The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-21
SEVEN FAMOUS HORSES.
~ ANDER'S BCtEPHA-


one Of the most famous horses OF
ancient history was Alexander the
Greats Rucephalus, so-called either
because the head of the horse re-
sembled that Of an X or because ne
had the mark of an oXs heau III
pressed upon his flank. mere are
writer's who affirm that the name Was
given to the horse because, IKE al
! OK. he had a black mark upon MS
head, the rest Of his BODY pelnS "hlle'
AT any rate, BucephaluS was an am
NAL of remarkable proportions n IS
noted as having been the most beau
tifuI specimen Of the horse bred up
to hat period.
Bucephalus was bred by Philoneicus
Of P~harsalus, a Thessalian. 0
great the fame of A1exander's horse
was, may be gathered from the fact
that Of all the horses possessed by the
ancient Greeks down to this date he
alone is the animal over which they
thoroughly ''enthuse." From what
we are told in the writings Of Arts
totle, indeed and of later historians,
well-shaped, coal-black. with a good
shoulder and small ears.
An unknown writer in the "GeopO-
MICS AYERS that in the centuries just
before Christ, many of the best horses
had eyes of different color, is
sometimes termed by English: a wall
eye" and Americans a China eye
n from his own deductions he con-
Guided that Bucephalus probably had
eyes that did not match.
Plutarch sets h price paid for
B~ucephalus by Alexander's father,
King Philip, at thirteen talents. while
Pliny is Of the opinion that the price
i -~- -A:n ---o>1y ~ 70
| ents. Now the sum that today Would
be the equivalent of thirteen talents
is approximately $4,000, and when
It is borne in mind h prices that, in
the second century were frequently
paid even for the best horses obtain
able, nj recollecting in addition, that
at the time King Philip bought Buce-
phalus the horse was probably aged
some writer's aver that he must have
been quite fourteen when Philip
bought hint is not possible to rec
oncile that the fancy price, in any way
approaching the SUM named, could
have been paid. =.
=. quent purchase Of Bucephalus is both
-. pretty and picturesque. Moreover il
:. would appear to be true in every de-
tail. According to P1utarch. whose
i. account probably is the most trust
worthy, the horse was first brought
before King Philip to be given a pub
> lie trial when, to the discomfort OF
fierce and unmanageable beast thai
would neither allow anybody tt
;, mount it, nor obey any Of Philips at.
! %tendants, but reared and plunged
against them all SO hal the king
in a rage babe them take him away
for an utterly wild and unbroke1
brute.
At this juncture it was hat Alex.
q ander-at the time a boy of twelve
, came upOn the scene. We are told
e that he "leapt suddenly forward ant
e in an excess Of Indignation cried GU
a before the king and everybody as
5 sembled that the men attempting tt
ride the horse were clumsy clowns
= adding With the se~lf-assurance Of pre-
cocious boyhOOd, that eff they Wer,
not careful they would spoil the hors,
entirely" Philip thereupon agreed t,
pay the price Of the steed if <exande,
g. would ride it.
: A remarkable popularity about thi
IS animal was that though "subseuuentl,
s It came to allow the groom to rid,
IL BAREBACK yet When it had on tn,
q cloths that at that period did dut,
1or a saddle, it would allow only Alex
ander to mount it.
- Bucephalus, according 10 somo on
= thorltes, met his death in the haiti
4 with Porus through several sever
! wounds
An ancient writer, however. nuota,
. Dy Plutarch. states that he died =
age and fatigue, being thirty yea
r old. The loss was COMMUNICATED b
the founding Of the city of Bucepha
n. Jus. The horse was buried with tn
re greatest honorS, the entire army q
1 lne general pausing to pay their re
"a Spect. =
III The date Of the horses death ha
W been fixed at s26 B. c. as being rh
er year IN which the city Of Bucephalu
ey IN northern India was started.
~ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Incitatus.
~
d. Convicted of Murder