that they
wrongfully accused him.

When he was on the point of sending home all his invalided and
superannuated soldiers, Eurylochus of AEgae was found to have placed his
name upon the list, although he was in perfect health. When
questioned, he confessed that he was in love with a lady named
Telesippa, who was returning to the sea-coast, and that he had acted
thus in order to be able to follow her. Alexander on hearing this,
enquired who this lady was. Being told that she was a free-born Greek
courtezan, he answered, "I sympathise with your affection, Eurylochus;
but since Telesippa is a free-born woman, let us try if we cannot,
either by presents or arguments, persuade her to remain with us."

XLII. It is wonderful how many letters and about what trifling matters
he found time to write to his friends. For instance, he sent a letter
to Kilikia ordering search to be made for a slave boy belonging to
Seleukus, who had run away, and praising Peukestas because he had
captured Nikon, the runaway slave of Kraterus. He wrote also to
Megabazus about a slave who had taken sanctuary in a temple, ordering
him to catch him when outside of the temple, if possible, but not to
lay hands on him within its precincts.

We are told that when he was sitting as judge to hear men tried for
their lives, he was wont to close one ear with his hand, while the
prosecutor was speaking, in order that he might keep it unbiassed and
impartial to listen to what the accused had to say in his defence. But
later in his life, so many persons were accused before him, and so
many of them truly, that his temper became soured and he inclined to
believe them to be all alike guilty. And he was especially
transported with rage, and made completely pitiless if any one spoke
ill of him, for he valued his reputation more than his life or his
crown.

He now set out again in pursuit of Darius, with the intention of
fighting another battle with him: but on hearing that Darius had been
taken by the satrap Bessus, he dismissed all his Thessalian cavalry
and sent them home, giving them a largess of two thousand talents over
and above the pay which was due to them. He now set out on a long and
toilsome journey in pursuit of Darius, for in eleven days he rode more
than five hundred miles, so that his men were terribly distressed,
especially by want of water. One day he met some Macedonians who were
carrying water from a river in skins on the backs of mules. Seeing
A