CHAPTER XI.

DETERIORATION OF CHARACTER.

B.C. 329

Alexander at the summit of his ambition.--Sad changes.--Alexander becomes dissipated.--His officers became estranged.--Character of Parmenio.--His services to Alexander.--Parmenio's son, Philotas.--His dissolute character.--Conspiracies.--Plot of Dymnus.--Dymnus destroys himself.--Philotas suspected.--The council of officers.--Philotas accused.--Arrest of Philotas.--The body of Dymnus.--Alexander's address to the army.--Philotas brought to trial.--Defense of Philotas.--He is put to the torture.--Confession of Philotas.--He is stoned to death.--Parmenio condemned to death.--Mission of Polydamas.--Precautions.--Brutal murder of Parmenio.--Story of Clitus.--He saves Alexander's life.--Services of Clitus.--Occurrences at the banquet.--Clitus reproaches Alexander.--Alexander's rage.--Alexander assassinates Clitus.--His remorse.

Alexander was now twenty-six years of age. He had accomplished fully the great objects which had been the aim of his ambition. Darius was dead, and he was himself the undisputed master of all western Asia. His wealth was almost boundless. His power was supreme over what was, in his view, the whole known world. But, during the process of rising to this ascendency, his character was sadly changed. He lost the simplicity, the temperance, the moderation, and the sense of justice which characterized his early years. He adopted the dress and the luxurious manners of the Persians. He lived in the palaces of the Persian kings, imitating all their state and splendor. He became very fond of convivial entertainments and of wine, and often drank to excess. He provided himself a seraglio of three hundred and sixty young females, in whose company he spent his time, giving himself up to every form of effeminacy and dissipation. In a word, he was no longer the same man. The decision, the energy of character, the steady pursuit of great ends by prudence, forethought, patient effort, and self-denial, all disappeared; nothing now seemed to interest him but banquets, carousals, parties of pleasure, and whole days and nights spent in dissipation and vice. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was successful?
2. WHat was his name?
3. Had anyone stood in his way?
4. Who?
5. Did he defeat this obstacle?
6. Did his victories alter him in any way?
7. How so?
8. Was there a culture he particularly admired?
9. Did he stay in his homeland?
10. Where did he go live?
11. Did he live a simple life there?
12. Did he like big celebrations?
13. What was one thing he did at those events?
14. Did he stay faithful to one woman?
15. How many women did he keep around?
16. Did he keep working hard?
17. What did he do instead?
18. How old was he at this time?
19. WHat did he accomplish before all of these changes?
20. Did he have any real rivals?
Answer: 1. He had accomplished fully the great objects
2. Alexander
3. Yes
4. Darius
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. He lost the simplicity, the temperance, the moderation, and the sense of justice which characterized his early year
8. Yes the Persians
9. unknown
10. lived in the palaces of the Persian kings
11. No
12. Yes
13. Often drank to excess
14. no
15. Three hundred and sixty young females
16. No
17. Parties of pleasure
18. twenty-six years of age
19. himself the undisputed master of all western Asia
20. Darius

Xu Caihou, a retired PLA general and former vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), was taken from his sick bed at 301 Military Hospital in Beijing on Saturday by dozens of armed policemen, the South China Morning Post reported, quoting unidentified sources.

Xu was detained the same day President Xi Jinping chaired a steering group tasked with reforming the military, the Post said.

If confirmed, Xu would become the highest-ranking military officer to be detained on suspicion of corruption.

Xu's critics claim that during his tenure, the buying and selling of military ranks was widespread in the defense establishment.

"I was told by an ex-PLA man I met on the train travelling to Guangzhou that he quit the military because so many people were buying positions and he did not want to play that game," said David Zweig, professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

"Telling me, a foreign professor, such dirt suggests that it is widespread and the anger that exists about this is also widespread."

Bribery scandal

Xu's detention may be connected with the corruption probe of Gu Junshan, the army's former deputy logistics chief and one of Xu's closest subordinates. Gu, who was in charge of the military's massive procurement and property portfolio, reportedly received bribes in cash and gifts. He has been under investigation since early 2012.

Xu, 71, was promoted to the CMC in 1999 and became its vice-chairman in 2004. He retired in March last year.

He has not been seen in public for several months until January 20, when the Chinese media showed him with President Xi greeting a group of retired military officials on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Was Xu promoted?
2. What age?
3. When?
4. Was he liked?
5. Was he arrested?
6. When?
7. How?
8. For what?
9. Who bribed him?
10. Is he still working?
11. Did he resurface?
12. When?
13. Where?
14. For what?
15. Celebrating what?
16. What was bought?
17. By whom?
18. Was a game played?
19. Where?
20. Did he have people beneath him?
Answer:
1. yes
2. 71
3. in 1999
4. no
5. yes
6. Saturday
7. taken from bed by policemen
8. suspicion of corruption
9. Gu Junshan
10. no
11. yes
12. January 20
13. with President Xi
14. greeting military officials
15. Chinese Lunar New Year
16. military ranks
17. the defense
18. yes
19. the military
20. yes