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Alexander Romance (pseudo-Callisthenes) 3.30:
Great they say is the foresight of the divine powers. One of the (Babylonian) native woman gave birth to a child, the upper part of whose body, as far as the flanks, was all natural and human; but from the thighs downward there were animal heads so as to make the child just like the Scylla - there were the heads of lions and of wild dogs. And the forms moved, and everyone could make them out and recognize what each was, but the child’s head was stillborn. Once the woman had given birth to the baby, she put it into the cloth and, having covered it up, arrived at Alexander’s palace. She told his announcer, “Inform King Alexander that I have come concerning an amazing matter - I wish to show him something.” It was midday, and Alexander was taking siesta in his bedroom, but when he woke, he was told about the woman and ordered her to be brought in. When she came, the king dismissed all present, and when they had all gone, the woman showed him the monster that had been born, adding that she herself had given birth to it.
Seeing this, Alexander was astounded and immediately gave instructions for expert interpreters and magicians to be brought. When they came, he ordered them to deliver an interpretation of this portent that had been born, threatening them with death if they failed to tell him the truth. Of the Chaldeans, there were five who had the greatest reputation and intelligence, and one of them was much superior to them all in skill, but he, so it happened, was not in the city. Those who were in fact present said that Alexander would be stronger than all others in his wars and would become master over all mankind. The animals, they said, were the mightiest nations, subject to man’s body - and this was what they indicated. After them, the other Chaldean too came to Alexander and, seeing what the omen was like, screamed out aloud in tears and tore his clothing apart in sorrow. Alexander grieved not a little to see him so distressed and told him to have confidence, and tell him what he saw in the sign. He made this reply to the king: “King, one can no longer count you among the living.”
Alexander pressed him for the details of his interpretation of the sign, and he replied: “King, most powerful of all men, you are the human shape; the animal forms are those around you. Now if the upper part was alive and moving like the animals under it, then you would have gone on to rule over all men. But just as it has departed life, so have you, King. And those around you are just like the animals under it: they have no sense and in fact are savage to men, and those around you are disposed in just this way to you.” With this the Chaldean left. As for the baby, the Chaldean said it should be burned forthwith. After hearing this Alexander put his affairs in order daily.
Source (list of abbreviations)
Alexander Romance (pseudo-Callisthenes) 3.30
Bibliography
| Reardon 1989, 731-732 | Reardon, B. P. Collected Ancient Greek Novels. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press 1989. |
Amar Annus
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