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Hi Kenny --- 100% sure: Alexander would have been executed. The Persian system of absolute kingship could never, never tolerate an usurper to be left alive. There is only one king and he should be undisputedly the only one. Pretenders must be eliminated forever. That was the Achaemenid mindset, as I...

Hi guys --- I have played RTW. The way they picture Gaugamela (or was it Issus) has to do with the limitations of the game: there is no animated artwork in Rome Total War for a commander in a chariot; the game only has horseback commanders. (Maybe pretty decent for Roman armies, but indeed not for a...

Accidently, I watched Stone's movie yesterday evening, although the DVD I bought is corrupt and hesitates to show me Alexander's taming of Bucephalus as well as Alexander's victory over Porus. Is that a weird coincidence or what? (I am not joking.)I would still prefer:1. The battle between Alexander...

Hi Smitty ---Absolutely interesting. Please give us more!One remark: the Achaemenid dynasts were in general not polygamists. The only Persian king that, according to our sources, married several wives, was Darius I. There was a very practical reason for this: the old Royal line of Cyrus and Cambyses...

Dear Companions ---A discussion at work today brought up the next subject. I hope someone of you knows the answer.A. Did antique kings like Alexander, the Diadochi and the Roman emperors hire 'professional flatterers' to overload them with compliments?B. If yes, is there any Greek term that denotes ...

For PC Games I know of these:--- of course, the Alexander game (based on Cossacks), that was issued together with the Stone movie this year. Simply called: Alexander. Never bought it, never played it. It runs on an engine developed for other games. No so great. See: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strate...

Dear Linda ---That you're confusing me with Tim (Spalding) is a great compliment.Regards ---Nick

(I'm sorry for missing the easter edition.) But here is our BIRTHDAY edition of the best books ever written about Alexander. Very little changes, although I digged deep into the Forum archives of the last few months. (No vote has been wasted. In gereral: 1 point for being mentioned at all, 5 points ...

Dear Companions ---Susa recently posted a sincere attempt to wish the people of London strength in these awkward days.I decided to delete that string of messages, because it contained some answers that could not be described as the support that some people now may need. (Others, like Linda's, did. I...

Hi Linda ---I have been sluggish. I promise a new ranking in early July - the very month of A's birthday.Regards ---Nick

Hi Andrew ---I suppose the comparison between Darius and Porus falls short on one crucial aspect: Alexander took over Darius kingship over a world empire, while the (relatively very, very small) realm of rajah Porus was added to that empire as a vassal kingdom. (Maybe backed with an historical claim...

Alexander had pretty much the ambition to rule the Persian empire in the way that his Persian / Eastern subjects would understand and would accept as genuine kingship.In this respect it is relevant to note that, as far as I can recall, we have no earlier incident of a new Persian king grasping power...

Hi Linda ---When I created gaugamela.com in 2002 (it badly needs an update, I know, I know) my research convinced me that women in ancient Persia had a social and economical status that could not be compared to the backward position of females in the Greek world.In an article written for rozaneh.com...

Hi Linda ---Thanks! I would be happy to bet my money on Philostratus here. My climb in Pakistan never convinced me I was scaling a mountain fortress. At least it seems that Philostratus was discredited far too easily.Thanks!Nick

Hi Linda ---Thanks Michael for pointing out the debate. I wrote that line on pothos.org more than five years ago, and couldn't recall by heart which historians objected Stein's claim.However, am I correct when I assume that I am one of the few pothos members who has actually seen and climbed (two da...