Following The Trail Of of Alexander The Great .

The subject that i studied in College and University was History .I fell in love with it permanently.Historical movements have always made me think -why did a particular event happen ? What were its effects ? Was it good for our civilization ? Were there any similarities between events in olden times and now ? Are we really a superior civilization? Did we learn to use the data from the past  to our advantage ? .History always challenged my mind .It still does .
I was similarly fascinated by historical characters .Did they change the course of history or were they mere pawns in its unfolding ? Remember ,Marx said that there was inevitability of events and human beings can only accelerate or slow down its flow .I have my favourites historical characters .I tried to see what moved them .My favourites have nothing to do with whether they were good or bad .But it has something to do with what human beings in a lifespan can create or destroy .What are the powers  inherent in the human spirit and body?
One of my favourites is  Alexander or, as he has been popularly called –“Alexander the Great”.He has mesmerized me and I have taken two trips to Turkey in a attempt to follow his trail .My wanderings made me cross the Hellespont as he had done ,I went to Troy ,Pegamum (Bergama ),Ephesus ,Granicus (where he fought a famous battle with the Persians ),Gordion(where impatiently he cut the the knot instead of untying it ),and Ancyra (modern Ankara ).Each moment ,I felt I was in his company because I could identify the places very vividly with him

Crossing the Hellespont

Alexander was not born in Turkey .He was born in Pella which is in Macedonia (God willing i will be going to it soon  )On the day he was born ,the temple of Artemis(also known as the temple of Diana) at Ephesus was burned down,which fortune tellers predicted was a omen that the force that was to destroy Asia had entered the world .It is said that the goddess Artemis was too involved in Alexanders birth to pay attention to saving the magnificent temple (I was taken into time and space as I looked at the solitary  tower of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus .It was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world ).He had light skin,blond hair ,and melting blue eyes (Plutarch wrote this description of him .He was his biographer).A strong natural fragrance came from his body –so strong that it perfumed his clothes.Hewas born in the year 356 b.c .

At Troy inside the Trojan Horse .!!

Fame was his passion.Not wealth or pleasure .When he heard that Phillip (his father),had conqured a territory ,he would be sad rather than happy.Because it meant he had one territory less to conquer .!!

He was tutored by Aristotle.Aristotle had a profound influence on Alexander ,who said that he loved him as much as he loved his father .His father had given him life –but his teacher had taught him to use it

 Alexander  showed a robust commonsense .It is reflected in how he acquired Bucephalus  ,his magnificent horse . Bucephalus was Alexander's horse throughout most of his career.  Some horse traders had brought this magnificent animal to King Philip and offered him for sale, but no man could ride him.  The traders were taking Bucephalus away when Alexander remarked that it was a shame to lose such a fine horse just because no one knew the right way to manage him.  Philip at first ignored the boy, but Alexander persisted .   Finally Philip said: "Do you presume to criticize those who are older than you, as if you knew more, and could do better?"  Alexander boldly declared that he would ride the horse, and everyone laughed.  He bet the price of the horse, and got the chance to try.

  Alexander had noticed that Bucephalus was afraid of his own shadow, so he turned the horse to face the sun and settled him down, then walked him in that direction for a while, stroking him whenever he became eager and fiery.   Suddenly, Alexander jumped on his back and drew in the bridle gently, but firmly, until all rebelliousness was gone.  Then he let Bucephalus go at full speed, urging him on with a commanding voice.

He had announced to the world who he was .!!It was a sight that would would scorch the battlegrounds of many countries -Alexander riding Bacephalus and marshalling his men around .

The sole pillar of the Temple of Artemis .

 He inherited the throne of Macedonia at the age of 20 .!!And then set out to conquer the world .It took him into Asia Minor ,Syria,Egypt ,Modern Afghanistan and then into India .He fought many a battle .Some things stood out in his campaigns .

He was generous .He distributed all his money (called talents),to his soldiers so that their families could be looked after well .When one of the Generals asked what he had kept for himself Alexander replied

“My hope”.What a magnificent response .Such a noble human thought and it reflected so much of self confidence .!!Many of us dont part with anything because we dont have confidence in our hopes .

