CHAPTER XXV.

TREASON OF ALEXANDER, SON OF AËROPUS.

While the king was still near Phaselis he received information that

Alexander, son of Aëropus, who was not only one of the Companions, but

also at that time commander of the Thessalian horse, was conspiring

against him. This Alexander was brother of Heromenes and Arrhabaeus,

who had taken part in the murder of Philip.[179] At that time King

Alexander pardoned him, though he was accused of complicity with them,

because after Philip’s death he was among the first of his friends to

come to him, and, helping him on with his breastplate, accompanied him

to the palace. The king afterwards showed him honour at his court,

sent him as general into Thrace; and when Calas the commander of the

Thessalian horse was sent away to a viceroyalty[180] he was appointed

to succeed that general. The details of the conspiracy were reported

as follows: When Amyntas deserted to Darius,[181] he conveyed to

him certain messages and a letter from this Alexander. Darius then

sent Sisines, one of his own faithful Persian courtiers, down to the

sea-coast, under pretence of going to Atizyes, viceroy of Phrygia, but

really to communicate with this Alexander, and to give him pledges,

that if he would kill king Alexander, Darius would appoint him king of

Macedonia, and would give him 1,000 talents of gold[182] in addition

to the kingdom. But Sisines, being captured by Parmenio, told him the

real object of his mission. Parmenio sent him immediately under guard

to the king, who obtained the same intelligence from him. The king

then, having collected his friends, proposed to them as a subject

for deliberation what decision he ought to make in regard to this

Alexander. The Companions thought that formerly he had not resolved

wisely in confiding the best part of his cavalry to a faithless man,

and that now it was advisable to put him out of the way as speedily as

possible, before he became even more popular among the Thessalians and

should try to effect some revolutionary plan with their aid. Moreover

they were terrified by a certain divine portent. For, while Alexander

the king was still besieging Halicarnassus, it is said that he was

once taking rest at midday, when a swallow flew about over his head

loudly twittering, and perched now on this side of his couch and now on

that, chirping more noisily than usual. On account of his fatigue he

could not be roused from sleep, but being disquieted by the sound he

brushed her away gently with his hand. But though struck she was so far

from trying to escape, that she perched upon the very head of the king,

and did not desist until he was wide awake. Thinking the affair of

the swallow of no trivial import, he communicated it to a soothsayer,

Aristander the Telmissian,[183] who told him that it signified a plot

formed by one of his friends. He said it also signified that the plot

would be discovered, because the swallow was a bird fond of man’s

society and well disposed to him as well as more loquacious than any

other bird. Therefore, comparing this with the depositions of the

Persian, the king sent Amphoterus, son of Alexander and brother of

Craterus to Parmenio; and with him he sent some Pergaeans to show him

the way. Amphoterus, putting on a native dress, so that he should not

be recognised on the road, reached Parmenio by stealth. He did not

carry a letter from Alexander, because it did not appear to the king

advisable to write openly about such a matter; but he reported the

message entrusted to him by word of mouth. Consequently this Alexander

was arrested and kept under guard.