Was Alexanders Life full of tragedy

[iskander_32]

Hi FolksIve been reading some views on the film and story of Alexander, the words say he led a full ang glorious life wich was countered by his downfall and tragedy.I may be missing something here, but in my opinion while he was alive downfall never really became of him, fair enough he had some mad moments which at that time and the position he was in comes as part of the territory. But I dont really see any great down fall in his persona and what he was doing.On the same token was Alexanders a tragic life,on the same token I think not, he suffered losses of close people and his beloved horse etc but I dont think his life was in anyway tragic, he was happy doing what he was doing and had a real zeal for life exploring and adventure.The only real tragedy with Alexander was that he died at such a young age with so much more to attain and achieve. The real tragedy with Alexander I feel is that the Greeks and those whome he represented rejected him and all that he tried and believed.Its was he died a lonely spent out depleated drunk, I dont believe that also.Regardskenny

[ruthaki]

Well, Kenny, I agree with pretty well most that you said. Who knows what kind of a banquet Hollywood is going to make out of this remarkable life. Yes, the tragedy was his early death but look what he accomplished during that time. And yes, likely he was suffering from the affects of unwatered wine and likely various opiates because of his many serious wounds, but I don't think he was a disappated drunk if that's what is being alluded to.
Look at what a notorious drinker and carouser Philip was supposed to be. Now, I believe that!

[amyntoros]

Opiates wouldn't have been used in the treatment of Alexander's wounds. There are only two mentions in any ancient sources of analgesics being used relative to a wound - and both of these are topical applications. Opium, henbane, and mandrake, were considered dangerous and not to be used "unless the utmost necessity press us to do so" - opium is even mentioned as a poison. And wine was never refered to in the context of wound treatment for its analgesic and soporific qualities, even though they were well known. Add to this the fact that Alexander would never have consented to the use of any kind of analgesic when the rest of the injured were enduring surgery without any! I've considerably condensed this information from Chapter Three (Pharmaka) in Christine F. Salazar's The Treatment of War Wounds in Graeco-Roman Antiquity. It turned out to be thoroughly interesting and well-researched dissertation. :-)Linda Ann

[chris]

HiPerhaps the only real tragedy is that he died with so much left to do - leaving history to only guess at what he would have achieved. Dare I draw a modern parallel with John Lennon, for example.Chris

[ruthaki]

I find it hard to imagine that they would not use these ingredients when they were readily available in that part of the world and were herbal remedies and concoctions. In fact, doesn't "The Invisible Enemy" explore this possibility?

[amyntoros]

It's been a long time since I read The Invisible Enemy, but I don't remember anything about opiates. I checked O'Brien's chart on the positive and negative effects of wine and he doesn't mention its use as an analgesic.As well as literary works, Salazaar researched all the ancient medical sources such as Hippocratic works and Dioscorides' Materia Medica - the oldest suriviving work devoted entirely to pharmacology - and found no references to the use of opiates as an analgesic. The ancients even thought that fainting during surgery such as the removal of an arrow was dangerous (probably why there is so much mention of Alexander fainting after that one particular wound) and prefered the patient to be conscious. It gets gruesome reading about the necessity to hold down a patient so that he doesn't move when cutting into the skull!If you have any references to the use of opiates, please let me know as I'm interested in the medical aspects pertaining to Alexander.Regards,Linda Ann

[Linda]

LindaThere was a paper published in 1992 which suggests that opiates were used in 350BC. Helen Askitopoulou, Eleni Konsolaki, Ioanna A. Ramoutsaki and Maria Anastassaki, Surgical cures under sleep induction in the Asclepieion of Epidauros, International Congress Series, Volume 1242, December 2002, Pages 11-17.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... f5b0a12d46)The abstract says: "Stone inscriptions of cures in the sanctuaries of Asklepios, the Greek god physician and surgeon, describe the ritual act of "enkoimesis," a dream-like state of sleep induction practiced in these shrines. While in this state, the patients waited to receive a dream vision of the god who would either give medical advice or even cure them by surgery. In the Asclepieion of Epidauros, three large marble boards, dated ca. 350 BC, preserve the names, case histories, complaints and cures of about 70 patients who came to the temple with a problem and shed it there. Several of these therapies were undertaken while the sufferer was in the state of "enkoimesis." Four surgical cures, opening of an abdominal abscess, removal of traumatic foreign bodies from the jaw, thorax and eyelid are technically simple and realistic enough to have actually taken place, but with the help of soporific substances and most probably opium, given to the sufferers before the act of "enkoimesis." An important archaeological finding was that the coffers presenting poppy flowers, which ornament the marble ceiling of a sanctuary building, provides indirect evidence about the use of opium to facilitate medical and surgical interventions undertaken in this inner area of the sanctuary."The thesis you mention sounds interesting. I've got a book at home on medically stuff a long time ago - I'll see if it has any more information one way of the other.Linda

[ruthaki]

I also have some notes in my research files regarding uses of herbal concoction and remedies, some compiled supposedly by Aristotle. I'll have a look. And I think I have notes I've made from "The Invisible Enemy" and a couple of other sources.

[Linda]

Linda, RuthThe book I have is Greek Medicine by LONGRIGG J. It is a source book, and mentions anasthesia during operations using mandrake roots either in wine or used to make a wine. Opium poppies are mentioned as used in pessaries, or to induce sleep during which a god would visit and cure the patient. The sources include The Illiad, where painkilling plants are used on wounds. The actual plant isn't mentioned. Wine seems to be used as a lubricant or a carrier for other drugs/herbs.CheersLinda

[amyntoros]

Thanks Linda - I really appreciate this reference as Salazar's book (I've been spelling her name incorrectly!) is specifically concerned with battlefield surgery, and there is nothing that can really help regarding treatment of Alexander's illnesses. (She has used 105 primary and around 500 secondary sources, so I'm very inclined to take her word that opiates were not used as oral analgesics for wounds or battlefield surgery.)I definitely recommend Salazar's book if you're interested in this subject, though its $80 price is exhorbitant - I found a library copy. It isn't the dry, academic work you'd expect - she does have a chapter on the Iliad and the one on Alexander is concerned with Homeric allusions in the ancient writings about Alexander's wounds. There's a Bryn Mawr review at:http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2000/200 ... htmlThanks again!Linda Ann

[Linda]

Thank you! I will look for it in the local uni library. It does looks interesting.