gotta have been the toughest Mother *ucker ever?

[kenny]

Companions hail Am I soft or was ALexander The Great the most Physical and mentally toughest> Mother ever. Mother ever. Mother ever.I just spent a few hour watching Michael Woods in the footsteps and reall this guy of our was one mean tough guy. little incidents alone would make the normal guy turn off the Alarm Clock and stay in bed.But here we have Alexander the most powerful richest man on earth with enough money to bankroll world conquest.Yet here we have Alexander at the Beas his hardened battle wiery troops totally tired worn out and pissed off with it all. Monssons.Revolt.Poisonous snakes.The Hindu Kush. Tempetarures and hardships unimagined even in todays High tech fabrics and tools for such edventures.Yet Alexander wasnts to keep going. Forever? What king of mettle or flesh and blood make such a personality. was there ever a tougher warrior. He was basically a force of nature with his finger on the fast foreward button?Its alaways assume Alexander a provaledged sort from royalty. But I would wager there was no tougher royal or anyone else out there its totally mind boggling.Me Id arrive att Babylon and if I wanted the whole world I pay some one to do it.RegardsKennyMaybe Im soft but just the thought of a 30 day monsoon where nothing gets dry drives me to despair.Kenny

[jan]

Aw, gee, Kenny, what else was there to do then? But thirty days of endless rain and the thoughts of snakes hanging from branches or trees and then wrapping themselves around the shoulders of men, some of whom were killed, probably did discourage an adventurous spirit! But what the heck, some of these old soldiers were in their 50's and 60's, while Alexander was just a mere early 30's. Sure, he's full of pep and vigor, but what about those poor old bones of the old timers. It does make you realize how times have changed, doesn't it? Only Charles deGaulle has defended the rights of the 80+ set to carry on. Between the Colonel (Sanders of the chicken fame here in the USA) and DeGaulle, there are few who believe that oldtimers have much to offer! The colonel began his chicken business after he reached retirement age at 65 and proved that old age need not stop anyone! So, Kenny, I just believe that you are up to it!

[Efstathios]

Well Alexander was indeed a tough mother %^$#%.There were also other tough royal leaders too, but do you know what's the difference between them and Alexander? Alexander was not an animal or beast like them.Of course he had his animalish moments,but there is no comparison between him and the others.And you know what i mean...

[Paralus]

"Alexander was not an animal or beast like them.Of course he had his animalish moments,but there is no comparison between him and the others.And you know what i mean..."Kenny may, I don't.Let us in on the secret Efstathios. And which "others" might the "anamalish" be?Paralus.

[Athanasios]

Kenny,What drove him? IMMORTALITY. He had to go one better than the gods that went before him not because he deemde himself a god, but he would be remembered...That's my theory on it. Just a hitch:)Regards,
Atha

[Athanasios]

Kenny,What drove him? IMMORTALITY. He had to go one better than the gods that went before him not because he deemde himself a god, but he would be remembered...That's my theory on it. Just a hitch:)Regards,
Atha

[jan]

Atha, I agree with you that his drive was motivated to do better than any who had gone before him. Once achieved, he was fulfilled.While I know that this may not be received well, I will relate an experience in Alexander that I have had. I had never believed his wrestling with the lion story, but I learned that it is a true story after all, and the one thing that Alexander gained from that experience was a true sense of fearlessness and a power over nature that imbued him with his Invincible confidence. I can never forget that, as it made me truly understand what makes Alexander run better than anything else. He fought that lion standing up, and it did happen! It also gave him a sense of courage that is full of selfbelief!

[jan]

Atha, I agree with you that his drive was motivated to do better than any who had gone before him. Once achieved, he was fulfilled.While I know that this may not be received well, I will relate an experience in Alexander that I have had. I had never believed his wrestling with the lion story, but I learned that it is a true story after all, and the one thing that Alexander gained from that experience was a true sense of fearlessness and a power over nature that imbued him with his Invincible confidence. I can never forget that, as it made me truly understand what makes Alexander run better than anything else. He fought that lion standing up, and it did happen! It also gave him a sense of courage that is full of selfbelief!

[Efstathios]

When i say animalish i mean of course people with "animal" insticts.Resembling more like animals than men.For example we all know the attrocities that were conducted by Persian Kings, such as the mutilations and slaughter of the macedonian injured soldiers that Alexander left behind while he was chasing Darius. ALexander would have never done something like this.As is said of course Alexander had his moments,like in India,or Tyrus but none of his actions were so fearse against his opponents. Jenkis Khan was a real butchering machine,showing no mercy to women and children.He wiped out hundreds of villages,and Mongolia commited the largest genocide ever with millions of civilians dead. Its one thing to be a soldier or a general and make war,and another thing to have a killer instict wiping everything out,mutilate the defenceless e.t.c e.t.c e.t.c. If this is not animal instict (or worse,cause animals do it mainly for survival and to be fed,not for pleasure), then what is? Must i bring other examples too? Even among the most noble of the Kings and Leaders,like Julious Caesar,Alexander surpassed them all.He created a huge empire with minimal casualties of civilians.Julious Caesar killed Verkikentorix (dont know the spelling) in Alesia when he surrendered and stood in front of him.Darius decapitated and mutilated Leonidas who fought with great heroism.These actions show a lower level of spirit and honor.And as we go lower we tend to resemble animals even more.Get it now? Furthermore one thing that maybe made him different from the others was his backround and education.Greek education,philosophy,music,poetry e.t.c raise the spirit and the virtue.

