On the use of a pickle

[SHepard]

So..... Alexander did do the thing with the pickel?

[marcus]

No.

[ancientlibrary]

It might be in the chap book.

[Nax]

AARRGGHHHHH ROFLMAO

[ruthaki]

This may be a little 'rude' but it's a valid question (or comment). A person recently told me (swearing it was 'true') that Alexander used to pump his men up before battle by going up and down the lines to make sure they had an erection. I dismissed this as part of the myth. I mean, for one thing, how could he check everyone????? hahaha...

[ancientlibrary]

I have no idea where that notion comes from.
I'm not aware of that being said of any
generalGÇöancient or moder. For Alexander at
least, I feel it's the sort of thing I think I would
have heard. Nor does it chime with Greek
sexual theoriesGÇöI can't think of other places
where combat or physical struggle were
accompanied by, um, tumescence.Anyway, I would think social presure, official
scruitiny and the fear of a death might make it
difficult.

[yiannis]

I also think that the site of thounsands of enemies in a dusty plain and the fear of eminent death makes ehmmm, erection a bit difficult to accomplish... peeing in your pants is more probable!

[amyntoros]

Actually, this smacks of a legend about another Alexander - the Roman emperor Elagabalus, or Heliogabalus (Varius Avitus Bassianus) - who also thought himself to be a reincarnation of Alexander the Great and renamed himself. He supposedly inspected the ranks of the Praetorian Guard, not specifically looking for an erection, but checking the size of the soldiers' "members". :-)I'm not sure if even this is historically accurate. I suspect many of the rumours about Elagabalus come from a sixties novel by Kyle Onstott and Lance Horner called Child of the Sun. A book written to titillate, if there ever was one...Best regards,Linda Ann

[ancientlibrary]

Interesting. Have you checked the Augustan History on this? If it's anywhere, it's there.

[amyntoros]

Haven't sat down and given the Augustan History a thorough reading, although I had scanned it for Alexander references and nothing came up there about Elagabalus claiming to be Alexander.However, there is a quite intriguing excerpt about how, during his reign, a spirit claming to be Alexander "proceeded through Moesia and Thrace, revelling in company with four hundred male attendants, who were equipped with thyrsi and fawn skins and did no harm." Seems this spirit was wined and dined until it proceeded to Chalcedon and "after performing some sacred rites by night and burying a wooden horse, it vanished."Sometimes, you just have to smile...

[marcus]

You mean, you don't believe it?

[amyntoros]

Of course I do! Don't you? :-)Seriously though - if it is possible to be serious about such a subject - even if I was the kind of person who believed in spirits and the like, one would have to wonder why on earth the spirt of Alexander was burying a wooden horse! The symbolism escapes me...