Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

THE HISTORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
her], and to hasten on his journey with all speed;
and Alexander died after a few days.
And it came to pass that when the letter reached
The feast his mothcr [Olympias], she made a feast and she
and ^Tr^ gathered together to it [all sorts of] men, and she
teachings. Qj-Jered that those [only] should eat upon whom
death and sorrow had not fallen; but no man
drew nigh to the repast, and then she knew that
there was none in the world who had not [suffered]
sorrow. And Philemon prepared his body for
burial,' and anointed it with aloes, and placed it
in a golden coffin, wherein he poured the honey
of bees, and he brought it to Alexandria and laid
it among the people. Then came forth Aristotle
the sage and a number of the Greek philosophers
who dwelt in Alexander's kingdom, and each of
them uttered some philosophical saying over the
coffin.
i. Aristotle spake first, [p. 235] and said, "In-
sayings of"asmuch as there must be an end to this world,
phers. '
°^°'
"it was better for Alexander to leave it before
"[it came to pass]."
ii. Antakis (Antigonus?) said, "It is our fate to
"travel by this road, whereby we attain unto that
"which passeth not away, and leave behind that
"which doth pass away."
iii. Philemon said, "This day hath drawn nigh
"the evil which was afar off, and the happiness
"which was near hath departed to a remote place."
' Read 7VH