“Whilst the Amphictyonic confederacy remained, that of the Achaeans, which comprehended the less important cities only, made little figure on the theatre of Greece. When the former became a victim to Macedon, the latter was spared by the policy of Philip and Alexander [the Great].”
One of the greatest conquerors in history, whose empire stretched from Greece to India …
He was one of the greatest conquerors in history, whose empire stretched from Greece to India. Before he reached age 30, Alexander the Great created a massive empire that would include much of the world, as it was known to the Mediterraneans in his time. Our best sources for his expedition include two histories, both written some centuries after the time of Alexander. One of these two historians was Greek, while the other was a Roman. But Alexander was a Macedonian. The Macedonian language no longer exists today, but it was definitely related to Greek. Some have even considered the Macedonians to be “Greeks” themselves. The host of this program sometimes seems to think so. But the Macedonians did not consider themselves to be “Greeks.” Nor did the self-identified “Greeks” consider the Macedonians to be Greeks. Nonetheless, it is true that the Macedonians spread Greek culture to a then-unprecedented extent. Nothing would spread Greek culture so widely again until the advent of the Roman Empire, which was some centuries later. I thought that it might have been helpful for the host to clarify this issue, even with a brief sentence or two. But this is actually a truly great film despite this omission.
Episode 1: “Son of God” (modern-day Greece, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel)
After a brief introduction, the host dives into the story of Alexander himself. Michael Wood mentions how Alexander was born into the royal family of Macedon (an alternative name for Macedonia). That is, he was the son of King Philip. This, in part, explains his extraordinary success. There is brief background on his parents, and a short anecdote from Alexander’s youth about him taming a wild horse. His father laughed and said: “My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you.” If so, these were prophetic words. But there is almost nothing in this film about Alexander’s childhood, other than to say that he was tutored by Aristotle – soon to be famous as a Greek philosopher. This surprised me, because this film is a four-hour biography of Alexander. Thus, I would have expected more about his early life. In fairness, though, there may not be very much that is known about his early life, since it was more than two thousand years ago. But, if so, it would have been helpful for the host to clarify the limits of the available evidence on this issue. It is clear, though, that Alexander was influenced by Greek culture, and even identified with certain aspects of it. For example, he liked the works of Homer (especially the “Iliad”), and could quote Euripides from memory – something that the host does not mention here.
King Philip II of Macedon, Alexander’s father
Within 15 minutes of this program’s beginning, they go into the details of Alexander’s early campaigns. He campaigned in what is today Turkey, near some of the sites at which the “Trojan War” was supposed to have happened earlier. (More about that here.) Alexander had a male lover named Hephaestion, although Alexander himself would later be married three times to women. Thus, Alexander was probably a bisexual; which would have been common enough in Ancient Greece – and, arguably, in the royal court of Macedonia as well. He wanted revenge against the Persians for their earlier wars against the Greeks. Ethnic Greeks in these areas welcomed Alexander as a liberator, as did the Egyptians when he invaded Egypt. Both of these groups were a little tired of the Persian rule, which helps to explain their reaction. In Egypt, a city was named after Alexander, which is now called “Alexandria.” It would later be famous for the library that was founded there, which is simply known as the “Library of Alexandria.” This is one of the few areas in which the host praises Alexander about anything. The host also tells the story of the Gordian knot, and Alexander’s brutal method of breaking it – which was totally characteristic of his personality. There was somewhat more opposition in what is today Israel, as shown by interviewing Palestinian historians who don’t like Alexander. The Iranian historians interviewed here don’t really care for him, either, since they are actually descended from Alexander’s Persian enemies. They reference a passage in the Quran about Alexander, which is one of the most prominent references to him.
Alexander the Great
Episode 2: “Lord of Asia” (modern-day Iraq and Iran)
In the second episode, they go further into Alexander’s campaigns in what is today Iran – and, later, in what is today Iraq. This film was made in 1997, when Saddam Hussein was still the dictator of Iraq. This was made after the Gulf War had ended in 1991, but some years before the War on Terror was to begin in 2001 – and before it would extend to Iraq in 2003. Saddam Hussein’s forces weren’t too crazy about letting Michael Wood into their country to film the relevant sites, which is why I mention these things here. However, there were British and American armies in the Middle East at that time, who offered to help Michael Wood in the making of this film. They showed him electronic maps, allowing him to address the camera from within one of their military bases. Michael Wood also uses British physical maps leftover from World War One, when the British were campaigning in the general area as part of their Middle Eastern campaigns. For me, these were memorable scenes. The Iranians were far more cooperative about allowing Michael Wood to film the relevant sites in their country. Some of them are still pretty angry at Alexander, and some even say so in this film. One actually says that he would have liked to “cut up” Alexander – evidence of how the Muslim world never forgets, even after twenty-three centuries. The Zoroastrian commentators are a little more sympathetic. But this episode does have great storytelling about Alexander’s campaigns. For example, they recount the death of the Persian king Darius. At that point, some of Alexander’s soldiers thought that the campaign was finally over. But Alexander convinced them to fight on, saying that “all would be for nothing” if they failed to bring their victory to its ultimate completion. Many of Alexander’s soldiers were Greeks, who had a long-standing hatred of the Persians from the prior Persian invasions of Greece. Thus, they grumbled a bit when Alexander started to wear Persian robes, saying that he was “going Persian.” The episode ends just as Alexander gets to the borders of what is today Afghanistan.
