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INFLUENCES

My goal was to create a world monarchy with me as its leader. Four major influences shaped my vision:

The Iliad served as my manual of war.

Hercules influenced me with his ability to sustain thirst, hunger and suffering.

As the God of Wine, Dionysius was an important figure in Macedonian culture, and in my life in particular.

Finally, the Persian Emperor Cyrus fundamentally inspired me because, like Aristotle, he respected the cultures and customs of the people he conquered.

Iliad & Achilles

Homer’s Iliad fascinated me. Aristotle encouraged me to read it, even giving me a personal copy of the famous legend. I kept this copy besides me, and it inspired me frequently in my dreams.

While Ulysses longed to return to his home after a long voyage abroad, I longed to leave home in order to visit worlds unknown and conquer them. I loved Achilles for he held every desired manly trait imaginable. Early on, I modeled myself after him, aspiring to be like him in times of war. I actually went to Troy before venturing to Persia to pay homage to Achilles.

Hercules

What Leonidas’ taught me in theory, Hercules demonstrated in practice. Hercules could withstand any punishment, any hardship. He would serve as the barometer by which I would fight and live over my life.

Dionysius

Dionysius was the God of wine. My father was a drinker. I was a drinker. The Macedonian people were drinkers.

Cyrus The Great

Cyrus I could go on forever. Cyrus created the Persian Empire based on ethics. He expanded it to include all men who wished to join it. He would frequently consult with other leaders from different ethnic backgrounds to derive optimal solutions to problems, being exceptionally tolerant of local religions and norms. He was a superior fighter and impressive diplomat. He was respectful towards his defeated opponents and allowed popular local leaders to retain their positions.

He demonstrated superior moral and ethical values. Cyrus freed the Jewish captives in Babylonia and allowed them to return to their homeland. Above all, he established a constitution and Judicial system that was also based on moral and ethical values. He respected the freedoms of religion, employment, place of residency and was a staunch advocate of freedom of choice, which then and now is unheard of.
He also showed commercial wisdom and vision by creating gold and silver coins to facilitate trade. He ordered all governors to treat subjects like children. He did not allow anyone to be executed for his or her first crime. He also barred slavery.

Cyrus also influenced Aristotle, but Aristotle viewed slavery as natural law, which explains why societies that allowed slavery would frequently use Aristotle as the nucleus of their legal system.

Where my views differed with Cyrus’ of course, was that in my mind, Greek culture represented the only true civilization. All of non-Greek peoples were Barbarians.

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