Читать книгу The Story of Alexander онлайн

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Now drew on the time when this noble child was to be born, and as he came to earth temples and towers tumbled on heaps, thunder rang through the welkin, darkness fell over the earth, the wind rose and blew, the lightning flashed over the land, and great stones fell from the sky. Then Philip feared, and said: “Surely this son that is born shall do great things, and men will call me the father of this child”; and with that he went to Olympias and comforted her. But the child grew, nor was he like to father nor mother. His hair was yellow-tawny, like a lion’s, his eyes were bright and glistening, piercing like blazing stars; grim and fierce was his look, one of his eyes black as a coal, the other yellow like gold; his voice was loud, even from his first cry, nor could any hear it without inward fear. Alexander was his name, and the wisest man of all the world, Aristotle, was his tutor, nor would he learn of other. Clever and wise was he, nor did he sit with the crowd of boys, but on a bench beside his master, for it became not a king’s son to sit down undistinguished from other boys. In four or five years he learnt more than many scholars learn in seventy winters. And when he was eleven years old he set him to learn the art and craft of battle, to wield a spear and a lance, to ride a noble steed in armour, so that in a few years was none equal to him, and in adventures of arms he surpassed all men.