Site of the Persian Gate in modern-day Iran – the road was built in the 1990s
Episode 3: “Across the Hindu Kush” (modern-day Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan)
In the third episode, they cover Alexander’s crossing of the Hindu Kush mountains. But surprisingly, the actual invasion of India is saved for the last episode. Instead, this episode takes place mostly in what is today Afghanistan – and, to a lesser degree, in the nearby countries of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Whatever one’s feelings about Alexander and his armies, it was a massive achievement for them to cross the Hindu Kush mountains as they did. The wheeled wagons of the time could not traverse these particular roads, so Alexander’s men instead had to go over them on foot and on horseback. Russian vehicles had similar troubles on these roads during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, as the host notes here. In some ways, the local Afghans thus had an advantage over the Russians by going via their horses, donkeys, and mules. This film was made before 9/11, during Afghanistan’s Taliban era. There was a civil war there at the time, which caused some dangers for the filmmakers. The filmmakers experienced the same troubles as prior travelers (including Alexander himself), when crossing these roads in their modern vehicles. Thus, they eventually had to go on the backs of these same beasts of burden. The host makes accurate comparisons between his own expedition and Alexander’s while doing so. One presumes that the American-led coalition in Afghanistan faced similar difficulties in the post-9/11 world.
Alexander the Great
Alexander started to become more tyrannical at this time. He massacred the descendants of some Greeks who had collaborated with the Persians, more than 150 years before his time. In a drunken rage, he then murdered one of his innocent followers for mildly mouthing off. And, on another impulse, he married a local (teenage) Persian girl named Roxanne. He ordered his generals to likewise marry Persian women, possibly as a political ploy. But his veterans started to grumble, when Alexander then demanded to be “worshipped” as a Persian god – just like the king whom they had deposed. Thus, for the first time, there was a serious attempt on Alexander’s life from within his own ranks. Alexander thus killed the would-be assassins, and many others who had never been involved in the plot at all. With his new wife, he returned to what is today Afghanistan, and prepared (possibly at long last) to invade India itself.
Alexander the Great
Episode 4: “To the Ends of the Earth” (modern-day Pakistan and India)
In the fourth and final episode, they start by covering Alexander’s invasion of India. But much of it took place in what is today Pakistan. As you may know, Pakistan was separated from India in the twentieth century. Nonetheless, it was still part of India at this time. If the host ever ventured into the modern nation of India while making this film, he does not say so here, let alone mention at what moment he crossed the Indo-Pakistani border when following this route. He talks of the difficulties with the local geography, with ridges and valleys and rivers. He interviews local experts on Alexander’s invasion, who compare it to the later invasions by the British – and to India’s Burma campaign of World War II. One can certainly see how the geography created some problems for Alexander’s troops. They went to the edge of the world, as it was known to the Greeks and the Macedonians in his own time. They ventured somewhat into the unknown regions, off of their own maps. Alexander wanted to go even further, but his troops dared to ask him to call it off. And, after a few days of angry isolation, he actually agreed to do so. Thus, they began the long-awaited task of going home. Strangely enough, they took a route different from the one that they had taken to get there. There were further casualties from dehydration and heat exhaustion, even after they had decided to go home. No one knows why Alexander went on this alternative route. Either way, though, they passed back through Iran. But in Iraq, Alexander’s Persian wife Roxanne gave birth to a son, who (sadly) did not survive for long. The would-be heir died in his infancy, before he could even talk. Then, shortly afterwards, Alexander came down with the most serious illness of his life. Soon afterwards, he died in 323 BC, leaving a massive empire behind him.
Map of Alexander’s empire and his route
Conclusion: A great film that helps you to see where these campaigns happened
Alexander had an unparalleled ability to manipulate his troops, even down to the last minute of his life. He convinced them to do things that had earlier seemed impossible to them. Some might call it leadership. Others might call it megalomania. In fairness, one has to judge Alexander (at least partially) by the standards of his own time. And whatever his ethics, he was clearly a remarkable military leader. But he made things difficult for both friends and foes alike, and he left a trail of destruction from Greece to India. I can see why most people don’t care much for him. But his influence upon history is inescapable. This film, at times, literally follows in his footsteps – hence the title of “In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great.” The filmmakers trace his 20,000-mile journey in great detail, showing us what these places look like today. Herein lies the advantage of this film over books of any kind, whether from his own general period or from many centuries later. It was fun to see these places on screen for myself. Combined with Michael Wood’s great storytelling ability, this is why I truly love this film. I would recommend it to anyone interested in military history, and it will tell you much about the ancient world in the process.
“Macedon saw its progress; but was hindered by internal dissensions from stopping it. All Greece caught the enthusiasm and seemed ready to unite in one confederacy, when the jealousy and envy in Sparta and Athens, of the rising glory of the Achaeans, threw a fatal damp on the enterprise. The dread of the Macedonian power induced the league to court the alliance of the Kings of Egypt and Syria, who, as successors of Alexander [the Great], were rivals of the king of Macedon.”
Footnote to this blog post:
Getting this program in the United States can be a little difficult. Thus, I also link to the “Michael Wood Collection,” which includes this program and several others in a British DVD format. In North America, one may need a special DVD player to play it. However, it can still sometimes be cheaper than buying the North American version. Thus, I link to both versions, so that viewers may be presented with multiple options. Viewers may do as they please.
Also available as part of the “Michael Wood Collection”
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