murdering with foreign blood, seeing a nation being saved; for they are soldiers of their own covetousness, having an unjust pretext. 2.30 When will you acquire a life without care, the one assigned to you by God, so that you may live for yourself and not kill others? But now, then, hearing these words, what do you intend henceforth to pay attention to for yourself? Or do you still seek to plunder and disturb nations and murder men? And what you have done, and what you are about to do. But if you will not tolerate my words and depart from here, even being in the aether I will see you paying the penalty for these things, and you lamenting with bitter groans, paying the price for what you have done. And then you will remember the divine words ministered by me, when the horses taught for wars and the multitudes of spearmen no longer follow. And then you will lament, wailing, seeking the life which you lost in vain in disordered tumults and wars of innocent blood, when you have nothing else to see around you except the memory of what you heaped up for yourself; for I know the punishments brought from God justly upon unjust men; then you will say to me there: "You were a good counselor to me before, O Dandamis"; for there will stand beside you the souls unjustly warred against in vain by you. To how many will your defense suffice then? And you will be profited nothing by being called and appearing great. He who now wishes to conquer the world will be conquered then." 2.31 But Alexander listened to him very gladly and was not angered. For there was also in him a divine spirit, but by some evil demon he was turned to murders and disturbances. And being exceedingly astonished at the paradoxical words of Dandamis, Alexander answered, saying: 2.32 "True teacher of the Brahmans, Dandamis, and one who reshapes with the wisdom of providence those men who happen upon you, whom I, having learned of from Calanus and longed to meet, have found to be higher than all men because of the spirit in you. I know that you speak all things truly; for God begat you and he himself sent you down to these places, in which it is possible for you to be happy, being untroubled in your whole nature, rich, lacking nothing, enjoying much peace. 2.33 But what shall I do, I who dwell with unceasing fears and am drenched with continuous disturbances? Having many who guard me, I fear them more than the enemy; friends are worse than adversaries, who plot against me daily more than my enemies, and I cannot live without them, nor again do I trust them while I am with them; for I am guarded by those whom I fear; by day disturbing nations, but when night comes, being greatly disturbed by my thoughts, lest someone standing over me might overcome me with a sword. Woe is me. And when I punish those who disobey me, I am grieved, and when I do not punish them, I am in turn scorned. 