Search found 80 matches
- Thu Oct 13, 2005 7:10 pm
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Differences and practices of love
- Replies: 17
- Views: 5649
Re: Differences and practices of love
Oops, that's comparing two civilizations with a history of a millennium and a half; and with the complication that we are very poorly informed about the female side.All this being said, I think that the Romans were more close to the attitudes in western Europe today: marriage existed and was monogam...
- Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:22 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Just a little more time...
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2480
Re: Just a little more time...
I think not. Alexander had already lost control of Sogdia, Bactria, and the three Indian provinces. Had he gone to the west, the Iranian satrapies (six rebels in 325/324) would have become unquiet as well. I suppose Alexander would have remained undefeated on his march to the west, would have seen t...
- Wed Oct 12, 2005 8:15 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: I Just Invented a Proverb
- Replies: 19
- Views: 5925
Re: What has this to do with Alexander?
No offense taken, dear Amyntoros, as no offense was meant. I hope we can agree to disagree on this point. I think that comparisons are not only justified but also necessary; even if we do not study the past to learn from it -it is perfectly okay to just enjoy the meeting with the past- our questions...
- Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:37 pm
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: I Just Invented a Proverb
- Replies: 19
- Views: 5925
Re: What has this to do with Alexander?
Maybe you're a bit too harsh, dear Susan. Kenny is, to some extent, right: there's much to hate about Alexander, but at least we can say about him that he did not just order others to do the dirty work, but took a share. Persian, Greek and Macedonian warfare implied risks for those who had decided t...
- Sat Oct 08, 2005 11:31 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Can we call Alexander a hero?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4102
Heroism, a different approach
Perhaps it's interesting to focus on other heroes in the circle of Alexander: those non-military men and women who had to cope with rapid changes, tried to make the best of it, and were a source of inspiration for their people.My favorites are the Artabazus family, which must have offered advise to ...
- Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:04 pm
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Can we call Alexander a hero?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4102
Re: Can we call Alexander a hero?
I'm not so sure that it is a sensible strategy. We've seen similar attacks on non-combatants, dignified with the name "strategic bombing", during WW2 (Coventry, the V2's, Hamburg, Dresden). As far as I know, it only made Churchill and Hitler, the British and the Germans more resolute. I wo...
- Wed Oct 05, 2005 5:37 pm
- Forum: Alexander the Great in the Media
- Topic: 'THE MOVIE"
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3269
Re: 'THE MOVIE
If you don't expect too much, the movie certainly has its moments. I think that Val Kilmer was acting excellently and think that the props were okay. Much criticism is justified, but still there is a lot of fun to be had. I hope you will enjoy it.Isn't it wonderful that you in Florida, Nick in Holla...
- Tue Oct 04, 2005 1:55 pm
- Forum: Alexander the Great in the Media
- Topic: A trilogy Of Movies?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2780
Re: A trilogy Of Movies?
I think that a nice way to organize an Alexander trilogy would be to use three minor episodes: (1) the siege of Tyre; (2) Sogdia; (3) death in Babylon.The first shows us an ancient siege and focuses on the story of a noble conqueror slowly growing to atricities; the second shows us spectacular caval...
- Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:16 pm
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: I cant Decide wether the Gaugamella Battle scene the Best?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 7626
Re: No. # 4 is Gladiator
Yes, that's a good on; it looked authentic.Although I admit that I was amused (a) to see a Marcus Aurelius that looked like Obi Wan Kenobi and (b) to hear the Romans shout "Roma victor", which is rather poor Latin. Unfortunately, it seems to have become proverbial: a German author, Tony Do...
- Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:47 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Temperatures and things....
- Replies: 6
- Views: 2463
Re: Temperatures and things....
We have a weather report in the Astronomical Diaries: it was a clouded day.
- Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:40 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Can we call Alexander a hero?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4102
Re: Can we call Alexander a hero?
This is an interesting question. I think the Mallian campaign shows that it is hard to give a clear-cut answer.Alexander's STRATEGY was that of a coward: attacking unprotected villages, terrorizing the populace, and no real attack until the enemy's army has already been demoralized.But then, there's...
- Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:34 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Can we call Alexander a hero?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4102
Re: Can we call Alexander a hero?
Perhaps it is interesting to see that Homer is already unsure what makes a man a hero. In the Iliad, Achilles proclaims that he hates the man who uses tricks during a fight; he even hates this man "like the gates of hell". In the end, however, he can only overcome Hector by using a weak sp...
- Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:18 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: I cant Decide wether the Gaugamella Battle scene the Best?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 7626
Re: I cant Decide wether the Gaugamella Battle scene the Bes
I should add something. War propaganda uses a couple of standard tricks to make sure that you don't perceive what is really going on.One possibility is to create an overview, a general perspective. Whatever happened at Gaugamela, it was a mess and no one could see what was going on; all that people ...
- Sun Oct 02, 2005 6:30 pm
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: I cant Decide wether the Gaugamella Battle scene the Best?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 7626
Re: I cant Decide wether the Gaugamella Battle scene the Bes
Ahem - we're going to disagree, but... are you serious?Stone's Gaugamela showed us a Darius with a Bin Laden beard, running away as a coward; and as pothosians we know better. Stone is -to put it bluntly- repeating Macedonian propaganda.My favorite battle scenes would include something from "Cr...
- Sat Sep 24, 2005 11:55 am
- Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
- Topic: Alexander Sarcophagus FOR SALE!
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2138
Re: Alexander Sarcophagus FOR SALE!
$4500: I guess that will be enough to make a nice trip to Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan. That looks like a better investment; no one can take away the memories, but if I had a sarcophagus, I would always fear thieves, I fear.HM