No sooner did Alexander get Italy in hand than
he began to devise projects that were ever greater
and greater, and sent oracle-mongers everywhere in

 

the Roman Empire, warning the cities to be on their
guard against plagues and conflagrations and earthquakes; he promised that he would himself afford
them infallible aid so that none of these calamities
should befall them. There was one oracle, also an
autophone, which he despatched to all the nations
during the pestilence The terrible plague which swept the whole Empire about A.D. 165. ; it was but a single verse:

 Phoebus, the god unshorn, keepeth off plague’s
nebulous onset. 

This verse was to be seen everywhere written
over doorways as a charm against the plague; but
in most cases it had the contrary result. By
some chance it was particularly the houses on which
the verse was inscribed that were depopulated! Do
not suppose me to mean that they were stricken on
account of the verse—by some chance or other it
turned out that way, and perhaps, too, people
neglected precautions because of their confidence in
the line and lived too carelessly, giving the oracle no
assistance against the disease because they were going
to have the syllables to defend them and “unshorn
Phoebus” to drive away the plague with his arrows!

 

Moreover, Alexander posted a great number of
his fellow-conspirators in Rome itself as his agents,
who reported everyone’s views to him and gave him
advance information about the questions and the
especial wishes of those who consulted him, so that
the messengers might find him ready to answer even
before they arrived!
 

He made these preparations to meet the situation
in Italy, and also made notable preparations at home.


 

He established a celebration of mysteries, with torchlight ceremonies and priestly offices, which was to be
held annyally, for three days in succession, in perpetuity. On the first day, as at Athens, The reference is to the proclamation that preceded the Eleusinian mysteries. Its entire content is unknown, but it reqnuired that the celebrants be clean of hand, pure of heart, and Greek in speech. Barbarians, homicides, and traitors were excluded; and there was some sort of restriction in regard to previous diet. there was
a proclamation, worded as follows: “If any atheist
or Christian or Epicurean has come to spy upon the
rites, let him be off, and let those who believe in
the god perform the mysteries, under the blessing
of Heaven.” Then, at the very outset, there was an
“expulsion,” in which he took the lead, saying:
“Out with the Christians,” and the whole multitude
chanted in response, “Out with the Epicureans!”
Then there was the child-bed of Leto, the birth of
Apollo, his marriage to Coronis, and the birth of
Asclepius. On the second day came the manifestation of Glycon, including the birth of the god.
 
On the third day there was the union of Podaleirius
and the mother of Alexander—it was called the Day
of Torches, and torches were burned. In conclusion
there was the amour of Selene and Alexander, and
the birth of Rutilianus’ wife. The torch-bearer and
hierophant was our Endymion, Alexander. While
he lay in full view, pretending to be asleep, there
came down to him from the roof, as if from heaven,
not Selene but Rutilia, a very pretty woman, married
to one of the Emperor’s stewards. She was
genuinely in love with Alexander and he with her;
and before the eyes of her worthless husband there
were kisses and embraces in public. If the torches


 

had not been numerous, perhaps the thing would
have been carried even further. After a short time
Alexander entered again, robed as a priest, amid
profound silence, and said in a loud voice, over and
over again, “Hail, Glycon,” while, following in his
train, a number of would-be Eumolpids and Ceryces Hereditary priesthoods in the Eleusinian mysteries. 
from Paphlagonia, with brogans on their feet and
breaths that reeked of garlic, shouted in response,
“Hail, Alexander!”
 

Often in the course of the torchlight ceremonies
and the gambols of the mysteries his thigh was
bared purposely and showed golden. No doubt
gilded leather had been put about it, which gleamed
in the light of the cressets. There was once a
discussion between two of our learned idiots in
regard to him, whether he had the soul of Pythagoras, on account of the golden thigh, or some other
soul akin to it. As Pythagoras had a golden thigh (Plutarch, Numa, 65; Aelian, Var. Hist., 2, 26), a believer in metempsychosis might think that Alexander was a reincarnation of Pythagoras, They referred this question to
Alexander himself, and King Glycon resolved their
doubt with an oracle:
 Nay, Pythagoras’ soul now waneth and other times waxeth; His, with prophecy gifted, from God’s mind taketh its issue,; Sent by the Father to aid good men in the stress of the conflict; Then it to God will return, by God’s own thunderbolt smitten.