Alexander

At all events, during the journey which he made at this time, the assistance rendered him by Heaven in his perplexities met with more credence than the oracles which he afterwards received, nay, in a way, the oracles obtained credence in consequence of such assistance. For, to begin with, much rain from heaven and persistent showers removed all fear of thirst, quenched the dryness of the sand, so that it became moist and compact, and made the air purer and good to breathe.

Again, when the marks for the guides became confused, and the travellers were separated and wandered about in ignorance of the route, ravens appeared and assumed direction of their march,[*](According to Ptolemy, son of Lagus, two serpents served Alexander’s army as guides to the oracle and back again. But Aristobulus, whose account is generally admitted to be correct, says that two ravens flew in front of the army and acted as Alexander’s guides (Arrian, Anab. iii 3, 5 f.).) flying swiftly on in front of them when they followed, and waiting for them when they marched slowly and lagged behind.

Moreover, what was most astonishing of all, Callisthenes tells us that the birds by their cries called back those who straggled away in the night, and cawed until they had set them in the track of the march. When Alexander had passed through the desert and was come to the place of the oracle, the prophet of Ammon gave him salutation from the god as from a father; whereupon Alexander asked him whether any of the murderers of his father had escaped him.