Text / Xiao Guanping
Contents: Chapter 1: Legends of History Chapter 2: Men and Heroes Chapter 3: The Strong and the Weak Chapter 4: The Meaning of Conquest
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△Historical legend
In the land of the gods, the youth, the blood, the mature, and the twilight, gathered together and ushered in a sacred battle.
On the eve of his duel with Darius, king of Persia, he said, Babylon has become my home. Alexander did not regard his long-distance expedition as wandering and wandering. He had learned to be home in the world, conquered a land, and became the new master there.
Darius was also a hero. There are no two suns in the world, and there are no two kings in Asia. When Alexander said these words, it already foreshadowed his success.
Alexander grew up reading Homer. Achilles worshipped Hercules, Alexander worshipped Achilles, later Caesar worshipped Alexander, and Napoleon worshipped Caesar. All the conquerors made themselves tall enough to be dignified in the world, and at the same time short, because they all stood on the shoulders of the previous conqueror.
Alexander's heart was pure and sentimental, and he made a promise to his close friend Huversson, just like the oath of Achilles and Patroclus: If you die before me, even if Macedonia loses its king, I will do it for you Take revenge, and then go to Huangquan with you ... How can this be said by a person who has conquered half of the world?
However, this contradiction reflects the complexity of human nature. His last bloodshed and murder are inseparable from his character.
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△ Men and Heroes
There is no man who does not want to be a hero.
On the rooftop of Babylon, Alexander and Huversson looked up to the moon with wine glasses and said a heartfelt dialogue:
I have seen the future. Look at the people we conquered. They don't bury the dead, they smash the heads of their enemies, they drink blood. But as my army, they can go far and wide, and they can work in the city. From Egypt to the open sea, there are many Alexandria, we can connect these lands and peoples, I want to liberate people all over the world , beyond the glory of Achilles and Hercules, I want to be like Prometheus, save all mankind.
Huversson only said one sentence: Don't forget the fate of these people, all of them are miserable.
Alexander's ideal was beyond that era.
As a thoughtful conqueror, Alexander was by no means a simple tyrant. He was a disciple of the great philosopher Aristotle and a hero who truly spread the advanced ideas of ancient Greece to Asia, Europe and Africa. If he wants to be compared with those legendary heroes, he has to be prepared to dedicate himself to this mission. The success of any great man or hero comes at a huge price, and although this success has eternal significance, it is often fleeting at the time, like the rapidly disintegrating Macedonian Empire.
There are many debates between Alexander and his ministers in the film, and one of the biggest focuses is: Should Asians (Babylonians, Persia, India) and Macedonians (Greece) be treated as equals?
As a modern point of view, it is definitely in favor of racial equality. But for that era, the ancient Greek nation had a relatively advanced civilization, and they did have pride in other "uncivilized" nations, including Alexander himself who believed that these conquered nations lost to the level of civilization, while non-military power.
But in terms of personality, they are also human beings and should be treated the same as the natives. Alexander's thinking was very advanced. He set an example by marrying a Persian princess and letting her conceive for himself royal descendants that belonged to both nations.
Of course, this aroused the opposition of the ministers. They fought hard, and in the end, the defeated country enjoyed the same or even better treatment. They all wanted to marry their daughter and sister to the supreme king, but the king chose to take prisoners. As wives, can they balance their hearts? This conflict runs through the film, and it also sets the stage for Alexander's poisoning.
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△The strong and the weak
We can't just think of Alexander as a territorial pioneer who conquered the world with courage. We said earlier that he was well educated, and now we talk about his adventures.
Every time you enter an unfamiliar territory, it is an adventure. Whether it is a hot desert, an icy plateau, a rainforest full of visions, or India fighting with an elephant army, these are all new and surprising sights for those living in the Aegean Sea. The Macedonian army not only has to deal with various In a battle of all scales, it is also necessary to deal with these natural obstacles and obstacles.
Alexander the Great was content with this expeditionary expansion. He was not only a spiritual leader who led the army, but also a warrior who fought personally. His expedition has played a role in cultural exchanges between the East and the West, no less than Marco Polo, Xuan Zang and Zhang Qian.
Identifying Alexander's greatest weakness is arguably a matter of opinion, and everyone will see it differently. He is not a tyrant, but a lunatic who cannot restrain his emotions; he has great ambitions, but he succumbs to the shadow of his mother all his life; he is heroic on the battlefield and kills countless enemies, but he treats friends and subordinates more than any monarch. Kindness is weak.
He reminds me of China's bravest general, Xiang Yu. He is also a king on the battlefield, but he was dubbed "the benevolence of women" by later generations. This evaluation is a blatant irony for King Xiang, who is arrogant and arrogant.
Alexander was born on July 22, Cancer Leo, and Xiang Yu is also a Cancer according to the analysis of later generations. Cancer is a constellation with overflowing love and affection. He is indecisive when dealing with personal feelings, and subconsciously trusts love too much , which is why he has a strong ability and personality. Contrast, a strong person in ability, but also a weak person in character .
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△The meaning of conquest
What exactly did Alexander conquer? Wasn't there a day when his ambitions were fulfilled?
During his thirteen years as King of Macedonia, he established a huge country that stretched from ancient Greece in the west, India in the east, the Nile River in the south, and Babylon in the north .
Ancient Greece? Ancient India? Ancient Egypt? Babylon?
In the world at that time, except for China in the Warring States Period, almost all the ancient civilizations surrendered to Alexander's iron hoofs. This feat made those who wanted to conquer the world later have to be discouraged. The heroes of later generations cannot surpass Alexander the Great, no matter how large their territory is.
I think Alexander is too lonely. He stands on the top of the cliff in time and space. It seems that if he doesn't expand his territory, spread the ancient Greek civilization, and connect the world together, his life has no meaning, and he loses himself - doomed He is a man who can't stop.
In order not to make oneself alone, to continue to expand and conquer , who would believe this reason?
Living in different eras and positions, and having nothing to do with the "conqueror", of course, we could not understand Alexander's mood at that time. And as power grows, ambition grows.
I appreciate the "big picture" view put forward in the book "Tao and Tao: Reflections on the Starry Sky and the Law of the World", and believe that expansion is also an upward spirit, a normal state of mind for people to get rid of shackles and pursue freedom . It is often hidden in people's subconscious, and only when the external conditions are ripe, will it burst out.
The rulers of ancient and modern China and foreign countries all abide by this law. Alexander the Great is the best proof of this point of view.
That kind of loneliness, we will never understand.
2012.3.30 first draft 2018/5/21 revision
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