What do we call Alexanders Empire?

[Iskander_32]

Companions Hi.Can we be a little less picky about the film and rise out of Curtius and Arrian, I for one am glad that the film will give everyone just a small glimpse of the man we all respect and follow.With regard to the Empire do we call Alexanders; Macedonian or Greek.To me it is Macedonian and having accepted Macedonia to be a Greek City state of that time, I add that macedonia was the Greatest and most powerful Greek City state, therefore before ALexander was greek he was Macedonian.If not on the same token it was never the Roman Empire but the Italian Empire,get my drift? Just out of curiosity to my knowledge I believe Alexander visited Athens the bastion of ancient Greece,I could be wrong to me that indicates what Alexander thought about his fellow Greeks at that time.For all the eyecandy watchers we can only expect to see Jolie for a short period of the film,unless Oliver Stone changed history and had Olympius tagging along.The film looks good and for one dont care that much how Stone messes with the story,it may be a good way to end his legend in battle and not shrouded in mystery where he could have fallen fowl to underhanded trecheryregards

[beausefaless]

This is my guess on the direction of Oliver Stone's ATG:Anthony Hopkins (older Ptolemy in Alexandria) will be the author of Alexander's brief but thunderous life, a narrator so to speak.If Stone uses many flash backs there will be plenty of parts for Angelina Jolie (Olympias) to play.From interviews by Val Kilmer (King Philip II) and a short trailer scene, I think Stone will show Alexander's death. Let it be known this is just my guess. After the film ascends from the cutting room floor, nothing is set in stone, metaphorically speaking.

[marcus]

Hi Kenny,That's an interesting question. I have to say that I don't think I've ever heard it referred to as a "Greek" empire, only ever as a "Macedonian" one (or, failing that, to call it "Alexander's Empire").You do need to be a bit careful about terminology, however, because whatever Macedonia was, it wasn't a "city state". You'd be OK calling it a "state" of course, but a city state it wasn't.All the bestMarcus

[andy19]

Hi Iskandermost definately agree mate his empire is definately macedonian he didnt care for the league of corinth and most of the greek troops he took with him on the start of his journey he saw as a hinderance not a help so the first chance he got, he got rid of them. Also when persepolis fell the "greek crusade" was seen to be over but no Alexander wanted to conquer so much more!

[stefko9@hotmail.com]

This forum is quite pathetic.... as soon as you start giving answer and talking the truth they decide its too controversial and shut you down!
Starting to sound like a true Democracy!!!
His empire was plainly and simply Macedonian just like he was...
His key generals were Macedonian his core contingent of the army was Macedonian.
Where your assuming Macedonia to be a greek city state is beyond any scope thinking imaginable. Macedonia was one of the first countries/kingdoms ever known and still shares the same name as it does today. Their was no Greece in ancient times... only Athens was all that existed and even they did not call themselves Greek! this was later their adopted name which was given to them by the Romans. So where your getting cinfused with greek city state is hard to comprehened. Your right in one thing that Macedonia was the most powerful nation but its raletionship with athens (in your case greece) was nothing but to crush them everytime they had an uprising when they rumoured their conquerer was dead and decided to take it upon themselves to try and defeat the Macedonians to free themselves... hence Aleksandars hatred for greeks not only by these incidents which happened twice but during his campaign they annoyed him and were always the first to spread dissedent and mutiny among the army.
Even his tutor Aristotle was killed by the greeks themselves because of their hatred for Macedonians.
With regard to the movie you do not show a fictional story in movie form that is completely of target towards facts and evidence.... i mean why don't you just ask Robin Lane Fox (the historical man behind the movie for those who don't know?) what he thinks the truth is and how the movie is being presented.... oh wait his words have been bought with money by propoganda as well... maybe you should have asked him a couple of years ago befoer he was corrupted by pressure and money. Even then he might not admit it?? Best bet would be to read his 1973 book about Aleksandar to read the real truth and disregard any word that comes from his mouth nowadays.

[lucinos]

