L. Not long after this followed the murder of Kleitus, which, if simply told, seems more cruel than that of Philotas; but if we consider the circumstances under which it took place, and the provocation which was given, we shall treat it rather as a misfortune which befel Alexander during a fit of drunken passion than as a deliberate act.  It happened as follows.  Some men came from the sea-coast, bringing Greek grapes as a present to Alexander.  He admired their bloom and ripeness, and invited Kleitus to see them, meaning to present him with some of them.  Kleitus was engaged in offering sacrifice, but on receiving this summons left his sacrifice and went to the king:  upon which, three of the sheep which he was about to offer up as victims, followed him.  When Alexander heard of this, he consulted his soothsayers, Aristander, and Kleomantes the Laconian.  As they reported that this was an evil omen, he bade them at once offer an expiatory sacrifice on behalf of Kleitus; for he himself, three days before, had dreamed a strange dream about Kleitus, that he had seen him sitting dressed in black amongst the sons of Parmenio, who were all of them dead.  Before, however, the sacrifices on behalf of Kleitus had been performed, he came to the banquet, before which Alexander himself had offered sacrifice to the Dioskuri.

After all had drunk heavily, a song was sung which had been composed by one Pranichus, or Pierion according to some writers, in which the generals who had recently been defeated by the barbarians were held up to public shame and ridicule.  The elder Macedonians were vexed at this, and blamed both the writer of the song and the man who sung it, but Alexander and his associates were much pleased with it, and bade the singer go on.  Kleitus, who was now very much excited by drink and who was naturally of a fierce and independent temper, was especially annoyed, and said that it was not right for Macedonians to be thus insulted in the presence of enemies and barbarians, for that, in spite of their misfortune, they were far braver men than those who ridiculed them.  Alexander answered that Kleitus, when he called cowardice a misfortune, was no doubt pleading his own cause:  at which reproach Kleitus sprang to his feet, and exclaimed, “my cowardice at any rate saved the life of the son of the gods, when he turned his back to the sword of Spithridates; so that now, by the blood and wounds of the Macedonians, you have become so great a man that you pretend to be the child of Ammon, and disown your father Philip.”

LI.  Alexander, stung to the quick by these words, said, “Villain, do you suppose that you will be allowed to spread these calumnies against me, rendering the Macedonians disaffected, and yet go unpunished?” “Too much are we punished,” answered Kleitus, “when we see such a reward as this given us for all our hard service, but we congratulate those of us who are dead, because they died before they saw Macedonians beaten with Median rods, and begging Persian