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Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

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140 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.<br />

<strong>Alexander</strong>'s "uo man child, his daughter inherited his kingdom,<br />

t^he°Pe'rsia°n "and God made me to marry her with the good<br />

^^'-<br />

"will and pleasure both of her father and of herself<br />

"Now when he sfave her unto me in marrias^e I<br />

"made my princes, and chiefs, and counsellors<br />

"witnesses that he did so of his own good pleasure<br />

"and from the desire of his heart. And he spake<br />

"unto me, saying, 'Into thy hand I give my spirit,'<br />

"and do thou, even as thou desirest, take pos-<br />

"session of my daughter, and let my kingdom<br />

"belong unto thee'; with these words he died.<br />

"But I sent to her before I was united unto her<br />

"in her royal palace, and enquired of her concerning<br />

"her own wishes, and she sent me an answer with<br />

"fair tidings, and spake unto me in her letter,<br />

"which was written by her own hand, saying, 'I<br />

"myself am well pleased with thee, and I desire<br />

"exceedingly to have thee for my husband.' Then<br />

"she wrote unto [the satraps in] all her father's<br />

"cities, [p. 78] announcing that she had chosen me<br />

"for her husband, and that all [people] in her<br />

"kingdom were to be [henceforth] subject unto<br />

"me, and they replied unto her with fair words,<br />

"and were obedient unto her command, and they<br />

"became servants unto me. So then straightway<br />

"I was united unto her, and I found her to be<br />

"that which my heart desired, good and true."<br />

' See above, p. 95.<br />

^ She also had the reputation of being the most<br />

beautiful woman in all Asia (r^v bf\ KaXXicTTriv toiv 'AcriaviLv<br />

fuvaiKoiv XefoucTiv, Arrian, IV. 19. 4).

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