ent." On this Amyntas, understanding that Alexander was intending
to do some violence, said: "My son, I think that I understand thy words,
as the heat of anger moves thee, namely that thou desirest to send me
away and then do some deed of violence: therefore I ask of thee not to
do violence to these men, that it may not be our ruin, but endure to see
that which is being done: as to my departure, however, in that I will do
as thou sayest."

20. When Amyntas after having made of him this request had departed,
Alexander said to the Persians: "With these women ye have perfect
freedom, guests, to have commerce with all, if ye so desire, or with as
many of them as ye will. About this matter ye shall be they who give the
word; but now, since already the hour is approaching for you to go to
bed and I see that ye have well drunk, let these women go away, if so it
is pleasing to you, to bathe themselves; and when they have bathed, then
receive them back into your company." Having so said, since the Persians
readily agreed, he dismissed the women, when they had gone out, to the
women's chambers; and Alexander himself equipped men equal in number to
the women and smooth-faced, in the dress of the women, and giving them
daggers he led them into the banqueting-room; and as he led them in, he
said thus to the Persians: "Persians, it seems to me that ye have been
entertained with a feast to which nothing was wanting; for other things,
as many as we had, and moreover such as we were able to find out and
furnish, are all supplied to you, and there is this especially besides,
which is the chief thing of all, that is, we give you freely in addition
our mothers and our sisters, in order that ye may perceive fully that
ye are honoured by us with that treatment which ye deserve, and also in
order that ye may report to the king who sent you that a man of Hellas,
ruler under him of the Macedonians, entertained you well at board and
bed." Having thus said Alexander caused a Macedonian man in the guise of
a woman to sit by each Persian, and they, when the Persians attempted to
lay hands on them, slew them.

21. So these perished by this fate, both they themselves and their
company of servants; for there came with them carriages and servants and
all the usual pomp of equipage, and this was all made away with at the
same time as they. Afterwards in no long time a great search was made by
the Persians for these men, and Alexander stopped them with c