I am very close to finishing the Arrian – Campaigns of Alexander, and in Book Seven, Arrian wrote the following lines as he reflected upon Alexander’s death:
Alexander died in the 114th Olympiad, in the archonship of Genesias at Athens. He lived, as Aristobulus tells us, thirty-two years and eight months, and reigned twelve years and eight months. He had great personal beauty, invincible power of endurance, and a keen intellect;he was brave and adventurous, strict in the observance of his religious duties, and hungry for fame.
Most temperate in the pleasures of the body, his passion was for glory only, and in that he was insatiable. He had an uncanny instinct for the right course in a difficult and complex situation, and was most happy in his deductions from observed facts.
In arming and equipping troops and in his military dispositions he was always masterly. Noble indeed was his power of inspiring his men, of filling them with confidence, and, in the moment of danger, of sweeping away their fear by the spectacle of his own fearlessness.
When risks had to be taken, he took them with the utmost boldness, and his ability to seize the moment for a swift blow, before his enemy had any suspicion of what was coming, was beyond praise. No cheat or liar ever caught him off his guard, and both his word and his bond were inviolable.
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There are many treacherous men in Alexander’s age, and no one could control what other people write about you when you die. I believe this reflection from Arrian upon Alexander’s character to be genuine.
I’m not saying that Alexander is the ultimate man, he is far from it. He does many things that he shouldn’t have done, as most men do. However, we should learn from great men and follow their example where it is appropriate and right to do so.
This little piece of text strike me so much as an example of how a man with integrity and character should carry his life – that I decided to post it here. I hope you find that little piece of Arrian as inspiring and motivating as I did.
Now it’s time for a little jog 