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Alexander the Paranoid?

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Pytheus View Drop Down
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  Quote Pytheus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Alexander the Paranoid?
    Posted: 03-Apr-2011 at 16:29

Why didn't Alexander deligate command of his army? He seems to have wasted an awful lot of time in the back end of nowhere fighting for petty territories. Definately work for a subordinate.

Alexander should have spent his time on the major campaigns, invading Carthage, India and so on.

Genghis had subordinates, which allowed him to have several armies in the field at once.

Surely Alexander should have done the same, send someone else off to Media and Afghanistan, gone back to Babylon and Greece to built a new army a lot earlier?
 
So 3 possible theories.

He was paranoid. The particular lot of subrodinates he had were untrustworthy or it was part of Macedonian culture and all potential subordinates were untrustworthy.



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  Quote Centrix Vigilis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2011 at 16:42
He's presented as flighty and the third is equally presented as well... vice the experiences of his father.
 
But 'm no expert on this genre and or the man so I's be guessing at best.
 
 But what I do know... is sub-delegation of command and or responsibilities. And even 3000 years later it won't be done unless subordinates can demonstrate an aptitude for performance and objectives and goals accomplishment for the force. And that's when problems arize; for one man can not preform the multitude of duties necessary to conduct operations and secure the force. 
 
And so it's earned and then given and sometimes the wrong people are given it and even tho they meant well they did not necessarily have the skill set, technical or other, to be entrusted with the responsibilities..consequently they are removed and others found. 
 
But the key component to a successful command and I personally had several in my era, with subordinates, was communication.
 
An so can we then examine whether just using that one parameter, Alexander was succwessful. Was he an effective communicator.  Or was he to paranoid to try or do the traditons of the time prohibit this style.  Other then in the monarchial style of traditonal leadership of the ancient world. And that btw still entails the ability to do more then merely say ''go here..do this...''
 
Thanks


Edited by Centrix Vigilis - 03-Apr-2011 at 16:53
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"

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Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'

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  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03-Apr-2011 at 16:59
Main goals of his campaign and reason for Hegemony had been created by his father were: 
   1.Liberation of occupied territories,that were inhabited with Danayans,including Upper Egypt and Asia Minor,from Persia!
   2.Liberation of Phoenicians trading ports under Persian control!
   3.Cause the army was heterogeneous,multinational,army had been modified for better subordinations.
   I believe multilingual army need different system of commands.Carthage was not danger for them,for this
   coalition forces army!       

Edited by medenaywe - 03-Apr-2011 at 17:18
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  Quote AlphaS520 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Jul-2012 at 07:56
Originally posted by medenaywe

Main goals of his campaign and reason for Hegemony had been created by his father were: 
   1.Liberation of occupied territories,that were inhabited with Danayans,including Upper Egypt and Asia Minor,from Persia!
   2.Liberation of Phoenicians trading ports under Persian control!
   3.Cause the army was heterogeneous,multinational,army had been modified for better subordinations.
   I believe multilingual army need different system of commands.Carthage was not danger for them,for this
   coalition forces army!       


Alexander III of Macedon is the most overrated general in all of history, certain individuals, such as Hannibal Barca, said that Alexander was the best general. But how so? When Hannibal have performed well planned decoys to lead the enemy into ambushes, never to be seen in all of Alexander's battles.

Just to point out, his intention was never to "liberate" any area, believe me, his intentions was never to liberate any area. It's ironic how he says Alexander wanted to "liberate" upper Egypt, as in the siege of Tyre, Tyre hold out against Alexander for nearly an year. Afterwards, Alexander slaughtered everyone when he broke in.

