feel

it incumbent upon me not to conceal what I think the best course to

pursue, both on account of my age, the honour paid to me by the rest

of the army at thy behest, and the boldness which I have without any

hesitation displayed up to the present time in incurring dangers and

undergoing labours. The more numerous and the greater the exploits

have been, which were achieved by thee as our commander, and by those

who started from home with thee, the more advantageous does it seem to

me that some end should be put to our labours and dangers. For thou

thyself seest how many Macedonians and Greeks started with thee, and

how few of us have been left. Of our number thou didst well in sending

back home the Thessalians at once from Bactra, because thou didst

perceive that they were no longer eager to undergo labours.[720] Of the

other Greeks, some have been settled as colonists in the cities which

thou hast founded; where they remain not indeed all of them of their

own free will. The Macedonian soldiers and the other Greeks who still

continued to share our labours and dangers, have either perished in

the battles, become unfit for war on account of their wounds, or been

left behind in the different parts of Asia. The majority, however, have

perished from disease, so that few are left out of many; and these few

are no longer equally vigorous in body, while in spirit they are much

more exhausted. All those whose parents still survive, feel a great

yearning to see them once more; they feel a yearning after their wives

and children, and a yearning for their native land itself; which it is

surely pardonable for them to yearn to see again with the honour and

dignity they have acquired from thee, returning as great men, whereas

they departed small, and as rich men instead of being poor. Do not

lead us now against our will; for thou wilt no longer find us the same

men in regard to dangers, since free-will will be wanting to us in

the contests. But, rather, if it seem good to thee, return to thy own

land, see thy mother, regulate the affairs of the Greeks, and carry to

the home of thy fathers these victories so many and great. Then start

afresh on another expedition, if thou wishest, against these very

tribes of Indians situated towards the east; or, if thou wishest, into

the Euxine Sea[721]; or else against Carchedon and the parts of Libya

beyond the Carchedonians.[722] It is now thy business to manage these

matters; and the other Macedonians and Greeks will follow thee, young

men in place of old, fresh men in place of exhausted ones, and men to

whom warfare has no terrors, because up to the present time they have

had no experience of it; and they will be eager to set out, from hope

of future reward. The probability also is, that they will accompany

thee with still more zeal on this account, when they see that those who

in the earlier expedition shared thy labours and dangers have returned

to their own abodes as rich men instead of being poor, and renowned

instead of being obscure as they were before. Self-control in the midst

of success is the noblest of all virtues, O king! For thou hast nothing

to fear from enemies, while thou art commanding and leading such an

army as this; but the visitations of the deity are unexpected, and

consequently men can take no precautions against them.”