Alexander the Great Page #3

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the Macedonian army is defeated.

Philip is dying. Philip is dead.

Rumours, rumours.

- Spread by whom?

- By her. Here in Pella, chaos.

Who rules? She does.

Antipater, my regent, dare not oppose her,

for she claims she rules for you.

To back up that claim, she calls on

her brother, the king of Epirus.

For the first time

since I took power in Macedonia,

a foreign army stands on its borders.

Now she has the power she seeks, for

Antipater dare not use his troops in war.

So he gives in to her, for he knows that

I may need those troops. And I do!

Now there's no longer chaos in Pella,

there's murder.

Some of my best men died.

What does it matter that the Macedonian

Empire crumbles? She rules in Pella!

This is why Attalus

stood opposed last night at Mieza.

Is it?

And why Parmenio stood in silence.

They were afraid of her hold on you.

I am not.

Alexander, as your first act as regent,

send your mother away.

- Exile my mother?

- Back to her kinsmen in Epirus.

- She'll be happy.

- Is that the cost of my proof?

How do you think I came to power?

My brothers...

I know. You slew them.

Do you want me to do that, too?

Why didn't you ask me this

last night in Mieza?

And if I do this, then, Father,

I'll be your pawn, won't I?

Aristotle was right.

You're not ready to rule.

All you're fit for is to fight and die

like any Macedonian soldier.

Then at least live like one.

Get drunk. Choose a woman.

I do!

I choose her!

Young fool!

Fool! You fool!

By my right as king,

I give you, Alexander of Macedonia,

the seal of regency.

With this seal, you rule in my absence

as though you were king.

You have the power to collect taxes, raise

troops, make war and hold royal court.

For as it is with the king,

according to ancient Macedonian law,

so it is with his regent.

He is, in his single person,

lord of all things,

both open and secret,

at once general and absolute.

I am leaving Antipater

here as your adviser.

Alexander, there's another

ancient law of kingship -

to trust no one,

and to learn how to be alone.

Are you asleep?

No.

You're regent now.

Not because he wanted it so,

but because he had no choice.

You're regent now.

Good night, Mother.

- Alexander, I swear to you...

- Do not swear, Mother.

Who else should

I have fought for except you?

What other love do I have?

There were rumours of his death.

He was being defeated.

There were others

who claimed the crown.

Why, Mother?

The crown is mine

by right of birth, isn't it?

You wanted to swear before.

Swear that!

By divine right.

Good night, Mother.

Good night, Alexander.

- There's peace in the hills.

- The tribes revolted against the king.

- Your father may need these troops.

- The regent is, in my father's words,

lord of all things, open and secret,

general and absolute.

You will rebuild your city here

and name it Alexandropolis.

No man's pawn.

(fanfare)

I return this seal of regency, as ordered.

The news is that

you move against Athens.

The news here is that

you move against hill tribesmen.

That you set men free whom I imprisoned.

That you set up statues to yourself.

That you name cities after yourself.

That you're all heroes.

- Mine were the orders, they obeyed.

- Yes.

You ruled well in Pella... for yourself.

How many Macedonian troops that I could

use have you lost on your road to glory?

This leg of mine!

How could you, sir, regret a wound that at

every step reminds us of your conquests?

Alexander, walk with me.

- You have my temper.

- I know.

And my ambition. More, I think.

Alexandropolis!

At least wait until I die.

I've given you command

of the left wing of my cavalry.

This time we'll crush them.

I'll ride into Athens.

And what'll they cry then?

"Philip the Barbarian" or

"Philip, captain general of all Greece"?

You will ride with me.

Alexander, this girl, Attalus' niece,

she means very much to me.

My name is Eurydice.

I know your name.

Are you afraid to speak to me?

Afraid?

Forgive me for using

the word "afraid" to Alexander.

- Laughter sits well on your face.

- And on yours.

- Could there be a bond between us?

- A bond?

- I will not have you frown.

- Command comes easily to you.

It was not a command.

An entreaty, a wish.

You are very young.

Older than you by a year.

And very beautiful.

You look at a woman

like your father does.

Perhaps I'm... jealous.

I am... of his love for you.

- Flattery comes easily to you, too.

- Does Alexander need flattery?

Truth.

Why did you come here?

To find out if there

will be hate between us.

- Once, when I was much younger...

- Much?

Very much.

...my father took a new woman into

the house. I went to him and spoke out.

For my father has had many wives and

mistresses, and many children by them.

There will be hate between us.

As I said, I was young

and did not understand my father.

"Why" I asked "must there always

be new rivals for the throne?"

He threw back his head,

laughed, and he said

"My boy, if I surround you

with competitors

you will have all the more reason

to surpass them in merit."

My father, as I said,

had many wives and mistresses.

- Tears spring easily to your eyes.

- I do not wear a mask as you do.

What I am is on my face,

and what I see is on my tongue.

And what do you see?

A young girl, an old man

and an ambitious general called Attalus.

And love?

You do not see that at all, do you?

- This is not the way I wanted it.

- What do you want?

To be able to love Philip,

and to be loved in turn... in peace.

As his mistress, his wife or his queen?

As his queen.

So be it.

Alexander, I told you before,

this girl means very much to me.

The Thebans will not let us pass.

We fight tomorrow.

To fight means perhaps to die.

Again, please,

let there be no quarrel between us.

I said... so be it.

(Demosthenes) Again,

the Macedonian is on the march -

the wolf, Philip,

and his whelp, Alexander.

Again, all we hold sacred is in peril.

But here, at Chaeronea,

the fate of Greece

will once and for all be decided.

Shall it live under freedom? Or tyranny?

For this sacred struggle, even the graves

of our fathers will yield up their dead.

Athenians!

Macedonians!

(Philip) Demosthenes declares openly

that the battle of Chaeronea

will decide once and for all

who is to be master in Greece.

Macedonians, give him his answer!

Hail, Alexander, hero.

Hero of Chaeronea.

We Athenians would like

permission to bury our dead.

Let them lie and rot on the field of

Chaeronea till they stink to the heavens.

To the hero of Chaeronea!

(all) Alexander!

And now... to the victor.

- To me!

- To Philip!

- To Philip.

- (laughter)

Fierce in battle, generous in victory.

You see, Memnon?

I defeat you and

I invite you to dine with me.

Isn't that the way

an Athenian gentleman behaves?

I could destroy Athens now, but I won't.

To destroy a centre of culture

would be the act of a barbarian.

And that, Philip is not.

Is he, Memnon?

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