Ancient writers about Macedonia - Callisthenes

in Ancient Historians / by / on March 18, 2007 at 6:30 pm /
  • “Alexander came by the statue of his father and spoke loud: `Youths of the Pellaians and of the Macedonians and of the Hellenic Amphictiony and of the Lakedaimonians and of the Corinthians… and of all the Hellenic peoples, join your fellow-soldiers and entrust yourselves to me, so that we can move against the barbarians and liberate ourselves from the Persian bondage, for AS Hellenes WE should not be slaves to barbarians.”


< `Pseudo-Kallisthenes’ 1.15.1-4>

  • “Even though Xerxes had a huge host with him, he was a barbarian and was defeated by the prudence of the Hellenes; whereas Alexander the Hellene has already engaged in 13 battles and has not been defeated once.”

< `Pseudo-Kallisthenes’ 2.3.4.-5; Oration of Demosthenes>

  • “And, now, is justly the barbarian praised by the Athenians for capturing Hellenes? As for Alexander who is a Hellene and captured Hellenes, not only did he not imprison his opponents, but enlisted them and made them his allies instead of enemies… “

< `Pseudo-Kallisthenes’ 2.4.5; Oration of Demosthenes>

  • “No king of the Hellenes had ever conquered Egypt with the exception only of Alexander, and that he did without war…”

< `Pseudo-Kallisthenes’ 2.4.7-8; Oration of Demosthenes>

  • “…so said the military leaders to the camps: `We have made enough war in Persia and conquered Dareios who claimed taxes from the Hellenes, but what are we accomplishing by marching against the Indians, in scary lands and doing things IMPROPER FROM HELLAS? If Alexandros has become full of himself and wishes to be a warrior, and subjugate barbarian peoples why do we follow him? Let him move on alone and engage in wars. Having heard these Alexander separated the Persian host from the MACEDONIANS AND THE OTHER HELLENES and addressed them…”

(`Pseudo-Kallisthenes’ 3.1.2-4)

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