He ate sensibly and was in command of his appetite (I love people who are like that !!).He was neither a glutton nor a gourmet .He felt that the best  stimulus to a good appetite was a long march before breakfast ,and a moderate breakfast to create a appetite for dinner .

When he had free time ,Alexander would read ,write or hunt .He loved good conversation .

He knew his mind .He knew what he had to do .Darius the great Persian king was being hounded by Alexander ,as he chipped away at his mighty empire .Darius offered peace .He offered to give one of his daughters in marriage if Alexander would be satisfied with dominion over all countries west of the river Euphrates .Alexander told his friends about the offer and asked their advice .Then Parmenio ,one of Alexanders most most trusted and sensible commanders said .

“If I were you ,I would take it gladly .”

Alexander paused for a momemt ,looked Parmenio in the eye and responded

“So would I ,if I were Parmenio,but I am Alexander .I will send Darius a different answer”.

And this is what Alexander wrote to Darius ,

“All of Asia is mine ,including all of its treasure .This money you offer is already mine .As for your daughter ,if I want to marry her ,I will do so,whether or not you approve .If there is anything you want from me ,you may come in person and ask for it .Otherwise ,I will have to go to where you are .I am coming after you”

Can anyone ever not love someone like him .He just takes my breath away everytime I read about him .

That is why I rate him as my favourite historical character .

Midas ,Alexander and the Gordian Knot.!!

One of the countries i have travelled more than any other country is Turkey .Its also one of  the most beautiful and if you love history -very very romantic .Nearly every town is seeped in history and i went to nearly all of them -from Konya ,to Ephesus and Gordian .Not to forget Istanbul and Troya ( Helen of Troy !!).

At the Museum in Gordian with my sister Kusum.

We( Sangeeta ,Pratique and my sister Kusum and brother in law Murli )  drove  to Gordium(or Gordion) a city associated with King Midas .Who was Midas ?Midas was the son of Gordias who was the king of Phrygia .He is particularly known in the way he became the king .For many years it is said Phrygia was without a king .When people went to a oracle at Delphi ,the oracle said that the next man who rode into Phrygia on a ox cart would become the king .Gordias was a peasant who was unaware of the oracles prophecy and when he rode into Phrygia ,the people proclaimed the peasant king .In respect and reverence to the ox cart ,Gordias tied it to a pole with a rope, and ''knotted'' it in such a way that he challenged anyone to untie it .It became a popular belief that anyone who could untie the ''Gordian Knot'',would rule the whole of Asia .The peculiarity of the knot was ,that it was knotted in such a way ,that no one could see its ends .!!Many came and tried .No one succeeded.Till  finally one Macedonian set out to conquer the world .His name was Alexander and he was haughty enough to believe that he would untie it .He came to modern day Gordium .He must have stood in the vicinity of where we stood .In a very hypothetical way -I was doing something that Alexander did many centuries ago-he had come to Gordium .So had I.!!We were equal at least in one way .It was this feel of history that had brought me to Gordium .I was lapping up every bit of it

.!!

Alexander came to Gordium when it was on a decline -it had become a part of the Persian empire .It fell to him without much resistance -resisting Alexander  on his march was akin to a ant resisting the flow of a tidal wave .But he wanted to untie the Gordian Knot .The belief had grown that anyone who untied it would conquer Asia .There are different accounts here .Of course he tried very hard to untie it .But he could not.But how could Alexander go without untieing the knot ?He was ultimate conquerer ,the ultimate male ,the ultimate soldier .He cut the knot with the sword .!!Some historians say that he pulled it out of its groove .But he did not untie it .!!

Alexander went on to conquer large parts of Asia -but did not manage to conquer India -he came only till the kingdom of Porous in Punjab,before a mutiny broke out among his troops .Could it be because he cut the Gordion Knot instead of untieing it .?Its a great topic to discuss if one believes in the "ifs" and "buts" of history !!