Saturday, October 14, 2017
Alexander the Deranged
So in case anyone didn't know, my mom was born in Iran. She immigrated here when she was 10-years-old and though she has lived in the states almost her entire life, she is Persian through and through. When I asked my mom what she thought about Alexander the Great, she promptly replied with, "He is a [insert expletive here], he burned down Persepolis." I am naturally fascinated by Alexander the Great given he's one of history's most renowned military commanders. Fascination does not equate with fondness of course. Destroying the very heart of the Persian empire and then becoming the Shah....I don't really have words. Since I'm not too integrated with my Persian heritage (working on it), I'm not as outraged by this historical atrocity as my mother is. However I am offended for her and feel that this historical figure does not really deserve his title. I agree with the scholars who say Alexander might have been the "first recorded hooligan in history."
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1 comment:
I love this Margot! I like how your mom's opinion of Alexander the Great draws a connection from his lifetime to ours, and shows that the stories we read aren't just inconsequential blips in history. I know that sometimes when I read about these ancient societies I sometimes devalue it by thinking it is too surreal to have really happened in our world, but little anecdotes like this remind me that these things are real moments of our past.
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