To Justify the Relevence of My Posts

[kenny]

I got some stick and critisisms for my comparisons of taday and the Alexander The Great.I would say every critisism and Judgement bad or good aimed at Alexander is judged against the morals and society of today.From his sexuality and even the Nationality., It is all based and measured against society today and the so called morality of 2 thousand years of passing since the guyt died.Even to trivialility Comparing Colin Farrel or Richard Burton the Alexander. Its all relative to today. So to compare the times politics and structures of society of Alexanders days to ours is in my opinion just. I would say that to avoid these things says that there is some shame to talk about today. I guess Its similar to been in the closet. Or indeed todays society been hypocritical to judge or throw slander at Alexander before taking a close look in the mirror?Kenny

[ruthaki]

Well Kenny, although there are certainly parallels in some of today's events and lives compared to those of the ancients, life was really very different back then: the way wars were waged (and why), morality, customs etc etc. The theme of the novel I'm writing is "how blind ambition and greed brought down a world power" (the events following Alexander's death) and certainly we can see parallels of that in our 'modern' world. I think the objections were some of your comparisons.

[chris]

Well Kenny, you're not the first to get into trouble for comparing ATG with historical figures......

[Nicator]

Hi Kenny,I don't think people would be particularly uspet over fair and direct comparisons to Alexander, but your post was not quite what I'd call a comparison, either direct, fair, or otherwise. Don't let it get you down, we appreciate your contributions, just be a little more thoughtful in the structure of your posts. later Nicator

[Paralus]

For my part Kenny, I was at a loss to understand the relevance of your post to my enquiry wirth resect to a novel I'd read some thirty years back. I've since worked out that you were most likely replying to "Themis" (I think). Hence my questioning the "provenance" (for want of a better term at the time) of your post on the thread.Comparisons - as they say - are odious. But, in relation to Themis' "Tarnian" view of ATG setting out to civilise the world, I'd think that rose coloured view has died a "natural" as they say.Whilst viewing ATG's actions through the prism of modern morals is fraught with danger, it's worth bearing in mind that his behaviour at Thebes (no, let's not use the League as a cop out), the murder (when all was over and won) of anything up to 18,000 Greek mercenaries at Granicus, Tyre and the Mallians (not so much the later) had achieved precisely what was intended to achieve: the Greeks thought him a "murderous little eighteen year old" (to paraphrase Victor Davis Hanson). Hence the Athenian, who remarking upon news of ATG's death, remarked that the "smell of such a bloated corpse would engulf all of Asia and Greece" GÇô or words to similar effect.It's not often that I'd agree with VDH (particularly on today's hegemon's actions) but I'd agree that the "western way" of war was pretty much codified and perfected under ATG GÇô including the massive casualty lists it ensures. The Greeks really knew nothing like it with their (seemingly in comparison) gentlemanly agrarian frontier clashes (to leave aside for the moment the barbarity of the Peloponnesian War GÇô Sicily, Melos etc). In general they pushed and shoved, killed some hundreds or so, claimed the field and "bob's you're uncle".The lessons were apparently not lost on the Romans who took it several steps further.