Fourth Oration - Sisygambis to Alexander<hr>
                                         Context<hr>
                           Sisygambis, mother of Darius<hr>
      Following the conquest of India, Alexander the Great married Stateira, one of the daughters of Darius. It was at this point that Sisygambis, the grandmother of this princess, rejoiced and let herself be overwhelmed by the affection she felt for this conqueror. On this occasion, she remembered everything he had done for her, and since her heart was marked by generosity, she showed her gratitude in this way.<hr>
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                                     Sisygambis to Alexander<hr>
        On this day, Alexander, I earnestly believe that you are worthy of being the son of Jupiter. Your dignity surpasses that of ordinary men. There have been victors and conquerors in the past, but none have ever matched your ability to treat the vanquished as if they were victorious, nor to share the conquered empire with the children of your enemies. Even if you are not of divine origin, you deserve offerings and altars for your remarkable actions. I prefer to highlight your clemency and kindness rather than speak of the military exploits you accomplished to become master of the world. I know that if I were to erect a trophy with the spoils of your enemies, it would stir in me more pain than joy on this day. I remember the moment when you covered the body of my son with your cloak and shed tears when discovering him, after he was cruelly murdered by the traitor Bessus. No, Alexander, I do not merely consider you as the former enemy of Darius, but also as the avenger of his death, the protector of his mother and wife, the husband of his daughter, and the rightful heir to the throne of great Cyrus.<hr>
        Indeed, you heard the last words of my son. He expressed his gratitude for the debts we owed you. He wished you glory, declaring that he died as a friend and servant. Instead of lamenting his fate, he wished that you become the conqueror of the entire world, the avenger of his death, and that it fall to you to perpetuate his memory. My dear Darius, you were truly my son by speaking so of Alexander, and I give thanks to the gods for finally allowing you to recognize what we owed to his benevolence and his goodness. Today, I view you through these two assets. The whole earth resounds with your victories, you are the master and victor of all men. No one can ignore your feats. Even your childhood games will serve as a lesson to all kings who succeed you. Everywhere is known the extent of your conquests. No one is ignorant of the glory of your war in Greece, the imposing ruins of Thebes, which you razed, attest to your victory. The battle at the passage of the Granicus reveals your conduct and your courage, just as the events of the famous siege of Tyre. The battle of Arbela, for its part, was too remarkable not to be known.<hr>
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