This moderated forum is for discussion of Alexander the Great. Inappropriate posts will be deleted without warning. Examples of inappropriate posts are:
* The Greek/Macedonian debate
* Blatant requests for pre-written assignments by lazy students - we don't mind the subtle ones
* Foul or inappropriate language
Many A thing has been said about how Alexander would have nobaly Treated Dairius had he taken Him. Or The Romans.
Im Pretty sure had the Roamns faced Alexander and beaten him. He would have been exhibited and humiliated as Versengetrix was regardless of the Romans so called respect for Alexander.?
Now Darius. Would he have treated Alexander with lenience and respect. I very much doubt it. At least he would have his ears and nose cut off. He definately would say ok lets have peace behave and off you go. Surely as great king he would have executed Alexander?
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 see it.
The next part of your question is another thing. The Persians were very creative when it comes to executions and such. Plutarch's Life of Artaxerxes has some examples (which may or may not be entirely true). Let's not go into that. It upsets your stomach.
On the other hand: Alexander must have thought that it was a welcome surprise that Darius was already dead when he finally found him. One more problem solved and nothing that could develop into an issue.
I couldnt agree with you more about the Death. People will argue the Noble Alexander treating Darius with respect etc. It served no more than a bllody headache for Darius to be lounging about in Babylon whilst Alexander was fighting and laying claim as king of kings.
More often than not the romantic Alexander is shown through misty eyes. As we couls agree Alexander was more devious and ruthless than we dare to accept. But to be as succesful as he was the guy had to be ruthless
Just as he wantded Parmenio out of the frame with his mouthy son. Im sure Alexander less tollerant of a guy who a lot of his new subjects still hold loyalty to.
What a better way to get rid of him than for Persians to assasinate him. Then Alexander puts his hand in a bucket of manure and still ends up smelling of Roses. Hes Got Darius Dead a Persian Culprit and Another good reason to keep chasing East and that reason makes him a little more popular with his ne Persian Subjects.
And about Darius Executing Alexander no doubt hed show an example to those backward Macedoniansfor trying to be so clever and naughty for crossing the Hellespont in the first place.
Just watching the news lately. I see the politics of passing the buck getting someone to do your dirty work. I love Alexander but at the same time believe he had a hand in Darius Death and conveniently got Bessus to do his dirty work. Without Bessus thinking he had or maybe. Imsure with Alexanders network of spies etc he was aware Darius was for the chop , It shows it to me with the way Alexander stopped for 3 days whilst in persuit. We know from sources and past evidence. If Alexander wanted or needed something bad enough he woulldnt have stopped hed just keep pushing.
I liken it a liitle with the outcome of Sadadam Husseins trial. Id guess the Americans want him to swing. but to save themselves any more agravation they give him to an Iraqi trial for them to string him up, If he was of any importance at all to America hed be still in the USA being drip tortured for information.
As for Alexander treating Darius with curtesy and respect. I bloody doubt it. Darius was no Porus and on occasion had took to the hills. Realistically would A Homeric Alexander have any respect at all for such a geezer. Darius excusist can make all the fog they like he was a coward and soon as he was in danger scarpered. Not to consolidate etc but to save his skin.
He most definitely will have killed the upstart Macedonian imperialist - and most creatively.
Sharpenned wooden spikes will have greeted his general staff and provided a none too comfortable seat. That which remained of the army will likely have wished for a death on the battlefield and Macedonia and Greece will likely have ceased to exist as history knows them.
Alexander? Had it (as was the most likely IMO) happened at Issus, Darius may have been prepared to keep the aggressive Macedonian bull-ant as a freek show curiousity. Gaugamela? Alexander will have wished he'd not ever been born.
Had things gone differenty, it is more likely that Alexander would have fallen in battle. Mutilation will have been the result.
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.
Darius' correspondence to Alexander after his defeats at Granicus and Issus tell you all you need to know. Darius was emphatic that Alexander was an interloper in Persian affairs and had more or less lucked out with his invasion of Asia. He offered Alexander a sort of truce but Alexander would have to bow to him and declare him king. To Alexander this would have been the ultimate insult; to Darius this had to be a false promise. It would have been like tying a hungry lion in a herd of sheep with dental floss. If I had been Darius, a public execution in the heart of Persia would have been the only course to follow. Savage and quick would have been his only course of action.
Alexander's kind treatment of Darius' family was politically astute. This he learned from his father, Philip. I'm not so sure Darius would have been allowed to live. Greeks didn't tend to parade conquered kings like the Romans but allowing Darius to live free wouldn't have made much more sense than Darius allowing Alexander the same.
