Alexander the Great and his Faith
Bound or Blinded by His Faith Alexander the Great is thought of by most historians as a brash young man, whose personal courage is only comparable to his own ambition. ... Alexander’s fearlessness was the underlying reason he often led his men into perilous situations that no sane man would dream of attempting. ... Alexander’s belief in his own divine heritage and the interpretations of his seers played an enormous role in his life because he allowed them to dictate many of his decisions. ... Alexander’s faith in the gods, his divine heritage, and his belief in the significance of prophecies and omens gave him the expectation of victory throughout all of his endeavors. When Alexander reached Gordium, the locals’ beliefs surrounding the Gordian Knot intrigued him; the prophecy said that the one responsible for the untying of the knot would become the Lord of Asia. Alexander’s ambitions coincided perfectly with the prophecy and therefore he became unable to restrain himself from attempting to untie the knot (C 3. ... However, while the Macedonians and Phrygians watched Alexander struggle, it became apparent to the crowd that the intricately entangled knot was too much for Alexander. ... ” Alexander’s desire to fulfill this omen could have proved disastrous, for failure to fulfill the prophecy would have been seen by his men as an omen that he was not to be lord of Asia. ... Alexander conquered a people and defaced a valuable piece of their history. Incredibly, the Phrygians saw Alexander’s actions as the fulfillment of their oracle’s prophecy, though any man could have cut through that knot. Alexander’s actions at Gordium were to his benefit, and his belief that he truly was ordained by the gods for this task coincided perfectly. However, Alexander’s dependence on the gods and omens did not always play to his advantage.