Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

plot
374 THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
it is said that the man who made him drink ^ the
poison was the governor^ whom Alexander had
appointed over Macedonia, and that he did so
because Alexander's mother had written a letter
Antipater's to her son making an accusation against him, and
that he determined to avenge himself and wished
to slay Alexander. And [when] the man had
heard that Alexander had come to Babylon he
sent his servant to him with many gifts, and with
rich stuffs inlaid with gold, and he gave his son
a deadly poison and ordered him to take an opportunity
to administer it unto Alexander. Now when
his servant had come to Alexander he brought
to him that which he had with him, and he also
gave a rich gift to Alexander's chief cup-bearer.^
And it came to pass by the will* and good pleasure
of God Almighty that the chief cup-bearer was
angry with Alexander because he had abused him
with insulting words, and it fell out that the ser-
vant [of the governor of Macedonia] came to him
and found him in the state which he desired; and
he made a compact with him, and the cup-bearer
took the poison from him and mixed it with
Alexander's drink, and gave it to him when he
was drunk, and he drank it.
Alexander's And wheu Alexander knew that he must die
oiympias" ^y thc polsou, hc wrote a letter, and sent it to
his mother to tell her about himself and to console
" Read Hhtl'l?' • ' I. c, Antipater.
3 I. e., loUas. 1 Read