Alexander the Great Page #4

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Is he, Athenians?

Is he, Demosthenes?

Is he, Demosthenes?

Is he?

Is he, Demosthenes?

Is he, Demosthenes?

Philip the Barbarian.

# Philip the Barbarian

# Philip the Barbarian

Philip the Barbarian dances over

your dead bodies, you Athenians!

Father, you're Philip of Macedonia,

now captain general of all Greece.

You're right. My victory,

my kingdom, my Greece!

Not yours!

Philip the Barbarian!

Alexander.

Too much to drink.

Much too much to drink.

Athenians...

Demosthenes...

Saved my life.

He could have been king. Saved my life.

Don't ever forget that.

# Philip the Barbarian

# Philip the Barbarian

# Philip...

A young girl...

and a drunken, foolish old man.

In tribute to the heroic Athenian dead,

I send their ashes back to Athens

under the escort of my son Alexander.

And there, in Athens,

a treaty of peace will be drawn up

between us by my son Alexander.

To all those who died like men on

the bloody field of Chaeronea, all hail!

Alexander rides to Athens,

and I stay here.

It was a wise decision.

To win the war and lose the peace is folly.

There'd be no cheers for you in Athens.

Only hatred, and perhaps

an assassin's dagger at your throat.

When and where

will I meet that dagger, friend?

To my humble home, Alexander, and in

the name of Athens, I bid you welcome.

Oratory, Demosthenes,

is a noble profession,

and, I am told, a rewarding one.

How humble is your home, Aeschenes?

Almost Macedonian -

empty of all, save victories.

- Well said.

- Well rehearsed.

And well acted.

I have heard that there are no two better

actors than Demosthenes and Aeschenes.

I should like to witness a performance.

And I should like to know,

where were all these wonderful physiques

when we defeated you at Chaeronea?

Memnon.

Had so great a victory been mine,

I would have said the same.

My wife, Barsine.

- Barsine.

- And this, Stratocles, Athenian senator.

Thocian, general. Charidemus,

commander of the Athenian fleet.

- Barsine is a Persian name.

- I am both Persian and Greek.

Athens is now my home.

Both my husband and I love it very much.

My father once said "Athens is

neither a city nor a state. It's an idea."

I can understand that now that I'm here.

And Aristotle taught me that an idea

is greater than a man. An idea is divine.

Do you believe that?

We demand no ransom nor tribute.

All Athenian prisoners of war

shall go free.

We ask that all Greek

city states and nations

agree that no Greek in any part

of the world shall bear arms against us.

- And that is all?

- No.

Each state here agrees to supply men,

arms and ships for the war against Persia.

Unlimited men?

Unlimited arms? Unlimited ships?

- Till victory be won.

- Whose victory?

These are the terms.

You see? We have lost the right to choose

for whom and for what we are to die.

What have you gained?

For the first time in history, Greece is able

to measure its strength with any empire.

A nation with a destiny, a divine mission

to bring Greek culture to all the world.

Or have your ideas

grown greater than your men?

Now you have that unity

and strength to fulfil that mission.

And this is what I have brought you.

Philip of Macedonia further decrees

that no Macedonian troops...

Philip of Macedon

used words to gain his ends.

This boy believes in what he says.

Mother, I have brought you

many tales from Athens,

and many gifts - gifts for a queen.

Bring them to her, not to me.

I am queen no longer.

- Queen no longer?

- Divorced by your father's royal decree.

Philip has said to all Greece that his wife,

your mother, is unfaithful.

- I am leaving Pella.

- Also by royal decree?

Not by his words, by his deeds.

Here I am alone.

Behind my back, laughter.

Olympias wants no one's pity.

I'll be treated like I once was or...

I did not think I had any tears left to shed.

No!

No, Alexander.

Go to his wedding in peace.

Accept it as the will of the gods.

I have my destiny, you have yours.

Greetings, companion... my son.

Alexander.

How do I tear down this wall that stands

between us? By breach? Assault? Storm?

- You built the wall.

- How? By marrying Eurydice?

- You said "So be it."

- Were my words all you needed?

- No.

- Then why seek my approval now?

Because you're my son.

Your divorce stated

my mother was unfaithful.

Everyone worships the gods

in their own way. Your mother...

- But it states...

- That was a mistake.

- A mistake that threw dirt on my name.

- I was angry, sick.

- I acted without thinking.

- Not you, Father.

You've never done a thing without

weighing it on the scale of your ambition.

You give, not because you want to.

You made me regent.

You gave me my command at Chaeronea,

sent me to Athens.

You, Alexander! You high-minded

philosopher, you god among men,

why did you accept,

if not for love of the same things?

In heaven's name,

let's talk of things as they really are.

A Macedonian princess!

Not from Epirus,

nor Athens, but Macedonia.

Is it in your mind

to cut me out of the succession?

You play a dangerous game with me, boy.

And you with me.

If you think victory at Chaeronea

made you greater than you are,

- you'd better measure your shadow.

- I have measured it.

Why should that be in my mind?

Because you now see me as a rival,

not as a son.

If I did, you wouldn't be alive.

Give me your hand.

Give it to me!

To the new queen!

And may the gods at long last give to

Macedonia a legitimate heir to the throne.

You stupid, drunken fool!

You dare to call me a bastard?!

Alexander!

Look at him!

This is the man who is preparing

to pass from Europe into Asia,

but cannot even pass

from one couch to another.

Mother, get dressed.

We leave Pella tonight.

(trumpet call)

(herald) To all men in Greece,

hail and rejoice.

On this day, to Philip of Macedonia

and his queen, Eurydice,

a son has been born.

These are Philip's words:

Let all strife cease.

Let all crimes be pardoned.

Let all in exile return home.

Your father bids you welcome.

The city states have sent

their quota in men and arms.

We march on Persia before the month

is out. There will be three armies.

You will command

the one that marches east.

And Attalus?

He marches south with me. The

ceremonies that will be held at Pella...

- For the birth of his son?

- For many reasons.

...are very important.

All the ambassadors of Greece are here,

as an expression of their loyalty.

It's fitting that you appear

at your father's side.

- My mother is to be treated with honour?

- Agreed.

I want the king's word for that.

Agreed.

Within the week, four of your companions

are to be banished.

Harpalus, Ptolemy,

my son Philotas, and Pausanias.

- Why?

- Because I think it best.

- Is their loyalty to me treason?

- When it sets you against me.

I believe this is what they have done

from Chaeronea onwards,

even during the months

that you were in exile.

- I've heard reports.

- And I have, too.

I know the reason

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