Alexander in AD 21st century?

[andrewt1978]

Here's a little "what if" scenario: What if Alexander The Great were to live in our time? Where would he live? Please be creative, I want your personal opinions.

[clementina]

usa ? with its world dominating tendencies ?

[jan]

How can anyone take you seriously? I believe that you misunderstand the course of history not to understand that a soul is different from a human being. The human being is the flesh in which is housed a soul. All of Alexander's behaviour was due to his soul exerting itself with the piece of flesh into which it was born, and that was that of a prince and king.We have souls today who are born into positions of princes and kings. If the soul of Alexander is reborn in today's world, how would you recognize it?Jan

[kat]

Funny you should ask this question. I am writing a trilogy that deals with this very question. My Alexander lives in England a decade or two from now, a clone who remembers his ancient life - impossible, I know, but a useful plot device. No longer master of all he surveys, Alexander must now find a path in the modern world where he can make use of his vast talents, yet keep his true identity hidden from the masses, from those who wouldn't understand him and could possibly feel revulsion at the existence of a 2500-year-old man. Though it has elements of science fiction in it, I have never been a fan of sci/fi and have kept such elements to a bare minimum, making this a story very much within the realm of mainstream fiction. Book One is finished, Book Two needs a few revisions, and Book Three is two-thirds finished. I'm hoping to have the first one published soon.

[andrewt1978]

Please keep me informed, via e-mail, on the progress of your trilogy. Sounds like interresting reading.

[maciek]

Hard to answer our times are not for individualists and for sure not for conquerors, so maybe he should be a leader of Eurpopean Union to unite the world (in future) (living in one of strongest UE countries like Germany) or NATO (living in USA) to be a world policeman.

[sus]

C'mon, Clementina, don't be so inclement.To both, i mean.
i

[qadir]

hello
yes alexander no doubt would b a srilankan
like macedonia the people are violent and drink a lot
so there
he has come and hes a srilankan !

[abdul qadir]

hello
u will soon know who is alexander
jesus has come
so has alexander !
its just a matter of time before u know about it
please be patient for a few months

[susan]

Looking at this precise moment - "War against terror", I think that he might have been in the mountains of Afghanistan or the deserts of Yemen with al-Qaeda.Taking a simplistic view, I argue that the USA is the world's mightiest empire at present, as was the Persian empire in Alexander's time; Alexander set out to conquer the leading world empire and destroy its world hegemony, which he did in a series of daring attention-grabbing moves. So, he would be fighting now and I don't think it would have been on the American side.Persians must have regarded Alexander as a terrorist out to destroy their way of life, as he effectively did. I see him more in the role of a bold guerilla leader than an army leader or political leader in the west - it would take him too long to get power thorugh conventional routes nowadays. I don't think his war was for ideological reasons though, it was the obvious way to fame and power.He is already regarded as a hero amongst the mujaheddin of Afghanistan, they carry his image into battle for luck.Of course I am a European, although new not old.RegardsSusan

[maciek]

It depends what You think is world's mightiest empire because USA is definetly mightest in military aspect - that is for sure. I have some doubts about their economy - to much corruption, big crushes on their market - but I'm not economist so I can't judge this matters.
I cant agree that Alex destroyed their (persians) way of life. Of course he destroyed way of life of the ruling part and only for their who was against him. But he left their religion, customs, only adding new courses of thinking and culture. Look that even leaders who fought against him like in Gaugamela one of Persian commanders (I can't remember name now) was after the battle left on very high positions which was governor of Babilon.

[susan]

Alexander and his successors plundered the Persian treasury. In some ways this stimulated the growth of Mediterranean culture, but this was Greek-oriented and may not have done much for the hinterland of Persia which was left in chaos for many decades as the successors fought it out amongst themselves. Of all the successors only one is known to have kept his Persian wife, although others probably did. Cetainly the Graeco-Bactrian kingdoms brought western thought and education to central Asia, and the Greek cities on Asia Minor got more political freedoms. But I can't see how ordinary Persians, watching their armies' defeats, their king's flight and death, the burning of Persepolis and the plundering of their treasury, could have regarded it as anything other than destruction and terror.It's true that Alexander towards the end of his life realised the need for building bridges but it was a very controlled way - no partnership of equals, and I don't think his successors bothered much about this , they returned to the Greek-speaking world with their treasure as soon as possible.Susan

[marcus]

Hi Susan,Largely I agree with you. One of the difficulties is, of course, the concept of 'terrorism', with all the implied ideological baggage - and, of course, the fact that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter! There is a risk of imposing modern constructs on an ancient society. Is it not just as likely that the common Persian would have viewed Alexander as merely replacing one despotic regime with another? One might think of the way in which Napoleon crushed various European armies, causing untold death and destruction (not least to his own armies), and yet through the resulting diplomacy managed to create a series of alliances that held particularly strongly for some years, particularly with Austria (through marriage) and Russia (until 1812, of course). In Spain and Portugal, with the exception of some bands of guerrillas, there was very little fear of insurrection, and Wellington had to deal with the Spanish guerrillas almost as much as he had to fight the French.All the bestMarcus

[maciek]

It's true that Alexander towards the end of his life realised the need for building bridges but it was a very controlled way - no partnership of equals, and I don't think his successors bothered much about this , they returned to the Greek-speaking world with their treasure as soon as possible.Yes that is true that Alexander and his successors plundered the Persian treasury. And he moved this tressury and swichet it into economic circulation. This somehow made inpot into culture but only additionaly. Mediterranean culture growth was made in different way: He had bunch of sientists from every kind of science which was with the army and they were very good treated by him what caused another trubles to him (macedonians didn't understood what for thees people are so well treated), He founded a new cities which in historiography was called military garrisons but new excavations proof that those cities were centers of greek culture - with theatre, and so on. He iprooved also roads, and founded new harbours. Yes it was greek orientated but You can't deny that groeek culture was on the highest level then.
I have to agree that his succesors made everything wrong only fighting and bringing chaos to those world. Maybe if he would left adult son it would be different. But his actions was aimed for different result - he just died to soon.
Ordinary persian man could even not know about all this war and who and what for is fighting. But this is what Fuller writes and for me sound right: that Alexander made thin line between his battles and trewating people. He didnt kill or destroy (exept few exemples) any city which surrended to him and left their customs and religion. Most of tragedies happened after his death and Diadochs wars.

[maciek]

sorry again duble post:-((