Note 45 — Chapter XXXIII

Parmenion, Alexander’s very able general who served Philip and his son for a lifetime, and had reached the age of 70, was left in command in Media when Alexander went onwards in pursuit of Darius. A conspiracy was discovered in which Philotas, the son of Parmenion, was supposed to be implicated. He was tortured and then put to death. Polydamas was then sent into Media with orders for Cleander, the second in command, to assassinate Parmenion before he heard of his son’s death. The crime was perpetrated by Cleander with his own hand. Of Parmenion’s other two sons, Hector was accidentally drowned in the Nile, and Nicanor was carried off by a sudden illness during the march into Hyrcania.

The comparison of the Viceroy’s promulgation of the New Laws with the murder of Parmenion by order of Polydamas is rather far-fetched. The supposed point is that both felt bound implicitly to obey a royal order, however distasteful.