The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-10
Where Did Alexander the treat Dicg


Editor Of The Times:
Sir,-Rcy. Dr. Charles s. Robinson is a
Christian minister OF high standing and
Of admitted orudition. ~ hle he was the
pastor of the Madison Avenue church. ia
the city Of New York he delivered a. series
of lectures on Egypt which were found SO
interesting and instructive that the sub
stance Of them was arranged by him Tor
the press and published in 1851, by the
Century Company in a book entitled THE
Pharoahs Of the Bondage and the Exc
dus." This book is generally reliable in
its statements OF fact, and profoundly in
tcresting - all students OF the people and
history of that strange old land Of Egypt.
But 10 contains Il statement, ON pages
O. and Z. that Alexander the Great died
In the city Of Alexandra. which he had
founded and which takes her name from
him, and that he was buried there. DR..
Robinson visited Alexandra. and says:
"That imperial solder, who gave his
own name 10 tie city he built as IL by
magic, enJeI his remarkable career
u.le' and adds: we stood thOughtfuliy
ny the spot where they say without
much accuracy Alexander was buried. lie
was laid in the grave in q coffin Of gold,
that was put in an eucascmcut Ofglass,
and that was surrounded with sar-
cophagus OF stone. But the stone has
been crushed, the glass shattered, the
gold rned. the body lost, and the exact
grave forgotten"
These statements as 10 the place on the
death and burial Of ole OF the most mar
yellous characters that ever has appeared
ia the worlds history, are both open 10
serious question. And every error in
historic truth ought TO be pointed out
without delay, because only Truth makes
Us free. and error ouy tends. 10 prOpa-
gate itself into hi IeOus births.
Alexander the Great founded Alexan-
dria, in Egypt I'm The year b. G. 332. Tn
der his imperial influence and fostering
care this city bearing his name grew
rapidly in population and Importance. But
he did not die there. nor is there any
authentic evidence that his remains were
buried there.
The students Of history en- this world
have known for more than thousand
years that Alexander died in the
city or Babylon in the afternoon
OF a day in June. h. c. 1923.
IN the 33d year OF his ago. Babylon was
az least a Thousand miles from Alexan-
dria. The place o. his death is testified
&c by unanimous Concurrence OF an the
have written on the subject
lie had doubles contracted the seeds
OF febriie disease in penetrating and ex-
aiming the swamps around Babylon. But
the immediate cause OF his death was
debauch OF wine during which he drank.
from the coup Of Hercules a quantity OF
wine 50 enormous nat We find it hard to
believe that any human being could have
within a few hour. swallowed so much
He fell down al last. nearly insensible
and soon died. Tn. facts as 10 the place
and manner Of his death are given 20 us
by Arrian, Plutarch. Seneca. and ST. Au-
gustine and are summed UP by the
learned historian. Charles Rollin. Anc
History. Edit. 1870 V. l92, 49, Pierre
Bayle. who explored an antiquity for
facts. says OF Alexander the Great: al
mourut a Bahylone age 1t environ trente
tros ans" The New American CYCLIC
pedia l. 49, expressly declares that he
died in Babylon. Even the Schaff- 1erzog
testifes 10 the same fact. although It
ventures TO add the apocryphal statement
that he was buried .n Alexandria. l.. p. g.
The traditions sfil cherished by the
poor. down-trodden people or Alexandria
i'm Egypt that the mortal remains OF the
great cOnqucror were entOmhed there,
have no historic foundation. Rollin has
summed up all we know on this subject
from the best ancient authorities lie
SAYS as 10 Alexander. "rhe Egyptians
and Chaldcans. having ombalmed tho
kings corpse after their manner. Aridceus
was appointed % convey 10 10 the temple
or Jupiter Ammon. Two whole years
We're employed in preparing FOR this mag
nihcent funeral. Aelian is the authority
for these statements The temple OF
H..n oil
doubtless that at Thehes. IN Egypt. which
was so far above that I'm Dodona. in
Greece. I'm grandeur ana richness. that 10
was considered the one temple IN FOR The
seputure OF Alexander the Great.
r. T. HOWISON.