COPTIC LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
translated by frederic krueger

Fragment 1r

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Disguised as his own messenger, Alexander arrives in a land (probably that of the Elamites, see fr. 2) where messengers of other kings have been detained for decades.

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He [said] to Alexander, “Ask each one of these, ‘For how long have you been in this place?’” The first among them said, “Hear me, my brother, I am an inhabitant of the land of Thrace. Behold, (it has been) forty years since I came to this place. It was with some letters that I had been sent to this land.” The second said, “As for me, my brother, behold, twenty-two years have I spent (here) since I came from the land of the Lacedaemonians.”1 The third said to him, “Behold, (it has been) sixty-six years since I came to this place. I had been sent with letters by my lord king […]ês. Now [I shall?] console [you?]. [… said] to Alexander […]

 

Fragment 1v

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Alexander bursts into tears over the news that this is to be his fate as well (or pretends to, not to blow his cover?).

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“I have heard that [it is the king’s] son who is king today. But you, my brother, shall never see your lord, your king, again.” Then Alexander wept bitterly. All who saw him were amazed at him and some in the crowd said, “He has just come and his heart (still) glows within him.” Then Eleazar, the “elder”2 of the Persians, took Alexander and led him to his house. Then the messengers followed him, sat down, and each spoke of his country. And they [lamented] their people and wept tears over Alexander who was weeping […] my lord [… Elea]zar […]

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Fragment 2r

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Alexander has somehow managed to seize power and proceeds to get rid of certain groups and individuals.

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He assumed command of the troops and had them go with some men. These he had crucified, while women were bound in groups. Then Alexander ordered his troops to take position at the city gate and make sure that nobody left. And when morning had come, the “elder,” that is Eleazar, had them wear a royal garment, and all those messengers he clad thusly: Gold and silver and precious stones which had been discovered in that palace: [Sardian stone] and topaz, jasper, onyx, agate, amber, chrysolite, chrysoprase, amethyst.3 And that stone, the amethyst, is the one by which gold is tested. And he pillaged <the city> of the Elamites, (and when) they left it, Jodae was appointed to rule it. Alexander said, […]

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Fragment 2v

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This seems to be a subplot parallel to but independent of that of Alexander: One of the other detained messengers, it turns out, was a king in disguise just like Alexander. Thanks to Alexander’s coup, he can return home now where his son (confusingly called Antipater like the villain of the same name, see fr. 9) has become king in his stead.

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[… wearing a] poor man’s [gar]ment […] only. So he said, “I shall test all the chiefs of the city, (to see) what they will do.” He entered the city and took position at the house of the king. He (the king) did not see [him]—he (the king) only knew that he had spent seventy-seven years with the Elamites—, [nor did this] same [man] (the king) call—for he (the king) knew not that he was his son, nor did he himself know that he (the king) was his father, cloaked as he was in his kaftan.4 Behold, a woman called to him and said to him, “Antipater, why do you not go looking for your father? I have heard concerning the Elamites that Alexander has become their lord and released all the messengers.” The young man said, “My father died over forty years ago, for my father left before I was born from my mother’s womb. It was she who told me the [story of my father], that he […] went […]

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Fragment 3r

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In the Persian province of Gedrosia, Alexander has been taken captive by the Persian Agrikolaos5 who, presumably originally his vassal after Alexander’s conquest of Persia, has rebelled and plans to dispose of him. In prison, Alexander still enjoys the help of an influential man named Antilochos.6 Unable to convince Agrikolaos to spare his life, Antilochos (in return for promises of kingly rewards) devises a scheme to hide Alexander and fake his execution.

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When [Antilochos] heard [this], he entered to Alexander and forthwith said to him, “If I tell the king how he is to release you, what is it that you will do for me?”7 Alexander said to him, “Am I going to see you in that case, when I am walking in my city? If so, truly, accept half of my kingdom from me today!”8 Then [Anti]lochos gave him ink and papyrus,9 and he wrote thusly, “By the throne of my kingdom and my own wellbeing! If you save me, I shall give you whatever it is you would ask of me.” Antilochos sent (word) and hastened to the overseer of the chasm10 and said to him, “Accept from me three centners [of gold] under one condition which I will tell you: (Concerning) Alexander, the king has commanded to throw him into the chasm. But when he is brought to you, hide him in your hiding place and throw a rock of his size into the chasm, so we and those following us can hear it. If you do this, you shall live and you shall [find] favor with me. And when this man comes to you, you shall find many baskets and he shall give you manifold treasures.” So they [sealed] the deal and Antilochos went back. […] And when morning had come […] on Alexander.

