Alexander's Revenge

Discuss Alexander's generals, wives, lovers, family and enemies

Moderator: pothos moderators

Post Reply
Lisa
Pezhetairos (foot soldier)
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:15 pm

Alexander's Revenge

Post by Lisa »

I remember reading somewhere that Cassander basically hunted down and systematically murdered every single member of Alexander's family including Roxanne, Alexander IV, and Olympias, going so far as to orchestrate the stoning of Olympias (when Alexander's own army had been unable to murder her due to her physical resemblence to her deceased son). I also remember reading that at some point, Cassander was supposedly "haunted" by dreams of Alexander. While most people will probably think this a guilty conscious, I've been interested in the paranormal and the metaphysical all of my life and I can't help wondering if Alexander found a way to brow beat Cassander for his treachery. Could anyone be so kind as to clue me in on the details of these supposed dreams of Cassander?
User avatar
marcus
Somatophylax
Posts: 4785
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2002 7:27 am
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: Alexander's Revenge

Post by marcus »

Lisa wrote:I also remember reading that at some point, Cassander was supposedly "haunted" by dreams of Alexander. While most people will probably think this a guilty conscious, I've been interested in the paranormal and the metaphysical all of my life and I can't help wondering if Alexander found a way to brow beat Cassander for his treachery. Could anyone be so kind as to clue me in on the details of these supposed dreams of Cassander?
Hmm.

Ref. the dreams - no, I can't, I'm afraid. I don't know if they are detailed at all (I suspect not). At the risk of getting into a metaphysical, or philosophical (not sure which) discussion that I am hardly qualified to do, isn't Alexander "finding a way to browbeat Cassander" simply another way of explaining Cassander's guilty conscience? By which I mean that there isn't really any difference, except for the 'spin' one wishes to put on it :?

I hate to say it, not being a "believer" myself, that I think you're on a hiding to nothing here. But good luck, all the same! :D

ATB
Marcus
Sine doctrina vita est quasi mortis imago
At Amazon US
At Amazon UK
User avatar
amyntoros
Somatophylax
Posts: 2188
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:51 pm
Location: New York City

Re: Alexander's Revenge

Post by amyntoros »

Hi Lisa,

I have little interest in the paranormal, but I happen to have a file on “dreams” composed of excerpts from the ancient sources. It is apparent that dreams could have both religious and political significance and were carefully interpreted. I don’t have any record of Cassander dreaming of Alexander, but my file may not be complete. I know, however, of an excerpt about Alexander dreaming of Cassander!
Valerius Maximus I. 7. ext. 2 Of Dreams.

How well was Alexander king of Macedon warned in a vision during sleep, to take better care of his life, had Fortune also chosen to furnish him with prudence to guard against the danger! For he learned of Cassander's fatal hand in a dream before he felt it by death. He thought he was being murdered by that man, though he had never seen him. Then, when after some time had gone by Cassandra came before him, the semblance of that nighttime terror was plain. But when he was told that it was Antipater's son, he quoted a Greek verse which makes light of the reliability of dreams and dismissed suspicion of the poison already prepared against his person, by which he is believed to have died at Cassander's hand.*
*The dream is mentioned nowhere else.
I tend to doubt the veracity of the above and suspect it to be a part of the post-death propaganda machine. Alexander (and others) gave great import to dreams and he surely would not have dismissed this one lightly.

If there is a source for Cassander dreaming of Alexander - like Marcus, I have my doubts - I’d also love to have the references.

Best regards,
Amyntoros

Pothos Lunch Room Monitor
athenas owl
Hetairos (companion)
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:07 am
Location: US

Post by athenas owl »

Cassander died of the dropsy right? A fitting end for someone like him. Even his own father passed him over for Polyperchon. Cassander was the one left behind when ATG left on his great journey. His sister Phila was a very kind woman, helping poor couples get married...and the brother, can't recall his name, that set up the really odd community on Mt.Athos..with his own langauge and everything. Interesting family.

Anyway, I do feel that sometimes, people who are so full of anger, hate, and general nastiness create their health issues, mental and physical. Cassander reminds my of Henry the VIII th, (except for that being charning and popular as a young man...) another who died filled with ulcerous infections. But these diseases would be a physical reaction, not a paranormal one, in my opinion.

I haven't come across any dreams either, just the hoohoo's that a statue of ATG gave him.
Post Reply