HiI think I have to write my view on the subject.
I am greek so you may say that my opinion is not objective.
I can say that Macedonia was not a "greek city state" for the obvious reason it was not a city state.
It is accurate to call the empire Macedonian for the simple reason that Alexander was based on the Macedonian army in his campain, he needed the other greeks to legalize his acts and no so much their support.
Alexander was saying he was acting in the name of all Greek except spartans.
Were the ancient Macedonians Greeks?
I think they were.1
they had the same mythology and religion.2
they had the same descent
*******
The Macedonians were a Dorian tribe, according to the testimony of Herodotus (1, 56): "(The Dorian ethnos) ... dwelt in Pindos, where it was called Makednon; from there ... it came to the Peloponnesos, where it took the name of Dorian". And elsewhere (VIII, 43): "these (that is, the Lacedaimonians, Corinthians, Sikyonians etc.), except the people of Hermione, were of the Dorian and Makednon ethnos, and had most recently come from Erineos and Pindos and Dryopis". A Dorian tribe, then, that expanded steadily to the east of Pindos and far beyond, conquering areas in which dwelt other tribes, both Greek and non-Greek
*******3
they had a greek tongue
*******
Although very little of the Macedonian tongue has survived, there is no doubt that it was a Greek dialect. This is clear from a whole series of indications and linguistic phenomena by which the koine of the region is "colored" which are not Attic but which can only have derived from a Greek dialect. For example: The vast majority of even the earliest names, whether dynastic names or not, are Greek, formed from Greek roots and according to Greek models: Hadista, Philista, Sostrata, Philotas, Perdikkas, Machatas and hundreds of others. In general, the remnants of the Macedonian dialect that have come down to us have a completely different character from Ionic. This circumstance is patent proof that there can be no question of the ancient Macedonians having been Hellenised, as has been asserted (Karst), for such Hellenisation could have been only by the Greek colonies on the Macedonian coast, in which the Ionian element was predominant (Beloch). The fact that Roman and Byzantine lexicographers and grammarians cited examples from Macedonian in order to interp

[lucinos]

The fact that Roman and Byzantine lexicographers and grammarians cited examples from Macedonian in order to interpret particular features of the Homeric epics must mean that Macedonian - or rather, what survived of Macedonian at the period in question - was a very archaic dialect, and preserved features that had disappeared from the other Greek dialects; it would be absurd to suggest that these scholars, in their commentaries on the Homeric poems, might have compared them with a non-Greek language. The name given to the Macedonian cavalry - hetairoi tou basileos - "the King's Companions" - is also indicative: this occurs only in Homer, and was preserved in the historical period only amongst the Macedonians. The anonymous compiler of the Etymologicum Magnum notes in the entry on Aphrodite, probably adopting a comment by the earlier grammarian Didymos: "V is akin to F. This is clear from the fact that the Macedonians call Philip "Vilip" and pronounce falakros [bald] "valakros" the Phrygians "Vrygians" and the winds (fysitas) "vyktas". Homer refers to "vyktas anemous" (blowing winds). Observations of this type abound. Male and female names occur in Macedonian ending in -as and -a, where in Attic we have -es and -e: Alketas, Amyntas, Hippotas, Glauka, Eurydika, Andromacha, and dozens more. A feature bequeathed by Macedonian to the koine and also to Modern Greek is the genitive of so-called first declension masculine nouns in -a: Kallia, Teleutia, Pausanea (the Attic ending was -ou). The long alpha is retained in the middle of words (as in all dialects other than Ionic-Attic dialects): Damostratos, Damon etc. and Iaos" rather than the "Ieos" of Ionic Attic, is used to form compounds, occurring as both the first and the second element. The koine of Macedonia, for all its conservatism and dialect coloring, follows a parallel path to the koine of other regions, though not always at the same moment in time. Whatever the case, all the changes that marked the Greek language in general and the north Greek dialects in particular, can be followed in the inscriptions of Macedonia.
******if I understand right what stefko9 is writting about hate between greeks and macedonians. This is ridiculous. I think that if someone wants to understand what was happening in Greece at the age of Alexander he have to study what had happened during the last

[marcus]

Interesting arguments. But surely your 'truth' is just as legitimate as anyone else's, considering the nature of the sources that we have and the many different viewpoints that can be constructed from those sources.I am interested to know where your evidence is that Alexander "hated" the Greeks. All the bestMarcus

[flucinos]

I think that if someone wants to understand what was happening in Greece at the age of Alexander he have to study what had happened during the last 2 centuries before Alexander.
It is also intresting to find about Heracleides
(in greek means sons of Hercules and was the same as saying I am Greek.[The name Greek (in greek "Grekos") is not used by Homer, he doesnt even uses "Hellen" that was used in classic age and in modern age (in Greece we call Greece Hellas)]

[smittysmitty]

Stop now! Your starting to loose it!No, only kidding,

[Goce]

When a subject like this has been so distorted its hard to comprehend where the truth lies....
Fox's book of 1973 might help a bit...
For starters we'd know a lot more about today if the greeks did not burn down the great library.
I ask you why wouldn't he have hated the greeks. They were considered inferior in all aspects during Aleksandars time... in war/battle/hunting (this was obvious), weaponry/metallurgy used (spears and catapult type gear as well as the inventors of stainless steel), philosphy (Aristotle), art (gold leaf wreaths and tombs, coins etc) just as a few examples.
He crushed their army in his first campaign, yet they kept hindering him with revolts and uprisings after rumours were spread of his death repeatedly!
There's stories of Aleksander beheading whole villages of greeks becasuse of his disgust with what they were planing back in Athens.
It was known they were the weakest link in his army, constantly disturbing the peace trying to cause mutiny and dissident among the troops.Who to ask to find the truth about Aleksandar is (i agree) a difficult one but wouldn't the first people you talk to be his own people.... the Macedonians? See their opinion and view....
I have never done history in school or university only what has been passed down to me from my forefathers talking about king Aleksandar of Macedon.