EXAMPLE 24. Timoclea.
Theagenes the Theban, who held the same sentiments
with regard to his country's welfare with Epaminondas,
Pelopidas, and the other most worthy Thebans, was slain in
Chaeronea, in the common disaster of Greece, even then
when he had conquered his enemies and was in pursuit of
them. For it was he that answered one who cried out
aloud to him, How far wilt thou pursue? Even (saith he)
to Macedonia. When he was dead, his sister survived him,
who gave testimony that he was nobly descended, and
that he was naturally a great man and excellently accomplished. Moreover, this woman was so fortunate as to
reap a great benefit by her prowess, so that the more
public calamities fell upon her, so much the easier she
bore them. For when Alexander took Thebes and the
soldiers fell a plundering, some in one part and some in
another, it happened that a man, neither civil nor sober
but mischievous and mad, took up his quarters in Timoclea's house. He was a captain to a Thracian company,
and the king's namesake, but nothing like him; for he
having no regard either to the family or estate of this
woman, when he had swilled himself in wine after supper,
commanded her to come and lie with him. Neither ended
he here, but enquired for gold and silver, whether she had
not some hid by her; sometimes threatening as if he would
kill her, sometimes flattering as if he would always repute
her in the place of a wife. She, taking the occasion
offered by him, said: ‘Would God I had died before this
night came, rather than lived to it; that though all other
things had been lost, I might have preserved my body free
from abuse. But now seeing it is thus come to pass, and
Divine Providence hath thus disposed of it that I must
repute thee my guardian, lord, and husband, I will not
hold any thing from thee that is thine own. And as for
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myself, I see I am at thy disposition. As for corporeal enjoyments, the world was mine, I had silver bowls, I had
gold, and some money; but when this city was taken, I
commanded my maids to pack it up altogether, and threw
it, or rather put it for security, into a well that had no
water in it. Neither do many know of it, for it hath a
covering, and nature hath provided a shady wood round
about it. Take then these things, and much good may
they do thee; and they shall lie by thee, as certain tokens
and marks of the late flourishing fortune and splendor of
our family.’
When the Macedonian heard these things, he stayed not
for day, but presently went to the place by Timoclea's conduct, commanding the garden-door to be shut, that none
might perceive what they were about. He descended in
his morning vestment. But the revengeful Clotho brought
dreadful things upon him by the hand of Timoclea, who
stood on the top of the well; for as soon as she perceived
by his voice that he reached the bottom, she threw down
abundance of stones upon him, and her maids rolled in
many and great ones, till they had dashed him to pieces
and buried him under them. As soon as the Macedonians
came to understand this and had taken up the corpse, there
having been late proclamation that none of the Thebans
should be slain, they seized her and carried her before the
king and declared her audacious exploit; but the king,
who by the gravity of her countenance and stateliness of
her behavior did perceive in her something that savored
of the greatest worth and nobility, asked her first, What
woman art thou? She courageously and undauntedly answered: Theagenes was my brother, who was a commander at Chaeronea, and lost his life fighting against
you in defence of the Grecian liberty, that we might not
suffer any such thing; and seeing I have suffered things
unworthy of my rank, I refuse not to die; for it is better
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so to do than to experience another such a night as the
last, which awaits me unless thou forbid it. All the most
tender-spirited persons that were present broke out into
tears; but Alexander was not for pitying her, as being a
woman above pity. But he admired her fortitude and eloquence, which had taken strong hold on him, and charged
his officers to have a special care and look to the guards,
lest any such abuse be offered again to any renowned
family; and dismissed Timoclea, charging them to have a
special regard to her and all that should be found to be of
her family.