[Efstathios]

When i say animalish i mean of course people with "animal" insticts.Resembling more like animals than men.For example we all know the attrocities that were conducted by Persian Kings, such as the mutilations and slaughter of the macedonian injured soldiers that Alexander left behind while he was chasing Darius. ALexander would have never done something like this.As is said of course Alexander had his moments,like in India,or Tyrus but none of his actions were so fearse against his opponents. Jenkis Khan was a real butchering machine,showing no mercy to women and children.He wiped out hundreds of villages,and Mongolia commited the largest genocide ever with millions of civilians dead. Its one thing to be a soldier or a general and make war,and another thing to have a killer instict wiping everything out,mutilate the defenceless e.t.c e.t.c e.t.c. If this is not animal instict (or worse,cause animals do it mainly for survival and to be fed,not for pleasure), then what is? Must i bring other examples too? Even among the most noble of the Kings and Leaders,like Julious Caesar,Alexander surpassed them all.He created a huge empire with minimal casualties of civilians.Julious Caesar killed Verkikentorix (dont know the spelling) in Alesia when he surrendered and stood in front of him.Darius decapitated and mutilated Leonidas who fought with great heroism.These actions show a lower level of spirit and honor.And as we go lower we tend to resemble animals even more.Get it now? Furthermore one thing that maybe made him different from the others was his backround and education.Greek education,philosophy,music,poetry e.t.c raise the spirit and the virtue.

[Efstathios]

Some other things i remembered now:
Persia for example was maybe a great empire with great buildings and luxury,lots of money e.t.c but it lacked ethos.It lacked honor.It lacked the essence of freedom,and many other things.
must i remind you the Persian customs of royalties marrying their sisters and mothers e.t.c?And sadly we can also see these things thousands of years later,in France.The Loudobics used to marry their sisters to preserve the royal blood.The result was many of them were heavily disformed.This situation ended nowdays.The first outsider to mary a Ludobic was Queen Sofia of Spain. You see some things are maybe even worse than animalish behaviours.When Oedipus married his mother without knowing ,when he realised he took his eyes out.We all know the story.And in the Ludobics' example it didnt hurt anyone except them,but in other examples like Genkis Khan,it hurt millions of other people.

[Efstathios]

Some other things i remembered now:
Persia for example was maybe a great empire with great buildings and luxury,lots of money e.t.c but it lacked ethos.It lacked honor.It lacked the essence of freedom,and many other things.
must i remind you the Persian customs of royalties marrying their sisters and mothers e.t.c?And sadly we can also see these things thousands of years later,in France.The Loudobics used to marry their sisters to preserve the royal blood.The result was many of them were heavily disformed.This situation ended nowdays.The first outsider to mary a Ludobic was Queen Sofia of Spain. You see some things are maybe even worse than animalish behaviours.When Oedipus married his mother without knowing ,when he realised he took his eyes out.We all know the story.And in the Ludobics' example it didnt hurt anyone except them,but in other examples like Genkis Khan,it hurt millions of other people.

[amyntoros]

***Julious Caesar killed Verkikentorix (dont know the spelling) in Alesia when he surrendered and stood in front of him.Darius decapitated and mutilated Leonidas who fought with great heroism.These actions show a lower level of spirit and honor.And as we go lower we tend to resemble animals even more.Get it now?***The Branchidae???

[amyntoros]

***Julious Caesar killed Verkikentorix (dont know the spelling) in Alesia when he surrendered and stood in front of him.Darius decapitated and mutilated Leonidas who fought with great heroism.These actions show a lower level of spirit and honor.And as we go lower we tend to resemble animals even more.Get it now?***The Branchidae???

[Paralus]

No Efstathios, you have no need to remind me of things such as the Persian propensity for "inbreeding" Nor the Macedonian for that matter or the Ptolemys nor the Spartan Kings amongst a host of others. There was in fact little strange about this practice in the Near East GÇô or "classical" Macedonia.Nor about the Persian practices of mutilation or, for that matter, of placing traitors upon a spike. We might though stop and question the pulling of the Persian Governor around the city of Gaza at the close of the siege don't you think? Here's a bloke "doing his duty" by his King and buying time (post Issus) by resisting investment and a non GÇô "animalish" Alexander drags him 'round the town whilst still kicking. Civilised as it is Homeric I suppose.Nor need you remind me of the murderous rampage after the fall of Tyre. A matter of the exigencies of war perhaps? Crucifixion is a civilised thing.We might wonder about the fifteen to eighteen thousand Greeks at the Granicus who "asked for quarter" and received a massed charge as a reply resulting in a massive slaughter and the infliction of more casualties amongst the Macedonians than the actual battle had occasioned (according to Plutarch).We might ponder the traditional Persian mutilation of Bessus. Yes done for political motives but to order it performed says much about the person who would so order and how he sees himself.And how did he see himself? My own view GÇô certainly above all others and at a minimum "King of Lands" and "Great King". Therefore perfectly able to adopt the ways of the "Great King" GÇô "animalish" behaviours and all.I would think the Achaemenid Kings would disagree vehemently with your characterisation of them. The Persian court considered itself the epitome of refinement and culture. You need to remember that much GÇô overwhelmingly in fact GÇô of what we have extant of the written sources of the time with respect to Persia has been written by Greeks. It is presented from their perspective. Hence the feminist overtones, the descriptions of the "Mede" as soft and effeminate. Self evidently incorrect GÇô they ruled a vast empire for two centuries. You don't do that if you fit the Greek description.