If you speculate his campaign in India, it is possible that he have actually lost a battle against King Porus, which resulted in his defeat, and his retreat, leaving India.
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  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Jul-2012 at 10:32
As it looks now,He lost against Porus!Smile
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  Quote TITAN_ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Jul-2012 at 10:51
Alexander's goal was to destroy Persia. He achieved it. And he defeated Porus as it seems....
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  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08-Jul-2012 at 10:56
My version:Persia and rest of Med sea Danayan world was conquered by intruders and he did what he did but lost at the end.SmileRegards TiTaN!
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  Quote Delenda est Roma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Aug-2012 at 12:32
Look at his executions, It seems he trusted no one or very few people.
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  Quote Don Quixote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Aug-2012 at 14:50
Alexander was somewhat paranoid, this was a part of his nature, and to some point hs health problems - drinking, his nerve disease, ets. So what? There are loads of paranid militar commanders, it kinda comes with the job...and in some ways helps the job. Alexander was very energetic, felling he was one for the job, and one of a kind - why should he delegate in that situation?
Trust - this is the best way to the fall, even in one's  private life, et alone in a military campaign. I rather understand him here; I wouldn't trust almost anyone eiter, when the ante is do high.
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  Quote Delenda est Roma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Aug-2012 at 15:00
It might've been that he had a character judgement problem. Many of his satraps were unreliable. He probably would've accomplished more with trusted subordinates. Think of what he could've done with subordinates on par with Napoleon's marshals!
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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Aug-2012 at 15:09
If you become paranoid, you become paranoid. However if someone like Alexander has a history suggesting he needs to watch his position, does that really mean he is paranoid. Personally can't see that he would have gained the respect that he did if he was having such problems.
What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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  Quote Don Quixote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Aug-2012 at 15:23
Originally posted by Delenda est Roma

It might've been that he had a character judgement problem. Many of his satraps were unreliable. He probably would've accomplished more with trusted subordinates. Think of what he could've done with subordinates on par with Napoleon's marshals!

Why charater judgement problems? He picked from what he had, if there weren't more reliable people available, what he could do? As for his executions, some of them were under the influence...
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  Quote Delenda est Roma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11-Aug-2012 at 15:30
Originally posted by Don Quixote


Originally posted by Delenda est Roma

It might've been that he had a character judgement problem. Many of his satraps were unreliable. He probably would've accomplished more with trusted subordinates. Think of what he could've done with subordinates on par with Napoleon's marshals!
Why charater judgement problems? He picked from what he had, if there weren't more reliable people available, what he could do? As for his executions, some of them were under the influence...


Ptolemy and Atigonus the One eyed were good generals. His subordinates were good but not brilliant. He probably didn't have a character judgement problem but some of his satraps were nasty. His executions, (sigh), a black mark on a great man.
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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Aug-2012 at 03:14
I'm not so sure that executions were seen to be extraordinary in Alexander's time. 
What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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  Quote Mikestone8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Mar-2014 at 18:02
Iirc he was the first King of Macedon in a century to die in bed. If so, maybe paranoid isn't such a bad thing to be.
Mike Stone, Peterborough, England.

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  Quote TheAlaniDragonRising Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Mar-2014 at 19:49
Originally posted by Mikestone8

Iirc he was the first King of Macedon in a century to die in bed. If so, maybe paranoid isn't such a bad thing to be.

Mmmmmmmm,I think I agree, if you become paranoid now, you might want to become paranoid, and become paranoid, in your bed.
What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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  Quote opuslola Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-Mar-2014 at 23:57
To both of the previous posters!

HUH?

Ron
http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/
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  Quote Mikestone8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Mar-2014 at 05:07
"Huh" what?

I was merely observing that, given how many of his predecessors had met violent ends of one sort or another, Alexander may have had more than most to be paranoid about.

As the saying goes, the fact that you're paranoid doesn't mean that nobody's out to get you.
Mike Stone, Peterborough, England.

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  Quote medenaywe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Mar-2014 at 13:10
ambivalent-divided-divisional...It could be description of bipolar behavior!

Edited by medenaywe - 13-Mar-2014 at 13:11
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  Quote nickherc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04-Dec-2014 at 05:27
Saying Alexander wasn't a good general is... I don't know what that is... He was, he was also very brave. As for his paranoia, you can't blame the guy, I would be to in his place. 
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