41–50 of 51 posts
Alexander's biggest achievement was to go down in history as a man who brought the light of civilisation to the barbarians in the lands he conquered. He was the original enlightened conqueror. We remember him today as a great hero partly for his amazing prowess in battle [1] but mostly because he spent time cultivating his own image. He was clearly interested in posterity, and he didn't want to be remembered as just…
Alexander's biggest achievement was to go down in history as a man who brought the light of civilisation to the barbarians in the lands he conquered. He was the original enlightened conqueror. We remember him today as a great hero partly for his amazing prowess in battle [1] but mostly because he spent time cultivating his own image. He was clearly interested in posterity, and he didn't want to be remembered as just…
For at least the last 40 years no serious historical text or scholar treats Alexander just as a great man. If anything modern historians dramatically index towards “narcissistic butcher”. I suppose it’s impressive that the Roman reverence for the guy still plays but lots and lots of people view him as a brutal tyrannical conquerer and always have.
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There are large number of other texts/journals that tells his story differently. He was defeated so badly at the entrance of Indian peninsula that he had retreat and finally succumbed to his injuries.
Could you provide a link to some of these sources? I've never seen the story portrayed that way. Even if we assume that all Greek sources are biased surely at least one of them would mention Alexander having been injured in combat in India, but none do.
I found [1] "The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind" to be an incredible source of inspiration. Oh, what it must have been like to be privately tutored by Aristotle. What surprised me the most about the article is the fact that it doesn't mention his best friend and most trusted companion -- Ptolemy. It was Ptolemy that would oversee the founding of the Great city of Alexandria. It was Ptolemy…
Says Military History magazine: “Although there was more fighting, Alexander’s wound put an end to any more personal exploits. Lung tissue never fully recovers, and the thick scarring in its place made every breath cut like a knife.”
I'm going to posit that 92% of what we think we know about Alexander the Great is wrong, not just his death.
Based on what, though? There are historical figures whose lives are greatly documented and cross documented by others from disparate places. We know a great deal about Socrates, Plato and Aristotle this way, why not Alexander?
This is just not the case for Alexander. The sources we have are hundreds of years removed. Presumably they are are based on now-lost contemporary accounts, but who knows how much is embellishments.
I heard they found the remains of his chariot on a small island on the pacific...
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Different cultures throughout time saw what being a "man" and what being a "woman" differently that 2019 America.
He wasn't actually that way though. They mistook notions of brotherly love which are not homosexual to something homosexual. There are no ancient sources that even allude to that. Just modern scholars projecting their own fantasies as usual.
Yes there is, but you have to understand the cultural context to understand the allusions, e.g the references to Achilles and Patrocles.
> He wasn't actually that way though.
So what do you base that assertion on?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
For at least the last 40 years no serious historical text or scholar treats Alexander just as a great man. If anything modern historians dramatically index towards “narcissistic butcher”. I suppose it’s impressive that the Roman reverence for the guy still plays but lots and lots of people view him as a brutal tyrannical conquerer and always have.
How much of that is due to a critical evaluation of his behavior and how much is due to the "modern" tendency toward foul hatred of anyone who accomplishes anything?
And, where is his tomb?