DISPUTE BETWEEN CALLISTHENES AND ANAXARCHUS.
But it is said that Callisthenes the Olynthian, who had studied
philosophy under Aristotle, and was somewhat brusque in his manner, did
not approve of this conduct; and so far as this is concerned I quite
agree with him. But the following remark of his, if indeed it has been
correctly recorded, I do not think at all proper, when he declared that
Alexander and his exploits were dependent upon him and his history, and
that he had not come to him to acquire reputation from him, but to make
him renowned in the eyes of men;[550] consequently that Alexander’s
participation in divinity did not depend on the false assertion of
Olympias in regard to the author of his birth, but on what he might
report to mankind in his history of the king. There are some writers
also who have said that on one occasion Philotas forsooth asked him,
what man he thought to be held in especial honour by the people of
Athens; and that he replied:—“Harmodius and Aristogeiton; because they
slew one of the two despots, and put an end to the despotism.”[551]
Philotas again asked:—“If it happened now that a man should kill a
despot, to which of the Grecian States would you wish him to flee for
preservation?” Callisthenes again replied:—“If not among others, at
any rate among the Athenians an exile would find preservation; for they
waged war on behalf of the sons of Heracles against Eurystheus, who at
that time was ruling as a despot over Greece.”[552] How he resisted
Alexander in regard to the ceremony of prostration, the following
is the most received account.[553] An arrangement was made between
Alexander and the Sophists in conjunction with the most illustrious
of the Persians and Medes who were in attendance upon him, that this
topic should be mentioned at a wine-party. Anaxarchus commenced the
discussion[554] by saying that he considered Alexander much more
worthy of being deemed a god than either Dionysus or Heracles, not
only on account of the very numerous and mighty exploits which he
had performed, but also because Dionysus was only a Theban, in no way
related to Macedonians; and Heracles was an Argive, not at all related
to them, except that Alexander deduced his descent from him. He added
that the Macedonians might with greater justice gratify their king
with divine honours, for there was no doubt about this, that when he
departed from men they would honour him as a god. How much more just
then would it be to worship him while alive, than after his death, when
it would be no advantage to him to be honoured.