CALLISTHENES OPPOSES THE PROPOSAL TO HONOUR ALEXANDER BY PROSTRATION.
When Anaxarchus had uttered these remarks and others of a similar
kind, those who were privy to the plan applauded his speech, and
wished at once to begin the ceremony of prostration. Most of the
Macedonians, however, were vexed[555] at the speech and kept silence.
But Callisthenes interposed and said:—“O Anaxarchus, I openly declare
that there is no honour which Alexander is unworthy to receive,
provided that it is consistent with his being human; but men have made
distinctions between those honours which are due to men, and those due
to gods, in many different ways, as for instance by the building of
temples and by the erection of statues. Moreover for the gods sacred
enclosures are selected, to them sacrifice is offered, and to them
libations are made. Hymns also are composed in honour of the gods, and
eulogies for men. But the greatest distinction is made by the custom
of prostration. For it is the practice that men should be kissed by
those who salute them[556]; but because the deity is located somewhere
above, it is not lawful even to touch him, and this is the reason no
doubt why he is honoured by prostration. Bands of choral dancers are
also appointed for the gods, and paeans are sung in their honour. And
this is not at all wonderful, seeing that certain honours are specially
assigned to some of the gods and certain others to other gods, and,
by Zeus, quite different ones again are assigned to heroes, which are
very distinct from those paid to the deities.[557] It is not therefore
reasonable to confound all these distinctions without discrimination,
exalting men to a rank above their condition by extravagant
accumulation of honours, and debasing the gods, as far as lies in human
power, to an unseemly level, by paying them honours only equal to those
paid to men.” He said that Alexander would not endure the affront, if
some private individual were to be thrust into his royal honours by an
unjust vote, either by show of hand or by ballot. Much more justly then
would the gods be indignant at those mortals who usurp divine honours
or suffer themselves to be thrust into them by others. “Alexander not
only seems to be, but is in reality beyond any competition the bravest
of brave men, of kings the most kingly, and of generals the most worthy
to command an army. O Anaxarchus, it was thy duty, rather than any
other man’s, to become the special advocate of these arguments now
adduced by me, and the opponent of those contrary to them, seeing that
thou associatest with him for the purpose of imparting philosophy and
instruction. Therefore it was unseemly to begin this discussion, when
thou oughtest to have remembered that thou art not associating with
and giving advice to Cambyses or Xerxes, but to the son of Philip, who
derives his origin from Heracles and Aeacus,[558] whose ancestors came
into Macedonia from Argos, and have continued to rule the Macedonians,
not by force, but by law. Not even to Heracles himself while still
alive were divine honours paid by the Greeks; and even after his death
they were withheld until a decree had been published by the oracle of
the god at Delphi that men should honour Heracles as a god. But if,
because the discussion is held[559] in the land of foreigners, we ought
to adopt the sentiments of foreigners, I demand, O Alexander, that thou
shouldst bethink thyself of Greece, for whose sake the whole of this
expedition was undertaken by thee, that thou mightest join Asia to
Greece. Therefore make up thy mind whether thou wilt return thither and
compel the Greeks, who are men most devoted to freedom, to pay thee the
honour of prostration, or whether thou wilt keep aloof from Greece, and
inflict this honour on the Macedonians alone, or thirdly whether thou
wilt thyself make a difference in every respect as to the honours to
be paid thee, so as to be honoured by the Greeks and Macedonians as a
human being and after the manner of the Greeks, and by foreigners alone
after the foreign fashion of prostration. But if it is said that Cyrus,
son of Cambyses, was the first man to whom the honour of prostration
was paid, and that afterwards this degrading ceremony continued in
vogue among the Persians and Medes, we ought to bear in mind that
the Scythians, men poor but independent, chastised that Cyrus;[560]
that other Scythians again chastised Darius, as the Athenians and
Lacedaemonians did Xerxes, as Clearchus and Xenophon with their 10,000
followers did Artaxerxes; and finally, that Alexander, though not
honoured with prostration, has conquered this Darius.”