Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

344 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
"lived in his kingdom with honour (?) and without
"trouble, but thy kingdom is much more glorious
"than was his." And he spake unto Alexander with
a sorrowful heart, in the lano^uaofe of the Mace-
donians, saying, "When thou hast departed, to
"whom wilt thou leave us? for Macedonia will
"be destroyed after thy [death]. It is better for
"the seventy [companies] of Macedonia to die with
"thee, for thou wert their helper and thou wert
"he who made them to rejoice." And when all
the men who were there heard [these words] they
wept, and Alexander stretched forth his [p. 200]
right hand and ordered them to be silent.
And when the Macedonians had departed from
him he called unto the generals of his army, and
ordered Perdiccas and Lekbas to read to them
the testament which he had ordered [them to
write].
Text of "From Alexander the king, the son of [the god]
Testament. "Ammou and Olympias his mother, to all his armies,
"and soldiers, and generals, and to the seventy
"provinces, and to the Herodians; peace be unto
"you and unto the company of those who have
"received the gracious gifts and honours which
"we have awarded [to them], instead of to our-
"selves. Now we have made our rulers more
"honourable than those of other troops. I inform you
"now concerning the pain, and the labour, and
"exhaustion which have fallen upon me. Ye know
"well how very much I honour my city [Alexandria],
"and behold, I write unto )ou that ye may like-