k, as he had to keep himself under careful
treatment for a long time, he heard a disturbance without, and
learning that the Macedonians were anxious to see him, took his cloak
and went out to them. After sacrificing to the gods for the recovery
of his health, he started again on his journey, and passed through a
great extent of country and past many considerable cities, all of
which he subdued.

LXIV. He captured ten of the Indian philosophers called
Gymnosophistae;[425] who had been instrumental in causing Sabbas to
revolt, and had done much mischief to the Macedonians. These men are
renowned for their short, pithy answers, and Alexander put difficult
questions to all of them, telling them that he would first put to
death the man who answered him worst, and so the rest in order. The
first was asked, whether he thought the living or the dead to be the
more numerous. He answered, "The living, for the dead are not."

The second was asked, which breeds the largest animals, the sea or the
land. He answered, "The land, for the sea is only a part of it."

The third was asked, which is the cleverest of beasts. He answered,
"That which man has not yet discovered."

The fourth was asked why he made Sabbas rebel. He answered, "Because I
wished him either to live or to die with honour."

The fifth was asked, which he thought was first, the day or the night.
He answered, "The day was first, by one day." As he saw that the king
was surprised at this answer, he added, "impossible questions require
impossible answers."

Alexander now asked the sixth how a man could make himself most
beloved. He answered, "By being very powerful, and yet not feared by
his subjects."

Of the remaining three, the first one was asked, how a man could
become a god. He answered, "By doing that which is impossible for a
man to do."

The next was asked, which was the stronger, life or death. He
answered, "Life, because it endures such terrible suffering."

The last, being asked how long it was honourable for a man to live,
answered, "As long as he thinks it better for him to live than to
die."

Upon this Alexander turned to the judge and asked him to pronounce
his decision. He said that they had answered each one worse than the
other. "Then," said Alexander, "you shall yourself be put to death for
having given such a verdict." "Not so," said he, "O king, unless you
mean to belie your own words, for you said at the beginning that you
would put to