ce to them to depart out of his
land; and they said that it was right that before they went forth they
should receive the wages which were due. Now it chanced that the sun
was shining into the house down through the opening which received the
smoke, and the king when he heard about the wages said, being infatuated
by a divine power: "I pay you then this for wages, and it is such as
ye deserve," pointing to the sunlight. So then Gauanes and Aeropos the
elder brothers stood struck with amazement when they heard this, but
the boy, who happened to have in his hand a knife, said these words: "We
accept, O king, that which thou dost give;" and he traced a line with
his knife round the sunlight on the floor of the house, and having
traced the line round he thrice drew of the sunlight into his bosom, and
after that he departed both himself and his fellows.

138. They then were going away, and to the king one of those who sat
by him at table told what manner of thing the boy had done, and how the
youngest of them had taken that which was given with some design: and
he hearing this and being moved with anger, sent after them horsemen to
slay them. Now there is a river in this land to which the descendents of
these men from Argos sacrifice as a saviour. This river, so soon as the
sons of Temenos had passed over it, began to flow with such great volume
of water that the horsemen became unable to pass over. So the brothers,
having come to another region of Macedonia, took up their dwelling near
the so-called gardens of Midas the son of Gordias, where roses grow wild
which have each one sixty petals and excel all others in perfume.
In these gardens too Silenos was captured, as is reported by the
Macedonians: and above the gardens is situated a mountain called
Bermion, which is inaccessible by reason of the cold. Having taken
possession of that region, they made this their starting-point, and
proceeded to subdue also the rest of Macedonia.

139. From this Perdiccas the descent of Alexander was as
follows:--Alexander was the son of Amyntas, Amyntas was the son of
Alketes, the father of Alketes was Aeropos, of him Philip, of Philip
Argaios, and of this last the father was Perdiccas, who first obtained
the kingdom.

140. Thus then, I say, Alexander the son of Amyntas was descended; and
when he came to Athens sent from Mardonios, he spoke as follows: (a)
"Athenians, Mardonios speaks these words:--There has come to me a message
from the