2.34 And how is it possible for me to renounce these deeds? For even if I should wish to live in solitude, I am not permitted by my shield-bearers. And it is not at all possible for me, even if I were able, to run away from these things, having obtained this by decree. What defense then shall I make to God, who granted me this lot when I was born? 2.35 But you, O elder, precious possession of God, in return for how you have benefited me and gladdened me with the words of your wisdom and tamed me from wars, accept my gifts, which I have brought to you, and do not dishonor me; for I myself am benefited by honoring wisdom." 2.36 And having said these things to Dandamis, Alexander nodded to his servants. And they brought to him gold and stamped silver and every kind of clothing {costly and sheep} and loaves and oil. But Dandamis, seeing this, laughed and said to Alexander: 2.37 "Persuade, then, the birds that sing around the wood to take gold and silver and to sound better; if, then, you cannot persuade them, neither could you persuade me to become worse than them; for what I neither eat nor drink, I do not take {nor keep} as a useless possession, nor do I keep a thing harmful to the soul, nor will I now bind my life, which is free from all care, nor will I cloud my pure mind in vain; may it not be; but neither do I need to buy anything, dwelling in deserted places; for God gives me all things freely, fruits for food and

φονοῦντες αἱμάτων ἀλλοτρίων ἔθνος βλέποντες σῳζόμενον· ἰδί ων γὰρ πλεονεξιῶν εἰσι στρατιῶται τὴν πρόφασιν ἔχοντες ἄδικον. 2.30 πότε βίον ἀμέριμνον κτήσῃ τὸν παρὰ θεοῦ σοι ἀπονεμηθέν τα, ἵνα καὶ σεαυτῷ ζήσῃς καὶ ἄλλους μὴ κατακτείνῃς; νῦν δ' ἄρα τούτων ἀκούων τῶν λόγων τί μέλλεις λοιπὸν σεαυτῷ προσανέχειν; ἢ ζητεῖς ἁρπάζειν ἀκμὴν καὶ ταράσσειν ἔθνη καὶ φονεύειν ἀνθρώ πους; καὶ ἃ μὲν εἰργάσω, ἃ δὲ μέλλεις ποιεῖν. ἀλλ' ἐὰν τῶν ἐμῶν μὴ ἀνάσχῃ λόγων ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγῇς, καὶ ὢν ἐν αἰθέρι ὄψομαί σε τούτων τὰς δίκας τιννῦντα καὶ στεναγμοῖς πικροῖς ὀδυρόμενόν σε τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ πεπραγμένων τὰς εὐθύνας διδόντα. καὶ τότε τῶν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ διακονουμένων θείων λόγων μνησθήσῃ, ὅταν μηκέτι ἀκολου θῶσιν ἵπποι δεδιδαγμένοι πολέμους καὶ πλήθη τῶν δορυφόρων. τό τε θρηνήσεις οἰμώζων ζητῶν ὃν εἰς μάτην ἀπώλεσας βίον εἰς τα ραχὰς ἀτάκτους καὶ πολέμους αἱμάτων ἀθῴων, ὅταν μηδὲν ἄλλο ἔχῃς ἰδεῖν σου κυκλόθεν εἰ μὴ μνήμην ὧν ἐσώρευσας σεαυτῷ· οἶδα γὰρ ἐγὼ τὰς ἐκ θεοῦ ἐπαγομένας τιμωρίας δικαίως ἀνθρώποις ἀδίκοις· τότε μοι ἐρεῖς ἐκεῖ· "ἀγαθός μοι τὸ πρὶν ἦσθα σύμβουλος, ὦ ∆άνδαμι"· ἐκεῖ γὰρ παραστήσονταί σοι ψυχαὶ αἱ μάτην πεπολεμη μέναι ἀδίκως ὑπὸ σοῦ. πόσοις ἀρκέσεις ἀπολογούμενος τότε; οὐ δὲν δὲ ὠφεληθήσῃ μέγας κληθεὶς καὶ φανείς. ὁ νῦν τὸν κόσμον νικῆσαι θέλων νενικημένος τότε". 2.31 ὁ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος πάνυ ἡδέως αὐτοῦ ἤκουε καὶ οὐκ ἐθυμώθη. ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ πνεῦμα θεῖον, ἀλλ' ὑπό τινος δαίμονος κακοῦ εἰς φόνους καὶ ταραχὰς ἐτράπη. καὶ σφόδρα καταπλαγεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς παραδόξοις λόγοις τοῦ ∆ανδάμεως ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων Ἀλέξανδρος· 2.32 "Ἀληθινὲ διδάσκαλε Βραγμάνων, ∆άνδαμι, καὶ ἀναπλάττων ἀνθρώπους τῇ σοφίᾳ τῆς προνοίας τούς σοι παρατυγχάνοντας, ὃν ἐγὼ μαθὼν παρὰ Καλάνου καὶ ποθήσας συντυχεῖν εὗρον πάν των ἀνθρώπων ὑψηλότερον διὰ τὸ ἐν σοὶ πνεῦμα. οἶδα, ὅτι ἀλη θῶς λέγεις τὰ πάντα· ἐγέννησε γάρ σε ὁ θεὸς καὶ αὐτὸς κατέ πεμψέ σε ἐν τόποις τούτοις, ἐν οἷς ἔξεστί σοι εὐδαιμονεῖν ἀτά ραχον ὄντα ὅλῃ τῇ φύσει, πλούσιον, ἀνελλιπῇ, πολλῆς ἡσυχίας ἀπολαύοντα. 2.33 ἐγὼ δὲ τί ποιήσω ὁ ἀδιαλείπτοις φόβοις συνοικῶν καὶ συν εχέσι καταντλούμενος ταραχαῖς; πολλοὺς ἔχων τοὺς τηροῦντάς με φοβοῦμαι τούτους τῶν πολεμίων μᾶλλον· χείρονες οἱ φίλοι τῶν ὑπεναντίων, οἳ καθ' ἡμέραν ἐπιβουλεύουσί μοι πλέον τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου, καὶ οὐδὲ χωρὶς αὐτῶν ζῆσαι δύναμαι οὔτε θαρσῶ πάλιν τού τοις σὺν αὐτοῖς ὤν· οὓς γὰρ φοβοῦμαι, ὑπ' αὐτῶν τηροῦμαι· ἡμέ ρας μὲν ταράσσων ἔθνη, ἐπιστάσης δὲ νυκτὸς ἐκταρασσόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν μου, μή τίς μοι ἐπιστὰς ξίφει με χειρώσηται. οἴ μοι. καὶ κολάσας τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντάς μοι λυποῦμαι, καὶ μὴ κολάσας καταφρονοῦμαι πάλιν. 2.34 καὶ πῶς οἷόντε μέ ἐστι ταῦτα τὰ ἔργα ἀρνήσασθαι; καὶ γὰρ εἰ θέλοιμι ἐπ' ἐρημίας ζῆσαι, ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπασπιστῶν οὐ συγχωροῦ μαι. οὐκ ἔξεστι δέ μοι μᾶλλον, εἰ καὶ ἠδυνάμην, ἀπὸ τούτων δραπετεῦσαι ταῦτα λαχόντι τῇ ψήφῳ. τί οὖν ἀπολογήσομαι τῷ θεῷ, ὃς γενομένῳ τοῦτον ἐπένευσε τὸν κλῆρον; 2.35 σὺ δέ, ὦ πρέσβυτα, κτῆμα τίμιον θεοῦ, ἀνθ' ὧν ὠφέλησάς με καὶ ηὔφρανάς με τοῖς λόγοις τῆς σοφίας σου καὶ ἀπὸ πολέμων ἡμέρωσάς με, δέξαι μου τὰ δῶρα, ἃ ἐνήνοχά σοι, καὶ μή με ἀτι μάσῃς· ἐγὼ γὰρ εὐεργετοῦμαι σοφίαν τιμῶν". 2.36 καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος πρὸς τὸν ∆άνδαμιν κατέ νευσε τοῖς οἰκέταις αὐτοῦ. οἱ δὲ προσέφερον αὐτῷ χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον ἐπίσημον καὶ ἐσθῆτα παντοίαν {πολυτελῆ καὶ πρόβατα} καὶ ἄρτους καὶ ἔλαιον. ὁ δὲ ∆άνδαμις ἰδὼν ἐγέλασε καὶ εἶπε τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ· 2.37 "πεῖσον δὴ τὰ ὄρνεα τὰ περὶ τὴν ὕλην κελαδοῦντα λαβεῖν χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ ἄμεινον ἠχῆσαι· εἰ οὖν ταῦτα οὐ δύνῃ πεῖσαι, οὐδὲ ἐμὲ πείσειας χείρω αὐτῶν γενέσθαι· ὃ γὰρ μήτε ἐσθίων μήτε πίνων οὐ λαμβάνω {οὐδὲ τηρῶ} ἀνωφελές τι κτῆμα, οὐ δὲ τηρῶ ἐπιβλαβὲς ψυχῆς χρῆμα οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερον ἐμὸν βίον ἀπὸ πάσης μερίμνης νῦν δεσμεύσω οὐδὲ μάτην ἐμὴν καθαρὰν διάνοιαν θολώσω· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλ' οὔτε ἀγοράσαι τι χρῄζω ἐπ' ἐρημίαις οἰκῶν· τὰ γὰρ πάντα δωρεὰν ὁ θεὸς δίδωσί μοι, καρποὺς εἰς τροφὴν καὶ