Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 2 · Questions · Question 48
48. Quest. Of the largenes of Alexanders Empire, and of other memorable and notable things in him.
1. This was admirable in Alexander, that at 20. yeares of age after the death of his father Philip, he enterprised to conquer the world: vntounto which yeares, such constancie, fortitude, wisdome, counsell, experience, as appeared to be in Alexander, are very rarely incident.
2. It was also wonderfull, that Alexander with so small an armie, hauing not aboue 40. thousand, with so small prouision, carrying but vittaile for 30. daies, and but 70. talents, should take in hand such a great enterprise.
3. His successe in battell was admirable, he neuer encountred any enemie, but he ouercame him; neuer besieged citie, but he tooke it: and in 3. battels, one at the flood Granicus, an other at Issus in Cilicia, the third at Arbella, he ouercame all the power of Asia, Darius hauing in his armie 10. hundreth thousand men, aboue one for tenne.
4. As was his successe in battell, so was (as the Gentiles call it) his good fortune for himselfe, or rather his prosperous deliuerance from many daungers: that oftentimes he had receiued deadly wounds, and yet recouered; was in a manner dead, and yet reuiued: insomuch that Curtius writeth of him, cum plurimum virtuti debuerit, plus eum fortunae debuisse, &c. as he did owe much vntounto vertue, so yet he owed more vntounto fortune, which of all men liuing he seemed onelyonly to hauehave power of: yet Plutarke in his two orations, which he made of that argument, sheweth that more is to be ascribed to Alexanders vertue, then to his good fortune.
5. The largenes of his Empire was wonderfull: for he subdued the more noble part of Europe, Syria,Lib. 6. c. 16. and Egypt, all Asia, and India vntounto the riuer Ganges: yea Plinie writeth, that in the vtmost boundes of the Sogdianes he built the citie Alexandria, where Hercules, Semiramis, and Cyrus had set vp altars before him, as boundes of the Empire: Lysippus the painter hereupon made the picture of Alexander looking vp to heauen, with this posie, Iupiter asserui terram mihi, tu assere coelum, Iupiter I hauehave taken the earth to my selfe, take thou heauen, &c. with which picture Alexander was so delighted, that he proclaimed, none should take his picture but Lysippus.
6. Such was his celeritie also, that in the space of 13. yeares he conquered more nations, then one would hauehave thought he could hauehave trauelled ouer in so short a time: Apelles therefore pictured Alexander with a thunderbolt, signifying his great swiftnes and agilitie in his exploits.
7. Alexanders great …ame also may be counted among other parts of his greatnes: by the which he subdued more nations, then by warre, for the very terrour of his name made many Kingdomes submit themselues vntounto him: and at the same time when he died, he expected Embassadours from all the Nations of Europe, from France, Spaine, Italie, Sicilie, and from Africa: for if he had not then died, he had taken order, to prouide him a great navie, to hauehave compassed Arabia and Africa, and so to hauehave surprised Spaine and Italie.
8. The acts and monuments of Alexander are to be counted among other memorable things, as first the Cities which he built, which Plutarke nameth to hauehave beene 70. then he brought the barbarous nations to ciuilitie: he taught the people Hyrcani the vse of mariage, the Arachosians tillage and husbandrie, the Sogdians that they should nourish and not kill their parents: the Persians to honour their mothers, and not to vse them for their wiues: the Scythians that they should not eate the dead, but burie them.
9. Adde hereunto his singular vertues: his constancie and patience in induring of labour, his clemencie toward those whome he conquered: the same day he tooke and restored againe to the king of India his kingdome: Darius mother he honourably entertained as a Queene: his continencie was singular, Darius wife, and his most beautifull daughters he touched not, but preserued their chastitie, neither would he see them. But his liberalitie and magnificence exceeded his other vertues:Alexanders vertues. he gaue 23. thousand talents among his souldiers to pay their debts: he bid to one feast 9. thousand ghests, and gaue vntounto eueryevery one a cuppe of gold: to one that asked a reward of him, he gaue a citie: which he refusing as too great a gift for him, Alexander said; Non quaero quid to decet accipere, sed quid me decet dare, I stand not vponupon it, what it is meete for thee to take, but what it is fit I should giuegive. And to conclude this point, Plutarke saith, that those vertues for the which seuerally certaine worthie men hauehave beene commended, did all concurre in him, as the valour of Achilles, the chastitie of Agamemnon, the pietie of Diomedes, the courage of Cyrus, the policie of Themistocles, the boldnes of Brassida, the wisdome of Philip his father.
10. This was also part of his terrene happines, that as he counted Achilles happie, because he had Homer to set forth his praise, so he had diuers excellent writers to register his acts: as Ptolome King of Egypt, Hecataeus, Aristobulus, Callisthenes, Onesicratus, Diodorus Siculus, Trogus Pompeius, Iustinus, Q. Curtius, with others.