About the Basilisk and the Mirror

Chapter 23 from the Deeds of the Romans

Alexander ruled, who obtained dominion over the whole earth. At this time, it happened, while he gathered a large army and besieged a certain city; he lost in that place many soldiers and other without any wounds. But when he wondered about this, he called his philosophers and said to them: "Magisters, how is this able to be; that suddenly without wounds, my soldiers are dying?" To him: "This is no wonder. A certain basilisk is upon the wall, by the sight of which the soldiers are being killed and dying." Alexander said: "And what is the remedy against the basilisk?" To whom they said: "The best mirror should be placed, raised up, between the army and the wall, where the basilisk is, and when the basilisk looks in the mirror, the view of itself, having been reflected, will be carried back to its very self and thus it will die." And thus it was done.