Aspasia wrote:I cant remember where i read it- Alexander and friends pull into some place- there is a liquid there that has amazing burning properties . . . I think some young kid tries to do a trick with it . . . Can someonw please tell me where this story comes from?!
Plutarch, Life of Alexander 35
35 "As he traversed all Babylonia, which at once submitted to him, he was most of all amazed at the chasm from which fire continually streamed forth as from a spring, and at the stream of naphtha, so abundant as to form a lake, not far from the chasm. This naphtha is in other ways like asphaltum, but is so sensitive to fire that, before the flame touches it, it is kindled by the very radiance about the flame and often sets fire also to the intervening air. To show its nature and power, the Barbarians sprinkled the street leading to Alexander's quarters with small quantities of the liquid; then, standing at the farther end of the street, they applied their torches to the moistened spots; for it was now getting dark. The first spots at once caught fire, and without an appreciable interval of time, but with the speed of thought, the flame darted to the other end, and the street was one continuous fire. Now, there was a certain Athenophanes, an Athenian, one of those who were accustomed to minister to the person of the king when he bathed and anointed himself, and to furnish suitable diversion for his thoughts. This man, one time when there was standing by Alexander in the bath-room a youth who had a ridiculously plain countenance, but was a graceful singer (his name was Stephanus), said, "Wilt thou, O King, that we make a trial of the liquid upon Stephanus? For if it should lay hold of him and not be extinguished, I would certainly say that its power was invincible and terrible." The youth also, strangely enough, offered himself for the experiment, and as soon as he touched the liquid and began to anoint himself with it, his body broke out into so great a flame and was so wholly possessed by fire that Alexander fell into extreme perplexity and fear; and had it not been by chance that many were standing by holding vessels of water for the bath, the youth would have been consumed before aid reached him. Even as it was, they had great difficulty in putting out the fire, for it covered the boy's whole body, and after they had done so, he was in a sorry plight."
Apart from an immediate response to the above along the lines of "Were they all out of their minds?!!!" I've often wondered if I'm the only person who suspects that Alexanders sweet smell came from the perfumed ungents that were found in Darius' casket. The whole bathing and annointing procedure being so long and elaborate (and public) indicates the level of Alexander's fastidiousness. So why wouldn't he have made use of the perfumed oils? The Greeks didn't approve of perfume at this time, I know, but I doubt that would have troubled Alexander. He adopted Persianized clothing, so why not use the king's oils?
Tangent topic, I realize, but I doubt it's worthy of a split thread. Just one of those small things that intrigues me.
Best regards