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Fragment 3v

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[Alexa]nder […] went to the place of the chasm and saw [it with his] (own) eyes. Then Alexander, [his] rule having ceased and his power having waned, raised his eyes towards heaven and said to those who were holding him, “Just allow me, my brothers, to see the sun!” And Alexander wept and said, “O radiant sun! Shall I see you again in the morning hour?” He was taken inside and Antilochos said to him, “Take a little wine and break and eat before you see it (the chasm? the sun?)!” Alexander said, “If this is the last meal that I will eat, I will not eat!” Antilochos said to him, whispering, “Eat and drink! I will save (lit.: release) your soul, for I have already sought the following instruction: When they take the rock and are about to throw it in, cry out with a loud voice so that it is you that we hear!” Antilochos went outside with ten soldiers. Antilochos said, “Let us go outside, lest our eyes behold his misery.” And (when) they took the rock, Alexander cried out with a loud voice. Antilochos said, weeping together with those who accompanied him, “O the misery of [king Alexand]er and the poverty […] Alexander […] down to the city […]

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Fragment 4r

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As news of Alexander’s demise spreads far and wide, the Persian king regrets his decision, fearing the retribution of Alexander’s armies. Alexander’s companions, Menander11 (who has a powerful vision about the plot to kill Alexander), Selpharios, and Diatrophê12 are devastated when the message reaches them.

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[… that] Alexander had died in the chasm. And everyone who heard (this), cried out. And when the king heard (this), he became sorry and grieved, together with the queen and Antilochos, and said, “I regret that I threw the great king into the chasm and I fear that his army will descend upon us.” Antilochos said to him, “I tried my hardest (lit.: I toiled) begging you to release him, but you would not be persuaded to listen to me, nor did you turn your face to me.” The king said, “Why could you not find a way to release him?” Then, in the night, Alexander was brought to the house of Antilochos. He received him, placed him in a cave, and provided him with all good things. Meanwhile, the news was spreading throughout the whole land13 that Alexander had died, and everyone who heard (this) became stiff like stones over what had happened. Thereafter, Menander saw a dream of this (i.e., the following) kind; a vision he beheld which was of this (i.e., the following) manner:14 A lion bound in iron (chains) did he behold being thrown down a shaft. Behold, a man spoke with him, “Menander, why did you not go down with the lion into the cave, since his purple has fallen [down? Rise and seize (?)] his purple with [haste!” When he awakened], he spoke with Selpharios and Diatrophê full of [grief], saying, “Are you asleep?”

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Fragment 4v

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They said, “What is it, O first [friend of Alex]ander?”15 He said weeping, “The dream that [I have seen] will come to the enemies of Alexander: [I saw] the vision of those that hate him penetrating into a dream, and I became stiff as a stone from grief.”16 Menander said to them, “The lion that I saw is the king.” And they kept talking about these matters until morning. Behold, a messenger came to Selpharios, Menander, and Diatrophê, shouting and weeping, “Who shall hear these words that I have heard and keep silent? It is a fearful thing to say them and a shameful thing to utter them!” Menander said, “What is the word, my son? I have already learned of that which has befallen king Alexander.” The messenger said to them, “Certain men deserving of death laid hands on my lord the king in Gedrosia and killed him!” Then Menander took hold of his purple (garment) and tore it, and Selpharios and Diatrophê tore their garments and cried out as though the ground were shaking. Diatrophê said, “I shall go and bring (back) the report to my lord (Menander).” And he took with him a chiliarch and three soldiers, and they went to Gedrosia, listened to the report, learned [everything], returned to their army, [told Menan]der of these things, and [repeated them in tears], saying, “[…]”

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Fragment 5r

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Alexander, once again in disguise, mingles first with the Persian, then with the Macedonian troops (they are part of the same army since Alexander’s conquest), curious to see how the factions will react to his death.

