A Magnetic
Attraction
Writers have approached the subject from
angles varying with their emotional reaction. All history is colored by the
temperament of the individual. Who selects the fact which to him appears
relevant or important. Puzzled by the contradictory accounts of the character
and aims of Alexander of Macedon, there are many volumes, both hostile and friendly,
but I found no convincing evidence that a man with such enchanting promise in youth
had degenerated into the drunken tyrant and megalomanic depicted by his
detractors. Such attributes were inconsistent with the fact that whether
present or distant he could always relay on the implicit obedience of his
officers, who were strong and remarkable men,He had great captains that traveled
21,000 miles , joined by volunteers from many nations, that followed him
through Persia and the Punjab. He was complex personality the great Macedonian
conqueror, explorer, dreamer of visions.. Ujfalvy’s tome on the statues of Alexander
tells of the the sickness of King Alphonse of Naples; despairingly, he called
for something to distract his mind from his sufferings. His physician sent him
a book by Alexander which was read aloud to him. Fi des medecins!”
Alexander passed his boyhood in an
atmosphere of unrest, rumors and fear of war with neighbors, frontier tribes
and Persia. In ancient Greece wise philosophers declare that when one man excelled
all others in intellect and character, he should be regarded as a god among
men, and the people should gladly obey him.
Not only do his achievements captivate
the imagination of old and young, but his perseverance, his assiduous devotion to
duty, his indifference to the pleasures of the body, his insatiable pursuit of
the pleasures of the mind, his longing to unite the nations and his religious attitude
to life, inspire people even today.. In the THIRTEEN YEARS of his rein he so
alter the outlook of the world. And Greece developed a democratic government
and a high standard of civilization enjoyed in the fifth century B.C. Remarkable people, few in number, eminent in
every intellectual and artistic sphere.
Alexander lived in the century which
followed the great days when Athens, under the guidance of her leading statesman,
Pericles had gained a deservedly high reputation as the chief city in Greece.
War with Sparta had led to a prolonged war that left her exhausted both by land
and sea, subject to ruthless oligarchic Spartan domination. However, during the
fourth century B.C. international trade prospered; games and festivities where organized
top aid members of the Tribunal incited class antagonism a proletariat
developed, impoverished and workless. It had not been difficult for Persia to
acquire control over the Greek cities on the Asiatic coast and interfere in the
affairs of the Greek communities. The problem of the age absorbed another
philosopher, Isocrated, who urged that, as Greece represented the highest civilization
in the world, its numerous cities and states should cease to fight each other;
if united in a common aim, they could meet the recurring menace of the
Persians. Looking round, for a strong Greek leader, he believed the suitable
man was Philip, King of Macedonia, who had the combined qualities of a warrior
and a statesman.
To be continued…
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.
To read more of my writings please go to: w.w.w.karlwallaceblog.blog.com
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