BBC - In the footsteps of Alexander (Troy) 3

In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great

In this award winning adventure Micheal Wood embarks on a 2000 mile journey in the foot steps of Alexander's triumphal march from Greece to India. Travelling with Lebanese traders, Iranian pilgrims and Afghan guerillas, by jeep, train, boat, camel and on foot, he interweaves the momentous events of the past with present day reality and brings us new insights into a man whose myth and acheivements still resonate down the centuries

"We saw things I can scarcely believe. We took shelter for the night with an Afghan warlord who had delivered pizzas in the United States, and were hauled off to jail more than once. It was one of the great experiences of my life" - Michael Wood

In May 334, Alexander invaded Asia. The first town he reached was Troy, where he brought sacrifices to the homeric heroes. The Greek author Plutarch of Chaeronea, describes the events in section 15 of his Life of Alexander.

Alexander went up to Troy, sacrificed to Athena and poured a libation to the heroes. At the tomb of Achilles, after anointing himself with oil and taking part in a race naked with his Companions, as is the custom, he deposited crowns and remarked how fortunate Achilles was to have had a faithful friend while he was alive and a great herald of his fame after his death. While he was going sightseeing about the town someone asked him whether he wanted to see the lyre of Alexander [i. e. Paris]; he replied that he was not interested in that one, but was looking for the lyre of Achilles, to which he used to sing the glorious deeds of brave heroes.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Documentary
• History
• Alexander
• The
• Great
• Ancient
• Greece
• Macedonians
• Asia
• Minor
• Troy
• Greeks
• Achilles
• Trojan
• war
• Turkey

[aalexander928]

I would love to visit the Greek cities in Asia mentioned in this part of the series; they would be in present day Turkey. Also, the mention of his sexuality seems to be of unimportance as most of us, including the narrator, know so little of the history and judge according to our own contemporary bias.

[MAKEDONIENA]

poly kalo

[Skydance1110]

...people don't seem to realise that there's legitimate reasons that historians think H and A were lovers in their desperate desire for a heterosexual universe.

[rockyst1]

Oh i love the story of Alexander The Great. He is a real man. I would love to go see places in Greek where this story begins......

[055697]

@dekmektsis

Good question. They would have used messengers, and information would also probably passed through Greek speaking merchants who traversed the Ancient World as well as through larger Greek speaking mercantile colonies. Doubtless they had a siginificant spy/informer network as well who could relay information. I am sure Alexander's army also included what we would now know as a cartographic section.

[dekmektsis]

When Alexander sailed to Troy, in the beginning of the film - and his troops went on ferries - how did they end up knowing where to meet? Especially without modern communication devices, such as cellphones, etc.

[shockolanu]

Hmm, sort of retarded comment but I will grant you some of my time.

Alexander and Hephaestion were very, very good friends from childhood. They did not fuck one another, they were just good friends. Alexander was taught by Aristotle and he knew much of the Platonic love. Love which is not based on sex but on recognition of other man's virtues and qualities.

If you like homosexuality, you are gay. I will not have sexual interactions with my best friend, thank you for the advice.

[garyU6969]

honestly how ever and what ever Hephaestion was he made alexander graet! so u can go fuck ur best friend and ull be great!;P

[shockolanu]

What's this with "his friend and lover Hephaestion"? This is stupid, Hephaestion was his best friend, not his fucker.

Alexander knew much about Plato's theories, including the platonic love, which is given without sexual implications. Friendship has nothing to do with homosexuality you morons. He took Darius's mother as his friend. Does this mean that he fucked the old queen of Persia?

Same shit with Herakles, the Romans took the Greek story and invented that Herakles fucked his friends.

[bigassballsyes]

lot of myth also, and Achilles' mother was a sea nympth ;) try Odysses also, very good to. Your chasing a ghost tracing Alexander and who he was, truly, the sands of time have lost alot, if u want to read a great book on him, try ALEXANDER THE GREAT by ROBIN LANE FOX

[BoricuaAlex]

yea man i read the illiad n loved it...n also read upon a lot of stuff indicating that alexander n achilles were relatives from olyimpias side (alexander mom)....there's a lot info on that..but i just like the fact that he visited troy and achilles tomb

[bigassballsyes]

Then you should know that Achilles was Alexanders hero, he often read the Iliad as should you have ;)