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
Okay ... we'll start the day by questioning a claim in a piece from the Austin-American Statesman about dying Easter eggs 'the natural way':
Alexander the Great's troops used red dye made from the roots of the madder plant to appear bloody and trick the enemy into thinking they were wounded.
Can't find anything which could be a source for this one ...
It looks like complete rubbish to me, unless I've missed something. Another one to be added to the "Internet myths" section, perhaps?
Well, for a start I can't think of a situation where Alexander's men needed to trick the enemy into believing they were wounded. Certainly not the major battles! Picture the armies at Issus or Gaugamela, lined up opposite each other . . . and then the fray begins. Once they're engaged in hand-to-hand combat, Alexander's men secretly whip the red dye out of their . . . out of their . . . heck, out of somewhere. . . and then while the battle is raging all about them they stealthily apply it to their bodies and scream, "I'm wounded" to draw the attention of the enemy. It's too silly to imagine, even though I did just that! You have to love these internet myths.
Well, your flight of fancy confirmed that it is, of course, completely ridiculous.
I wish I knew how people's names get attached to these ideas - perhaps this links in to Efstathios's earlier post about the Alexander Romance ... it had to start somewhere.
Lately in my kitchens I have started talking to an Iranian. I was interested in something he said about Alexander. We know the story of How Alexander turned the Persian Gates wiuth the aid of a Persian traitor. We are led to belive that Alexander rewarded the man indeed we have no real authorirty or info.
But I couldnt argue with the Iranians beliefs that acordind to Iranian histories was that Alexander had the guy executed. Fearing how could he trust a guy that treated the Persians with such treason. I couldnt argue the guy down because it is not out of the guestion. I think the main myth with Alexander is that he was a very nice mild mannered ruler with an eye for fair play. We really got to get to the bones that indeed Alexander was mild cmpared top some. But in reality he was as rithless and as calculative as any ruler.
"It is said that Alexander the Great found a valley full of both diamonds and poisonous snakes. No one could work out how to retrieve the jewels until Alexander had the idea of throwing down raw meat, to which the diamonds attached. When eagles flew down for the meat, Alexander's men just had to follow them to their nests.
It sounds like fantasy but diamonds are attracted to fat, and the story reminded people how to tell real diamonds from fakes. De Beers still practise Alexander's trick in their South Africa mines today: They use "grease tables" and only the valuable stones stick."
It sounds like fantasy? Frankly, I think it would be easier to deal with the snakes than chase eagles to their nests. And how many eagles could there be in one valley? I've never heard of a flock of eagles!
"It is said that Alexander the Great found a valley full of both diamonds and poisonous snakes. No one could work out how to retrieve the jewels until Alexander had the idea of throwing down raw meat, to which the diamonds attached. When eagles flew down for the meat, Alexander's men just had to follow them to their nests.
I read this same story years ago . . . but it was in an old Scholastic edition of the Adventures of Sindbad the Sailor.
It does sound much more like a Sinbad story than an Alexander one, doesn't it?
Still, Alexander does appear in the Tales of the Thousand Nights and One Night (apparently - I have yet to look up the references), so perhaps that's where it got confused?
I never knew that Alexander was to be found in the Tales of the Thousand and One Night! Do you know if there is a storyline about him, or is it just a brief mention or two? I just found a couple of lines on Iskander the two-horned and would love to know if thereGÇÖs more before I embark on another quest.
As for the tale about the diamonds, an incredible coincidence (my keyword search for the Thousand and One night references) led me to this page from the University of Calgary:
The Diamond Valley legend crops up next in the form of an Alexander myth. It can be found in an Arabic work on mineralogy, composed before 850 AD but attributed (quite wrongly) to Aristotle. Here, under the heading 'the diamond', this pseudo-Aristotle has written: "Nobody but my disciple Alexander reached the valley in which diamonds are found. It lies in the east along the extreme frontier of Khorasan, and its bottom cannot be penetrated by human eyes. Alexander, after having advanced thus far, was prevented from proceeding by a host of snakes. In this valley are found snakes which by gazing at a man cause his death. He therefore caused mirrors to be made for them; and when they thus beheld themselves, they perished, while Alexander's men could look at them. Thereupon Alexander contrived another ruse: he had sheep slaughtered, skinned, and flung on the bottom of the valley. The diamonds adhered to the flesh. The birds of prey seized them and brought part of them up. The soldiers pursued the birds and took whatever of their spoils they dropped."
The story is repeated in the Iskander-nameh of the Persian poet Nizami (1141-1203 AD). . .
So, itGÇÖs an old tale and not a modern myth and it IS based on a Romance of sorts GÇô just not the one with which weGÇÖre most familiar! Btw, I do love how the Greek Medusa myth has been introduced into this version.
Ah, well, I'm not sure. I don't believe there are entire storylines devoted to Alexander, just name-checks. But I haven't had a chance to investigate this further.
I was aware that Alexander appears in Nazami - and in one or two other Persian poets, too. I haven't tracked them all down - again, a time issue; but it's certainly a research area for the future.
Still, nice one on the Valley of the Diamonds. I shall add that to my growing pile of rather badly organised references!
You have to love these internet myths. 