Chapter 10. ANAXARCHUS
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Anaxarchus, a native of Abdera, studied under Diogenes of
Smyrna,
1 and
the latter under Metrodorus of Chios, who used to declare that he
knew nothing, not even the fact that he knew nothing ; while
Metrodorus was a pupil of Nessas of Chios, though some say that he
was taught by Democritus. Now Anaxarchus accompanied Alexander and
flourished in the 110th Olympiad.
2 He
made an enemy of Nicocreon, tyrant of Cyprus. Once at a
banquet, when asked by Alexander how he liked the
feast, he is said to have answered, "Everything, O king, is
magnificent ; there is only one thing lacking, that the head of some
satrap should be served up at table." This was a hit at Nicocreon,
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who never forgot it, and when after the king's death Anaxarchus was
forced against his will to land in Cyprus, he seized him and,
putting him in a mortar, ordered him to be pounded to death with
iron pestles. But he, making light of the punishment, made that
well-known speech, "Pound, pound the pouch containing Anaxarchus ;
ye pound not Anaxarchus." And when Nicocreon commanded his tongue to
be cut out, they say he bit it off and spat it at him. This is what
I have written upon him
3 :
Pound, Nicocreon, as hard as you like : it
is but a pouch. Pound on ; Anaxarchus's self long since is housed
with Zeus. And after she has drawn you upon her carding-combs a
little while, Persephone will utter words like these: "Out upon
thee, villainous miller !"
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For his fortitude and contentment
in life he was called the Happy Man. He had, too, the capacity of
bringing anyone to reason in the easiest possible way. At all events
he succeeded in diverting Alexander when he had begun to think
himself a god ; for, seeing blood running from a wound he had
sustained, he pointed to him with his finger and said, "See, there
is blood and not
Ichor which courses in the veins of the
blessed gods."
4
Plutarch reports this as spoken by Alexander to
his friends.
5 Moreover, on another occasion, when Anaxarchus was
drinking Alexander's health, he held up his goblet and said :
One of the gods shall fall by the stroke of mortal man.
6