TORTURE AND DEATH OF THILOTAS. 195 for any one else to rise and presume to criticise the proofs. A soldier named Bolon harangued his comrades on the insupporta- ble insolence of Philotas, who always (he said) treated the soldiers with contempt, turning them out of their quarters to make room for his countless retinue of slaves. Though this allegation (probably enough well-founded) was no way connect- ed with the charge of treason against the king, it harmonized fully with the temper of the assembly, and wound them up to the last pitch of fury. The royal pages began the cry, echoed by all around, that they would with their own hands tear the, parricide in pieces.' It would have been fortunate for Philotas if their wrath had been sufficiently ungovernable to instigate the execution of such a sentence on the spot. But this did not suit the purpose of his enemies. Aware that he had been condemned upon the regal word, with nothing better than the faintest negative ground of suspicion, they determined to extort from him a confession such as would justify their own purposes, not only against him, but against his father Parmenio — whom there was as yet nothing to implicate. Accordingly, during the ensuing night, Philotas was put to the torture. Hejihajstion, Kraterus, and Kocnus — the last of the three being brother-in-law of Philotas ^ — them- selves superintended the ministers of physical ouffering. Alexan- der himself too was at hand, but concealed by a curtain. It is said that Philotas manifested little firmness under torture, and that Alexander, an unseen witness, indulged in sneers against the cowardice of one Avho had foaght by his side in so many battles.^ All who stood by were enemies, and likely to describe the conduct of Philotas in such manner as to justify their own hatred. The tortures inflicted,* cruel in the- extreme and long- ' Curtius. vi 11, 8. " Turn vero universa concio accensa est, et a corpo- ris custodihus initium factum, clamantibus, disccrpendum esse f arricidam nianibus corum. Id quidam Philotas, qui graviora suppli>.i£. metueret. haud sane iniquo animo audiebat." " Curtius, vi. 9, 30; vi. 11, 11. ^ Plutarch, Alexand. 49. •• Curtius, vi. 11, 15, "Per ultimos deinde cruciatus, utpote ct damnatns ct inimicis in gratiam regis torquentibus, laceratur. Ac primo quidam, quanquam hinc ignis, illinc verbera, jam non ad qt.«/iSiiohem, scd ad poenara.