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Then, when evening had come, Alexander put on a soldier’s garment and went outside, making his approach to the armies. Now Selpharios had ordered in his decree that nobody was to drink wine or put on a precious garment during the forty days of lament for king Alexander.17 But Alexander approached and beheld Agrikolaos, the king of the Persians, spread out on his bed and saying to everyone (lit.: them), “Arise, O men who have heart, eat and drink, for a yoke has fallen from you, that is, Alexander who has been killed! What is running through your minds that you will allow yourselves like this to be slaves of Macedonia and Egypt?” <Alexander>18 said, “No, may this not happen today that you do not eat nor drink, O good man who has strengthened his heart!” Then he rose and went to the Macedonians and said to them, “Why do you not eat or drink? For the dead man who was killing you in war has (himself) been killed! Be glad and rejoice!” They said to him, “You are out of your mind!” And when they said this, they began to throw stones at him. Alexander concealed himself for half the night, went to the house of Antilochos, and mounted (the horse) Chiron.19 

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Fragment 5v

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Alexander reveals himself and punishes the Persian king when he comes groveling.

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He came to the place where Menander was, for his eyes were heavy. He said to Menander, Selpharios and Diatrophê, “You are my strength!” Menander said, “Is it (truly) your voice that I have heard?” Diatrophê [said], “Is it an illusion which I have heard?” When they fell silent, he repeated it, “I am Alexander who was killed by the Gedrosians, but Antilochos revived me. Chiron, tell them what happened to me!” Then, when morning had come, he sat down on the throne of his kingdom, and Alexander immediately had the herald proclaim, “King Alexander has come!” And immediately the crowds came, and Agrikolaos himself came and said, “(Now that) we have seen your face, we have become alive!” Then king Alexander said to him, “So you have sobered up from (last) night’s wine when you said, ‘Fallen from you is the yoke of Alexander, may you eat and drink!’” At once the king ordered him to be decapitated by the sword. The king said, “Receive now vinegar in place of the wine which you drank until you were intoxicated!” And Alexander the king said, “Bring me the ilarch (or: Alaric?)20!” So he was brought […]

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Fragment 6r

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In a melodramatic letter / last will, Selpharios says goodbye to his son back home whom he expects never to see again. It seems that he is about to embark on a hopeless mission after already narrowly escaping a devastating defeat at the hands of the Persians.

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[…] they shall go out […] hear the name of the (pl.) […] Jeremiah up/down, your wellbeing […] the king. You will do my [… When] you are brought my letter, do […] and release him, that he might go [out with] all his own (people)! I salute […] the general, I salute Jeremiah and Drakontios, I salute Sergios and Philea. My son, who will put your mouth on my mouth, your eyes on my eyes, my hands on your [hair? face?]? The birds of the sky that fly out fill their mouth with the food of the field and [carry it] to the mouth of their young. And they, the little birds, rejoice over the presence of their parents because of the(ir) collecting for them, and they raise their little wings, and the little birds display tameness. You, too, Philea, my [own] son, remember the time that I came from the […]

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Fragment 6v

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[… long/short?] time […] in a dream [he saw the downfall] of my lord Alexander […] did rest for a short time Alexander king. Remember […] my dominion for you. I have fought […]okianos and cast him down […] the fortitude of the Persians […] mighty and they defeated me. I, Selpharios, have written (these words) with my own hand. When you are grown up, look upon them, recognize them, read them, and say them with tears and mourning. I have written this letter of my testament under the tears of my eyes with ink. My places of drinking have become a desert and my places of refreshment have become a wilderness!21 I salute you, each of my brethren! Be safe, my beloved, and remember me!” Then, as soon as he had written this, he gave the papyrus to Alexander. And Alexander wept and turned away his eyes, lest Selpharios see him (like this). Alexander said […]

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Fragment 7r

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Alexander reaches the source of the Four Rivers of Paradise and is tempted to press on even beyond that into a mysterious darkness:

