Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

ALEXANDERS EPISTLE TO STATIRA. lOI
ingly. And he commanded his soldiers to pass
by beneath the two horsemen while they were
being crucified, and a herald went round about
before them, saying, "Behold I have given unto
"you that which I promised to give you."
Then Alexander wrote' to [p. 56] the mother
and daughter and wife of Darius—now previously,
when he had entered into the city he had taken Alexander's
them and had sent them back to their place, and the Persian
he had left with them a number of soldiers while ''""""''"
he himself made ready for war" until such time
as God should help him— and he wrote a letter
which began thus:
"From Alexander, the servant^ of God, the son
"of Philip, to the honourable ladies the mother and
"wife of Darius.* Behold now, we pursued Darius
"because enmity existed between us, but since God
"hath been my helper against him I abominate
"him that murdered him,' because I wished to
"restore unto him his kingdom, and to give to
"him a position of honour over many. Now be-
"hold, two of his friends murdered him, and I and
"my soldiers found him,^ while as yet his soul had
"not passed from his body, bathed in blood; and
' See Pseudo-Callisthenes, Bk. ii. chap. 22 (Miillerj p. 80,
Meusel, p. 757).
^ Read ftO-dd •
3 Read 1-tid '
4 The Greek has PaaiXeug 'AXeSrtvbpoq XxaTeipa Kai
'PoboTOuvr) Kflti "PcjuSctvi].
5 In the MS. "I'^A. • has been altered into 4»;*"A. :
6 Read (Ddh'ttTn?
••