Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

36
THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
And it came to pass that when the ambassadors
came to Alexander, and they had given unto him
the letters which were sent with them and he had
opened them and had read them, he went up to
his father's throne ,
and
having taken his seat
Alexander's thereon, he took the golden box, and opened it,
•uoTorthrirand found therein the oil-seed and the pearl. And
message.
]^g g^jj uuto thosc who had been associated with
his father, "O wise men, interpret ye now to me
"the meanine and sisfnificance of this action and
"of this gift." They said unto him, "O king, we
"know not the interpretation thereof, thou [p. 18]
"thyself knowest it, for there is no knowledge
"which can be likened unto thine." He said unto
them, "Inasmuch as oil-seed is food it is eaten;
"and this oil-seed typifieth the army of the king
"of Persia, which we will eat up, even as we eat
"the seed. And as for the pearl, it typifies the
"king's head, and the god of heaven hath delivered
"it into my hand." Then he said to the ambas-
sadors, "Turn ye back to your king, and say unto
"him, This' is a prophecy from thyself concerning
"thyself, and concerning thy kingdom, and con-
"cerning thy nobles, and concerning thy house."
Philip is Now this thing was hard to Philip, the father of
bo°rtAiexan- Alexander, and he had it in his mind to send his
'^^''-
son" to Darius, the king of Persia, that he might
pass judgment upon him as he desired.
and a box of gold ctkutov Kai crqpaTpav Kai kiPlutiov xpucriou
(Meusel, p. 732).
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