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He marveled [at the glory of the garden], from which four [rivers] emerged, which are [Pison], Gihon, Tigris, and the Euphrates.22 Then they drank water from them and cheered, for that spring of water was sweet. Thereafter they beheld a great darkness and they said, “We cannot enter (there).” Then Menander said, “Let us bring suckling mares and mount them but have their foals restrained outside, but we shall ride into the darkness!” They were confused, for it was very dark and one could not see the other’s face. Alexander said, “Come with me, you Menander, Selpharios, and Diatrophê!” So they mounted four suckling mares while their foals stayed in the light, so they could hear each other’s voices. (And as) they rode into the darkness, they heard a voice that said, “Alexander, Menander, Selpharios, and Diatrophê! Be content (that you made it) this far!” Alexander said, “I will not be content until I find what I seek!” Again he rode on a little and …

 

Fragment 7v

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… stopped [with the horses]. The voice said to him for the second time, “Be content, O Alexander!” But Alexander would not stop. He looked under the horses’ hooves and beheld lights. Alexander said, “Let us take these lights, for they are precious stones.” Then Selpharios filled his hand and took four, Menander three, Diatrophê two. Then Alexander stretched out his left hand, filling it, and he took three with his right hand, and at that moment his left hand became like his right hand, and whenever he went to war from that hour onwards, he would fight with both his hands. Then Alexander smelled a powerful fragrance, and the voice hit Alexander’s ears for the third time, “Be content, O Alexander! If a horse hurries to run, it stumbles and falls!” And the voice also said, “Ask what you desire!” Alexander said, “Grant me authority over the whole earth and that my enemies submit to me!” The voice said to him, “Because you did not ask me for a long lifespan but <authority over the whole earth>23, behold, the whole earth have you seen with your eyes and become its master, but when [morning] gives its light, then […]

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Fragment 8r

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Alexander meets the Brahmans of India.

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[…] Alexander […] lest he […] he spoke with […] Alexander did […] land of the Homerites24 […] he drew near […] they came as far as India […] bed […] leaves of trees […] Alexander the great king […] you will come to […] our great […] your head […]

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Fragment 8v

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[…] those […] venerate a law […] ten thousand […]-soldiers […] them to Alexander […] Then Kalynos said […] their name […] he said […] the Brahmans […] exist among the Homerites […] the lives (i.e., conduct) of those […] dressed them(selves?) in garments […] at all times, and […] but […] on the […]

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Fragment 9r

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Antipater, Alexander’s steward in Macedonia, plots to poison Alexander.

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He held off her (Olympias’) rage and bitterness towards Antipater by sending Krateros to Macedonia and Thessaly. When Antipater realized the wrath of Alexander—for he heard (this) from the men who had been released from the service of soldierdom—Antipater planned the murder of Alexander, lest he end up in great torments, for he heard and learned what thoughts Alexander harbored against him due to his arrogance and his deeds. When Alexander sent for the troop of archers—for this was a very large one in Babylon—, there was a son of Antipater (among them) by the name of Julius25 who attended to Alexander. And Antipater prepared that deadly poison whose power no vessel of bronze or clay could withstand, rather it would break at once. And once he had prepared this, he put it into an iron vessel, gave it to Kassandros his son, and sent him as […]

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Fragment 9v

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[…] to Alexander. And in a secret conversation he spoke with Julius his brother about giving the poison to Alexander. Then, when Kassandros had come to Babylon, he found Alexander sacrificing and welcoming those who had come to him. He spoke with Julius his brother, for he was first cupbearer to Alexander. And it had happened (only) a few days earlier that Alexander had struck the servant Julius on the head with a staff while he was sitting, because of a fault that had resulted from a lack of discipline. For this reason the young man was angry and it pleased him easily to do the heinous deed. And so he took with him Mesios26 the Thessalian, who was a friend of Alexander and one of his judges, whom he (Alexander) had (also) mistreated because of some partiality. And they agreed to give the poison to Alexander to drink.

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36. Of those who gave the deadly poison to drink27

“He who gazes upon a table not his own, his life is no life.”28

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