Alexander’s Adventures past the Mountains of Darkness

Alexander the Macedonian went to visit King Kazia past the mountains of darkness. He came to a certain province called Carthage, which was inhabited entirely by women. [Some women] came out to greet him and said to him, “If you wage war against us and defeat us, your name shall go out in the world as the one who destroyed the province of women, and if we wage war against you and defeat you, your name will go out in the world as the one who fought with women and they defeated you, and you shall never again have standing before kings.” At that time [Alexander] lowered his face and left. When he left, he wrote on the gate of the city: “I, King Alexander the Macedonian, was a fool until I came to the city known as Carthage and I learned wisdom from women.”

He came to another province known as Africa. [The people] came out to greet him with golden apples, golden pomegranates, and golden bread. [Alexander] said to them, “Is this what you eat in your lands?” They said to him, “Do you not have this [i.e., regular fruit and bread] in your land that you came to us here?” He said to them, “I did not come to see your wealth, but to see your laws.” While they were standing there, two people came before the [local] king for judgment. This one distanced himself from the theft, and that one distanced himself from the theft. One of them said, “I purchased some ruins from that man. When I dug there, I found a hidden treasure and I said to him, ‘Take your treasure’; I purchased ruins, I did not purchase a treasure.” The other [man] said, “When I sold the ruins to this man, I sold him the ruins and everything that is in it.” The king called one of them and said, “Do you have a son?” He said, “Yes.” The king called the other and said to him, “Do you have a daughter?” He said, “Yes.” [The king] said to them, “Let them marry each other and both benefit from the treasure.”

Alexander the Macedonian became confused. [The king] said to him, “Why are you confused? Did I not judge well?” [Alexander] said to him, “Yes.” [The king] said to him, “If this case was in your land, how would you judge it?” [Alexander] said to him, “We would decapitate this one and decapitate that one, and the treasure would belong to the kingdom.” He asked him, “Does rain fall upon you?” He said to him, “Yes.” He asked him, “Does the sun shine upon you?” He said to him, “Yes.” He asked him, “Do you have small cattle in your land?” He said to him, “Yes.” He said, “May that man’s breath expire! For by the merit of the small cattle you are saved!” Thus it is written: Man and cattle God will save (Psalm 36:7): Man by merit of cattle will be saved; man will be saved because of cattle. Thus, Israel said before the Holy One: Master of the world, we are a man like cattle, save us, for we are drawn after you. Thus it is written: Draw me, we shall run after you (Song of Songs 1:4). And to where are we drawn after you? To the garden of Eden, as it is written: They are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Your house; You give them to drink from the river of Your pleasures (Psalm 36:9).