Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

THE BIRTH OF ALEXANDER. 29
to her, "Restrain thyself yet a little longer", and
as he said this he saw that the birth-pangs were
gaining power over her, and he laid his hand upon
her womb that the child might not come forth;
and he made her to restrain herself, and he was The favour-
rejoiced that she was able to do so. And he heldeomes.
her thus until a favourable hour rose in the hea-
vens,' and until the paths [or courses] of the
world were straight, and all evil had removed itself
from the moon, and glory had appeared, and
lucky signs shewed themselves in all the world. ^
Then he said unto the queen, "Give birth now,
"for whosoever is born in this hour shall be a
"king who shall rule over all the world." So Olym-A cwid is
pias gave birth to her child straightway, and
there were thunders, and lightnings, and earth-
quakes, and crashes of thunder mingled with light-
nings in the heavens, and the whole world was
terrified.
And Philips came in to see the child which had
been born, for his birth had been accompanied by
signs, and thunders, and earthquakes throughout the
whole world; and he marvelled, and said, "Callne sscaiied
' Read ttlD-tl-i- rt'^^ =
^ It will be noticed that the Ethiopic version omits all
mention of the Signs of the Zodiac, and of the influence which
they were supposed to have on human beings, which are
given in the Greek of Miiller's Codex A and in the Syriac
version.
5 See Pseudo-Callisthenes, Bk. i, chap. 13 (Miiller, p. 12,
Meusel, p. 713).
Alexander.