35 For the death of happy men is not, as Æsop thought, most grievous, but most blessed, since it establishes their past felicities, and puts them out of fortune's power. And the Spartan advised well, who, embracing Diagoras, that had himself been crowned in the Olympic games, and saw his sons and grandchildren victors, said, "Die, Diagoras, for thou canst not be a god." And yet who would compare all the victories in the Pythian and Olympic games put together, with one of those enterprises of Pelopidas, of which he successfully performed so many? Having spent his life in brave and glorious actions, he died at last in the chief command, for the thirteenth time, of the Boeotians*, fighting bravely and in the act of slaying a tyrant, in defence of the liberty of the Thessalians. His death, as it brought grief, so likewise it produced advantage to the allies; for the Thebans, as soon as they heard of his fall, delayed not their revenge, but presently sent seven thousand foot and seven hundred horse, under the command of Malcitas and Diogiton. And they, finding Alexander weak and without forces, compelled him to restore to the Thessalians the cities he had taken, to withdraw his garrisons from the Magnesians and Achæans of Phthiotis, and swear to assist the Thebans against whatsoever enemies they should require. This contented the Thebans; but let me add the account of * He died, that is, in his thirteenth Bootarchship. No long time after, at the second battle of Mantinea, B. c. 362, died Epaminondas, of whom likewise there was a life by Plutarch, which has been lost; and one year after this, B.C. 361, the Spartan king, Agesilaus. The date of the death of Alexander of Pheræ, related in the next chapter, B.C. 359, is that also of the accession of Philip of Macedon. of Alex of Phe 359. the punishment which not long after overtook the Death tyrant for his wickedness, and avenged the death of ander Pelopidas. Pelopidas, as I have already mentioned, re, B.C. had taught Alexander's wife Thebe not to fear the outward splendour and show of the tyrant's defences, since she was admitted within them. She of herself too dreaded his inconstancy, and hated his cruelty; and, therefore, conspiring with her three brothers, Tisiphonus, Pytholaus, and Lycophron, made the following attempt upon him. All the other apartments were full of the tyrant's night-guards, but their bed-chamber was an upper room, and before the door lay a chained dog to guard it, which would fly at all but the tyrant and his wife and one servant that fed him. When Thebe therefore designed to make the attempt, she hid her brothers all day in a room hard by, and she, going in alone, according to her usual custom, to Alexander, who was asleep already, in a little time came out again, and commanded the servant to lead away the dog, for Alexander wished to rest quietly. She herself covered the stairs with wool, that the young men might make no noise as they came up; and then, bringing up her brothers with their weapons, and leaving them at the chamber door, she went in, and brought away the tyrant's sword that hung over his head, and showed it them for a confirmation that he was fast asleep. The young men appearing fearful, and unwilling to do the murder, she chid them, and angrily vowed she would awake Alexander, and discover the conspiracy; and so, with a lamp in her hand, she conducted them in, they being both ashamed and afraid, and brought them to the bed; when one of them caught him by the feet, the other pulled him backward by the hair, and the third ran him through. The death was more speedy, perhaps, than was fit; but, in that he was the first tyrant that was killed by the contrivance of his wife, and as his corpse was abused, thrown out, and trodden under foot by the Pheræans, he seems to have suffered what his villanies deserved. Greek horseman, (From the Panathenaic frieze.) |