"I will not steal my victory"
- Alexander the Great
That is a great indication of character of Alexander the Great, that he does not consider an unfair fight victory, and he is not in it just for the land.
They had the chance to ambush the Persians the night before the Battle of Gaugamela, but his dignity would not let it happen. It shows he has respect for his opponents, and wants to be a worthy one himself. He prides himself on being able to win without having any sort of advantage.
Really makes you feel he is a great man.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
2 comments:
Comments from individuals other than registered authors are most welcome. Your comments, however, are moderated by the site administrator. We reserve the right to reject comments we deem inappropriate or irrelevant. Thanks for your interest in The Great Conversation blogspot.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nothing in life is truly "won" if one wins through cheating. Alexander was a great man because of exactly the above. Instead of kicking the lion while it was down, he waited for it to be fully healthy and at its best so it would be a fair fight.
ReplyDeleteHe also does not want to steal his victory so that the Persian king, the Persians, and the Greeks cannot doubt that he is truly great. If he did not crush the Persians completely in a fair fight then there could be a question of how great he is, both in his own mind and in others. He realizes that respect and pride in a leader are two of the most important things.
ReplyDelete