ANCIENT EGYPT SERIES NOVEL

Who is a wise man? Who is a strong man? Who is a rich man?

Chances are, if you learned about Alexander at school, you soon discovered he was a philosopher. It’s not surprising. After all, he was a pupil of Aristotle, one of the most famous philosophers in history.

A tradition of Alexander’s debates with sages developed in the countries he conquered.

Are they true?

Many think so.

One of the most interesting accounts relates to the king’s visit to Jerusalem, where he met with the High Priest Shimon HaTzaddikr. Bowing low, Alexander said he recognised him from a dream in which HaTzaddikr foretold the Macedonian’s victory in battle. A heavy hint, if ever there was one.

Alexander’s encounter with the sages of Negev is another interesting tale. The Gemara, which is a part of the Talmud, relates that ten questions were put to these men. Alexander included three separate questions asking who was called wise, who was called strong and who was called wealthy. The expected answer was that he fulfilled all three criteria!

However, the sages spotted his trick and delivered a very different answer to what the young man wanted to hear. A wise man, the sages maintained, was one who learned from everyone. A strong man was one who defeated the evil within himself, while a wealthy man was happy with what he had in life.

Predictably, Alexander flew into a rage and threatened the sages with execution. Then, he changed his mind, and instead, rewarded them with purple robes, and gold necklaces.

Is this a true story? What is interesting is that Alexander’s personality, which often appears to veer from fury to overwhelming generosity in many historical accounts, is captured here in the Gemara.

It is also of note that Alexander was often associated with philosophers.

Aside from his tutor Aristotle, he is supposed to have met with Diogenes in Corinth. Notorious for his criticism of society, and his asceticism, Diogenes was reputed to have to have lived in a ceramic jar. Tales were told of how he walked around in broad daylight, carrying a lamp, looking for an honest man.

During their meeting in the streets of Corinth, Alexander asked what he could do for him. Diogenes requested the king move out of the way while he was sunbathing. Alexander is supposed to have said: “If I wasn’t Alexander, I would want to be Diogenes”.

Philosophy is interwoven in the accounts of Alexander-the-Great. He was a man of many talents and many legends.

Above: Desert dune on the way to Siwa, Egypt. Photograph, copyright Sharon Janet Hague.