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Alexandet the great Scourses
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:53 am
by Ninjagrenen
Hey.
Do any of you guys know where i can find scourses which says that Alexander was inspired of Achileus, hefastion etc. and he wanted to be remembered as a great man?
And do you know how big his army was? what does the scourses say?
Which new tactic did he make? he used many knights, but what more?
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:37 pm
by Ninjagrenen
And what about his propaganda?
How did he use propaganda? He made coins, but what else? do you guys know what he did, and what scourses i can look in?
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 3:32 pm
by marcus
Ninjagrenen wrote:And what about his propaganda?
How did he use propaganda? He made coins, but what else? do you guys know what he did, and what scourses i can look in?
Lots of questions, which can't be answered easily, I'm afraid.
The main ancient sources to look at are: Arrian, Quintus Curtius Rufus, Diodorus Siculus (Book 17), and Plutarch (Life of Alexander). If you can find it, Justin's epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus.
For modern books about Alexander: there are, literally, hundreds, all of varying quality. Look at the books on the main Pothos site for suggestions.
ATB
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 3:40 pm
by Ninjagrenen
marcus wrote:Ninjagrenen wrote:And what about his propaganda?
How did he use propaganda? He made coins, but what else? do you guys know what he did, and what scourses i can look in?
Lots of questions, which can't be answered easily, I'm afraid.
The main ancient sources to look at are: Arrian, Quintus Curtius Rufus, Diodorus Siculus (Book 17), and Plutarch (Life of Alexander). If you can find it, Justin's epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus.
For modern books about Alexander: there are, literally, hundreds, all of varying quality. Look at the books on the main Pothos site for suggestions.
ATB
I have been looking in the big five. and havent find exactly what i am looking for. The persian fleet, suddenly dismissed, but why? because of propaganda? what do you think?
And what other propaganda did alex use other than coins? did his propaganda just go from mouth to mouth?
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:48 pm
by Efstathios
he used many knights
Not knights. Knights were in the medivial era.
The size of his army varied from 35.000 to 45.000 depending on the source, including cavalry.
Dont ask about the size of the Persian army, as there is a big debate about the numbers. The sources tell us that the Persian army was from 500-600.000 to a million, and some modern scholars estimate them at around 150.000 to 300.000. I would go for 300-400.000 at the battle of Gaugamela.
I wouldnt call coins, a propaganda method. You could say that Alexander's reason for starting the campaign, which was to take revenge for the destructions during the Persian wars at 490 and 480 b.c , was something like a propaganda, as to justify his imperialistic purposes. But in my oppinion Alexander wanted to achieve both revenge, and conquer.
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:51 am
by marcus
Efstathios wrote:I wouldnt call coins, a propaganda method.
I would. Coins are amongst the very best propaganda methods - a wide circulation for people to see your face, or symbols of your conquests, every time they buy a newspaper or a packet of fags? - superb!
ATB
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:18 am
by Ninjagrenen
Efstathios wrote:he used many knights
Not knights. Knights were in the medivial era.
The size of his army varied from 35.000 to 45.000 depending on the source, including cavalry.
Dont ask about the size of the Persian army, as there is a big debate about the numbers. The sources tell us that the Persian army was from 500-600.000 to a million, and some modern scholars estimate them at around 150.000 to 300.000. I would go for 300-400.000 at the battle of Gaugamela.
I wouldnt call coins, a propaganda method. You could say that Alexander's reason for starting the campaign, which was to take revenge for the destructions during the Persian wars at 490 and 480 b.c , was something like a propaganda, as to justify his imperialistic purposes. But in my oppinion Alexander wanted to achieve both revenge, and conquer.
So Alexanders army was about 35000 to 45000. and the Persian about 300.000-400.000 at the start of the war?
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:40 am
by Ninjagrenen
marcus wrote:Efstathios wrote:I wouldnt call coins, a propaganda method.
I would. Coins are amongst the very best propaganda methods - a wide circulation for people to see your face, or symbols of your conquests, every time they buy a newspaper or a packet of fags? - superb!
ATB
Thanks

i have been writing about the coin propaganda.
What about the war propaganda? did he encourage his army in some known speaches?
Do you guys think the dismis of the persian fleet had to do with propaganda? cause the Persian fleet was still big at the end og Alexander's last battle in Gaugemala?
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:37 am
by Paralus
Indeed Marcus. Stathi - in a not so good pun - misses much of the propaganda for the props. Coins were the advertising of the ancient world.
As they remain today: In Australia we have recently seen the removal of Caroline Chilsholm from our five dollar note . You see, the "Queen of Australia" must have her image on the lowest denomination note (as with every coin). Caroline - a great Australian - was bumped.
The sooner she (Old Windsor) is removed, in my opinion, the better.
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:02 pm
by Paralus
The Persian fleet was not dismissed: it became redundant. It did not need to though.
Had the resistance in Phrygia proved more successful, its activities might have seen great consternation behind Alexander's lines of supply. The Persian strategy, after Granicus and continued after Issus, was to fight a coastal and near-island war to disrupt Alexander's lines back to Macedonia.
To understand just how successful this fight might have been one needs only to remember that Alexander, seemingly desperately short of Macedonians, sends Amyntas back “across the winter seas” to fetch replacements (an entire army of some 15,000) after Issus. That they do not arrive until after Gaugamela makes little difference: what if the Persians controlled the Aegean?
Food for thought.