The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-05-19
ALEXANDER OF ABoNorIcHus
How a cagliostro outdid all the Shades
 and Joe Smiths.
New York World. /!


 New York World.
 In his last volume of Short Studies on Grea, Subjects published by the Sorib- ners. Mir Froude gives very interesting account of \ Cagliostro of the Second Century" Alexander of Abonotichus, to- wi, one of the school of esoteric disei- ples Jeff by Apollinius of Tyana. an ac- coun: which goes to show tha, l" dear Lady Mary teapo:s and golden plates oi ,he book of Mormon were invented abou, as un-new as everything else under the sun. I-ucian. whom Nr. Frcude rightly calls tie most gifted and perhaps iae puresi-hear;ed thinker produced un- der he Roman emp,re," man of kee. u:eliect. who spent lis life as ] critic q the spiritual phenomena of he age. .el.s the story. which has been reproduced by the English essayisi. Alexander was born at Aboaotichus. near S.nope. at the beginning of the second century. He was of humble origin. but of unusual beauty, and at an early age he became the famulus of disciple of Apollonius who practiced medicine, fortune-telling and magic. and was not above dabbling in the substitution of children where heirs were needed for estates, or the concoct- ing of poisons where they were found su- perhuous. Thrown on the world at the age of twenty, through his masters death. and anxious 10 find 2 wider field for his talents, Alexander went to Byzaniium. where he formed an alliance with game s,er and tipster named Cocconas. When a wealthy Macedonian widow fell in love with Alexander, and took him with ter to her estate at Pella, Cocconas accom- panied them. :" A, Pella there was al this time great number of large, harm less snakes. They came into the houses. where they were useful in keeping down rats and mice; they let the children play with them they crept into beds at night, and were never interfered with It oo- cured to Alexander and Cocconas tha, something might be made of one of these serpen.s, and when they Jeff pella they took very handsome specimen with them, designing to set up an oracular shr ne oftheir own, which would take the place of Delos and Delphi-to produce a real. visible and tangible god, that men could feel and handle, and that would itself speak and give out oracles.
 Cocconas was for having the new deity appear at Chalcedon, rich and busy town: but the shrewder Alexander pointed out the superior advantages of establishing a reputation in a remoter place. where the inhabitants were less curious and keen than the traders and merchants of populous city, and Abon- otichus was decided upon as the theatre lieved-in of the surviving deities, was se- sA~ h~ ..>.~->s>l by way of advance, advertising brazen plates were burned in the temple Of Appollo at Chalcedon, announcing that Apollo and Esculapius were about to visit Pontus, and that the latter would appear at Abonotichus tn bodily form. These plates, being discovered, became the theme of much excited discus sion the traders carried the news all over the surrounding country, and the delighted people of Abonotichus set to work to Lay the foundations of temple for their honored guest Al this, point Cocconas vanishes from the story, dying a. Chalcedon, very conveniently, leaving Alexander to carry on the work alone. Lucian describes the chief performer, when he appeared al Abonotichus, as tall, majestic, and extremely handsome, with large and luxsrous eyes and sweet and limpid voice, hair long and flowing, and moderate beard, partly false. He made his appearance in his native town, his hair wildly streaming, in a purple tunic, with white cloak thrown over it, bearing in his hand falchion like that with which Perseus had slain the Corgzn, and chanting doggerei of Alexandrian metaphysics, with monads and triads, pentads and decads, playing in anagrams upon his ewu name. He had leaned from an oracle, he said, that Pesseus was his mothers ancestor, and that wonder ful destiny had been told for him. He rolled his beautiful. soft eyes. With the aid of soap-wort he loaned at the mouth ], as if possessed The poor people had known his mother, and had no concep- ton of her illussrious lineage; but there was no disputing with an oracle, and Alexander was received with an ova- ton, all the town bowing down before him: and he then prepared for his next s:ep-'
 The serpent was throughout the east the symbol of wisdom and immortality :: with its. tail in it's mouth, 1t represented the circle of eternity: by the annual she'd