Why do we admire Alexander?

[alejandro]

Hi CompanionsToday I feel like writing , so this is my second post of the day.
I was wondering the last days: why do we admire Alexander? Of course, this topic is always around and was discussed many times here in the forum. The new "twist", however, is this: do we admire those characteristics of Alexander (courage/charm/pothos/etc) because we share them with him, or because we lack them?
In my case, I think I admire them because I don't have them, though at the same time I set them as "targets" I intend to reach. In particular, I've always admired that ability to be loved and admired by everyone, of being able to turn everyone into his admirer. I think he himself was following what he read about Cyrus: a true leader is not followed because of fear, but because of love. And so we usually read about his relationship with his army as one between lovers (at least in Renault!).
Also, another characteristic I admired is his "dareness", not only in term of military courage as in the Mallian town, but in general terms, as when he, before marching towards Persia, distributed all his assets and, asked what he'll keep to himself, answered "hope"! I think that's something very hard to do: dare to dream, but also to dedicate your life to fulfill that dream.
So, in summary, why do you admire of the Great one? is it because you are like him, or because you would like to be like him? I would love to know your answers.
Best regardsMiguel

[Ky]

Hi Miquel,
This is my first time responding on the forum although I occassionally read the posts. This is a wonderful site so first I just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate the knowledge and discussion in this forum. Your question Miquel gives me a chance to share a silly theory I have that -obviously Alexander was extremely charasmatic. His army did seem to "love" him as you say and the people he conquered seemed to love him just as much. I believe he may have been one of the most charasmatic people who has ever lived. I think because he was genuine. He really loved people in return, he reflected back some of humanities best characteristics and now for the theory part-I think his charisma was so strong that all these almost 2400 years later it still attracts people. Me included! That's why he still generates so much interest. But if I had to be honest-I would have to say that as I am usually quiet I'd love to have some of that charisma and ability to relate to all people.
Ky

[nick]

Dear Ky -What a wonderful message. Yes, I think that you wrote something that we can all relate to. We are fascinated by Alexander because we are puzzled about how to incorporate even small aspects of his "charisma" into our own personality.I am a professional "leader" of a small team of about ten university teachers. And yes, I think that true leadership has more to do with "love" than with "fear". In the end, "fear" never works. "Love" might do.Let's just say that Alexander has left the world an "example" of true leadership. Being totally genuine, to do things right from the heart and not being afraid to do so, is just one aspect of the enigma of his personality.We can still learn from him. That is weird, isn't it, after so many centuries.Best regards -
Nick

[jan]

Alexander is a complex personality, and I am afraid that his character and personality is too dependent upon the author's tale. I admire his conviction, his determination, and his sensitivity and gentleness. He is a sincerely religious personality and I like best the verses within the Koran which give him his sacred attitude. I suspect that time has eroded his genuine devotion to the Gods. I believe that he is a true believer in Deity and acted accordingly. Today we require perfection from religious personalities but Alexander remained all too human.

[Thalestris]

WOW!!!! Tremors went through me as I read these replies! Twenty-one years later I still tremble and sigh when I read about, hear, see in art, or ponder Alexander the Great. So much of him and so little vocabulary to utilize to explain my ardent fascination/obsession. Shall I indulge and say, simply, I adore his *power* and youth. The enormity of his internal-power is alluring for me, as it may have been for an Amazon Queen. Secondly, his intelligence is alluring. Notice I have used the word "alluring" twice. Yes, it is his allure that drives me....I must stop before I implode.Sighing and smiling,Amazon Queen

[jorgios]

Afterall, if Alexander were alive today we would probably consider him a sadist and a megalomaniac(and we would be correct). He sacked peaceful cities, imprisoned and killed rivals to the throne, sold women and children into slavery, and affectivley ended more then one democracy. He was a brutal dictator in today's terms, and in this manner he was someone that you probably would not want to meet in person.However, there is something about it, his complexity that makes him so amazing to us. The fact that he after he razed Thebes he always let every Theban safe passage back to Greece when he defeated Memnon's mercenaries. His conversation with Diogenes, his kindess to the Royal Family of Persia. For all the cities he looted and destroyed, there were many more that he was told to have spared and not allowed his troops looting priveledges. Finally, there is is his humanity, his soldiers love for him, his closeness to his mother Olympias, and his closeness to Hephaeiston, and even Bukephalos.These are the things that made Alexander so human, these polar opposites that all humans are made up of, good and evil; light and dark, which make Alexander so appealing, because in some way we can relate to him, for better or worse.

[susa]

Hi!I am not a particular silver-fish of Alexander's biographies, so do you mind telling me why you call him "brutal dictator" ?Because as long as i know, there's nothing on him that would term him "dictator". I feel he never needed to be one. I always thought dictatorship was to people who have little intelligence, and who will only get things done by use of force rather than of intelligence [at least my experience of dictatorship gives me this feeling anyway...]. He got things done because he's quite smart, no?susa

[jorgios]

Well Alexander's display of force against Thebes was certainly characteristic of a dictator, as was intimidation of Athens and various other city-states. His slaughter and enslavement of the Tyreans and various other peoples also. His adpotion of the Persian Imperial custom of prostration only served to illustrate his growing love for power.On the contrary, i believe that dictators can be very intelligent, they just happen to have trouble understanding why others cannot see their brilliant "vision"(greco-persian unity?) and when they get in the way of this vision(as did Thebes, Athens, and Tyre) they have to pay for it, in typical autocratic fashion.

[marcus]

Of course, these various discussions of what a 'dictator' is are with reference to our modern perceptions, influenced by modern 'dictators' such as Stalin, Hitler, Saddam etc.A dictator doesn't necessarily have to be brutal, bad or mad; it's just that most modern 'dictators' have been - it's only in a more modern context that we make the connection with someone who has taken power by force (and, by extension, holds on to power by force). Originally, a dictator was just someone who held absolute power - and in Republican Rome magistrates were voted dictatorial powers by the Senate, so can hardly be accused of using force to gain power.Where the term 'dictator' has been used in these posts with reference to Alexander, I would suggest that people are generally meaning 'tyrant', which is not synonymous. (And, of course, the whole meaning of the word 'tyrant' has changed over time, too.)All the bestMarcus

[jan]

Alexander is the prototype of all dictators I imagine. He uses absolute power and executes his decisions totally without consideration of other's feelings. It seems to be the manner in which he interprets the Illiad that gives him the power to render his decisions. He does consider himself son of God; thus, he can do whatever he likes. Biblically, all who are God's little finger do do whatever it is that God tells them to do.So Alexander is an example of a divinity who can call all the shots, and does so. He is truly tyrannical and dictatorial in his methods. Nobody can dispute that. With intelligence, of course. All his decisions are reasonable and sound by his measuring stick. How else would he have survived the age had he not?It is his divinity which interests me the most as I believe he gave it is greatest respect and time. Only when he did not do proper obeisance to the gods does he suffer setbacks. Belief worked for him. It is his glory to have served God well.Humankind just does not understand the nature of Godliness!

[h1bs]

To sum up my interpretation of what I've read aboveAlexander represents what is best and worst in us all..Alexander's force of will define the possibilities we have as humans & for that he has more than just my admiration , he has my awe.