From: zamie@zamiepcSanDiego.NCR.com (Zamie Mehraz)
Subject: Re: Alexandre the Great, the movie
Reply-To: zamie@zamiepcSanDiego.NCR.com (Zamie Mehraz)
Organization: NCR Engineering and Manufacturing, San Diego, CA
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 03:12:09 GMT


Ba drood:

A few nights ago, I noticed that TNT channel was broadcasting the
originalmovie "Alexandre, the Great" starring Richard Burton.  After
taping the movie and watching it, I found it very interesting.

Alexandre was the son of Phillip III, king of Mecedoni in about 223 B.C.
 His guardian and personal teacher was Aristotle, the great Greek
philosopher.  This movie was made according to the history as much as it
could and based on extensive research and reading I have done on
Achemedian dynasty found it very true and unbias.  Anyway, Alexandre was
young and had this dream to conquer Persian empire which was something
from the Endus river in Peresent India to Ethiopia and from Samarghand
to Babelonian.  Aristotle was advicing him it should take some time to
do this great feat.

Anyway, at the age of 22, he invade Persia.  One of close advisor of
Daruis III advice him to burn all the farms and cities in his way, so
had to retreat, but Daruis did not accept and said we will fight like a
man.  The big war was taken some place in present Turkey.  Persians were
defeated and Daruis has to flee and leave even his family to gather a
new army.  He started to move toward Caspian Sea.  Alexandre seiged
Darius's family and his army but did not do any harm to them.  He even
went to Daruis's family and told them that your father is alive.  He
then treated them like his own family.  Unfortunately, two of Darius's
commandors betrayed him and take his remaining army and escape from
fear.  Daruis then decide to suicide, and not to be seiged into
Alexandre's hand.  Alexandre gets to him but he is dead now.  He left a
letter asking Alexandre do not do any harm to his people and his family.
 Don't ruin the country and build the country and on on on.  He even
asks Alexandre to marry his older daughter Roxana.  Alexandre do so. 
They showed that one night at the city of Persiapolis, after a party one
of his mistress gets real drunk and starts bringing a flame that
Persians should be destroyed.  He starts the fire but although Alexandre
was drunk tries to resist this action.  He could not.  The city gets burn. 

Anyway, Based on what I know and read and also this movie, Alexandre was
a good man although he invaded my home land and killed many of our
ancestors.  Judging about his character he was a great man.  A great
commandor, very wise and intelligent.  He became king at the age of 17. 
He was also a great politician.  He even moved to Persia and asked his
people move to this great land and benefited from this rich culture.  I
was reading somewhere that after the death of Xerxes, Persia started to
collapse gradually.  A great empire would eventually fall that is the
rule of tumb.  

Anyhow, he died at the age of 32.  At his death, he does not name
anybody as king, only he says the strongest man will be the king.  I
think "Solokos" will be his succesor.  He was one of his chief
commandor.  Anyway, Solokos family would reign in Persia for 60 years
but Arashk I  from Paths tribe overthrow them and end up their reign in
Persia and he forms "Parthian" or Ashkanian dynasty.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian