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EDUCATION

If I had become too much of a threat to Philip, much of it can be accredited to my education and experiences. From an early age, the education that was provided to me was befitting of a king.

Leonidas, Lysimachus and Aristotle served as my mentors. The most famous teacher was no doubt the latter, Aristotle, who taught me from the age of thirteen.

Leonidas’ influence would prove to be of great importance in later years as commander of the military. His disciplinarian teachings led me to live alongside my troops, shunning riches and living in frugal ways.

Lysimachus taught me the fine arts: literature and music. I was particularly fond on the lyre and foreign cultures.

But the turning point took place when my parents sent me to the Precinct of Nymphus at Nieza, a village in the eastern foothills to study under Aristotle. Aristotle was a student of Plato, who in turn was a student of the great Greek philosopher, Socrates.

Aristotle taught me the virtues of ethics, politics and above all, diplomacy. I mastered the fine art of eristics, which allowed me to argue any point from either side with ease. These traits would all prove to be important as I traveled the world and conquered Barbarians.

However, Aristotle and I disagreed on one matter in particular. Aristotle argued that non-Greeks were Barbarians whom when conquered, should be enslaved. He was a great philosopher but I believed that this was not practical. How do you motivate conquered people to submit to you if you seek to enslave them?

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