n fewer in his own
kingdom of Macedonia. The dishonesty of Cleomenes was indeed equally
shown toward the Macedonians, by his wish to cheat the troops out of
part of their pay. The pay of the soldiers was due on the first day of
each month, but on that day he took care to be out of the way, and
the soldiers were paid a few days later; and by doing the same on each
following month, he at length changed the pay-day to the last day of the
month, and cheated the army out of a whole month's pay.

Another act for which Cleomenes was blamed was not so certainly wrong.
One summer, when the harvest had been less plentiful than usual, he
forbade the export of grain, which was a large part of the trade of
Egypt, thereby lowering the price to the poor so far as they could
afford to purchase such costly food, but injuring the landowners. On
this, the heads of the provinces sent to him in alarm, to say that they
should not be able to get in the usual amount of tribute; he therefore
allowed the export as usual, but raised the duty; and he was reproached
for receiving a larger revenue while the landowners were suffering from
a smaller crop.

[Illustration: 027.jpg LIGHTHOUSE AT ALEXANDRIA]

At Ecbatana, the capital of Media, Alexander lost his friend Hephaestion,
and in grief for his death he sent to Egypt to enquire of the oracle at
the temple of Kneph in the oasis of Ammon, what honours he might pay
to the deceased. The messengers brought him an answer, that he might
declare Hephaestion a demigod, and order that he should be worshipped.
Accordingly, Alexander then sent an express command to Cleomenes that
he should build a temple to his lost favourite in his new city of
Alexandria, and that the lighthouse which was to be built on the island
of Pharos should be named after him; and as modern insurances against
risks by sea usually begin with the words "In the name of God; Amen;"
so all contracts between merchants in the port of Alexandria were to
be written solemnly "In the name of Hephaestion." Feeling diffident
of enforcing obedience at the mouth of the Nile, while he was himself
writing from the sources of the Indus, he added that if, when he came to
Egypt he found his wish carried into effect, he would pardon Cleomenes
for those acts of misgovernment of which he had been accused, and for
any others which might then come to his ears.

A somatophylax in the Macedonian army was no doubt at first, as the
word means, one of the offi