appealed to their sense of justice not to condemn him
on mere vague surmises. In reply, they decided to put him to the
torture. There was no evidence, it was true, and they wished,
accordingly, to supply its place by his own confession, extorted by
pain. Of course, his most inveterate and implacable enemies were
appointed to conduct the operation. They put Philotas upon the rack.
The rack is an instrument of wheels and pulleys, into which the victim
is placed, and his limbs and tendons are stretched by it in a manner
which produces most excruciating pain.

Philotas bore the beginning of his torture with great resolution and
fortitude. He made no complaint, he uttered no cry: this was the
signal to his executioners to increase the tension and the agony. Of
course, in such a trial as this, there was no question of guilt or
innocence at issue. The only question was, which could stand out the
longest, his enemies in witnessing horrible sufferings, or he himself
in enduring them. In this contest the unhappy Philotas was vanquished
at last. He begged them to release him from the rack, saying he would
confess whatever they required, on condition of being allowed to die
in peace.

They accordingly released him, and, in answer to their questions, he
confessed that he himself and his father were involved in the plot. He
said yes to various other inquiries relating to the circumstances of
the conspiracy, and to the guilt of various individuals whom those
that managed the torture had suspected, or who, at any rate, they
wished to have condemned. The answers of Philotas to all these
questions were written down, and he was himself sentenced to be
stoned. The sentence was put in execution without any delay.

During all this time Parmenio was in Media, in command of a very
important part of Alexander's army. It was decreed that he must die;
but some careful management was necessary to secure his execution
while he was at so great a distance, and at the head of so great a
force. The affair had to be conducted with great secrecy as well as
dispatch. The plan adopted was as follows:

There was a certain man, named Polydamas, who was regarded as
Parmenio's particular friend. Polydamas was commissioned to go to
Media and see the execution performed. He was selected, because it
was supposed that if any enemy, or a stranger, had been sent, Parmenio
would have received him with suspicion or at least with caution, and
kept himself on his g