I doubt Alexander cried because there were no worlds left to

iskander-32 · Post by **iskander-32** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 6:07 am

Its been written and said that ATG looked round and cried because there were no 3worlds to conquer.This has to be myth aqs Alexander knew full well there were other new worlds to conquer, as he was in the middle of organising the conquests of Arabia, Carthage then western Europe,,, where did the saying come from that he cried for such a reason.
regardskenny

marcus · Post by **marcus** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:30 am

Well, Kenny, you're not wrong there.It's a nice poetic idea, of course, which is probably why it was coined.The interesting thing is that nobody appears to know where that particular quote comes from. I first became aware of it when it was quoted by Alan Rickman in 'Die Hard', and I don't think it was made up for the film (or for the novel it was based on), because in the 1940s (or even earlier) I believe Sir William Tarn quoted it ... and said that he'd been unable to find a provenance for it.All the bestMarcus

amyntoros · Post by **amyntoros** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:10 am

I wonder if some author before Tarn paraphrased a quote and thereby changed the meaning? There are three records of Alexander crying, not because he had no worlds left to conquer, but because he had not yet conquered this one! I know you are familiar with these...Valerius Maximus, Book VIII. 14. ext. 2
Of Appetite for Glory.Alexander's appetite for fame was insatiable. He said to his companion Anaxarchus who was retailing on the authority of his teacher Democritus the existence of innumerable worlds: "Alas for me, I have not yet made myself master of one!" A holding that suffices for the domicile of all the gods was not large enough for one glory-hungry man.Aelian, Book 4.29I cannot persuade myself not to laugh at Alexander the son of Philip, if it is true that when he heard there were an infinite number of worlds - Democritus says this in his writings - he was pained at the thought of not even being the master of the one we all know. Need one say how much Democritus would have laughed at him, laughter being his stock-in-trade?Plutarch, Moralia, Volume V, 466 D. 4Such contentment and change of view toward every kind of life is created by reason when it has been engendered within us. Alexander wept when he heard Anaxarchus discourse about an infinite number of worlds, and when his friends inquired what ailed him, "Is it not worthy of tears," he said, "that when the number of worlds is infinite, we have not yet become lords of single one?" The meaning is different, but I think there are too many similarities for there to be another (and seemingly lost) quote where Alexander also wept tears.And isn't it interesting how three separate authors in ancient times had such different thoughts about the same event? Nothing changes! :-)Linda Ann

Linda · Post by **Linda** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:43 am

It sounds like he had a bit of a panic attack - desperate that he won't have enough time to do everything.Incidentally, Linda, how do you manage to get all those quotes so quickly? Do you have a library just next to your computer, or do you have digitised texts?Linda

amyntoros · Post by **amyntoros** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 1:22 pm

I do have a digitized text, but only because I've been transcribing excepts on Alexander and Philip from these sources and others.

However, I've been doing this to add them to Susan's site where she's graciously devoting her time to making all the ancient sources accessible to everyone. (I think she is currently working on adding Curtius.) Aelian is already on the site; I finished Valerius Maximus and Susan can tell you when it might be up, and the Moralia is a work in progress so it will be while before it is available.You can find her site, also, obviously, a work in progress, at:http://pda.websfor.com/alexander/home/home.aspBest regards,Linda AnnP.S. I'm dying to have a debate on Josephus which you'll find on the site as well. While typing it, I realized that an argument can be made for its credibility once you see the usual quotes in context.

jan · Post by **jan** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:14 pm

Thanks, Linda, for the link. It is much appreciated. Jan

jan · Post by **jan** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:18 pm

And isn't it said that Caesar cried when he realized at how much Alexander had conquered when so young while he had not yet done anything? All these quotations really make me wonder too, Kenny, as to when and how they were coined. Why is it that when copying all those Greek sources these few Roman men chose those quotations to continue to foster? I am convinced that there is an agenda to denigrate Alexander from all his lofty successes. He is almost too good to be true so that someone has to find some fault with him somehow. And by crying, does that mean sobbing, or exclaiming aloud? As Shakespeare would have intended? Any thoughts?

xxx · Post by **xxx** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:48 am

Err, has anyone actually read the Pothos website under quotes

marcus · Post by **marcus** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:33 am

I have, miss! Can I have a gold star?

jan · Post by **jan** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:59 pm

errrr.no, I hadn't but since you pointed it out, now I have. Thanks!

Seems that first thing I hit is Forum, so it is shame on me. Very interesting now that I have found it.

pothos.org

I doubt Alexander cried because there were no worlds left to

I doubt Alexander cried because there were no worlds left to

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