Alexander: Child of a Dream by Valerio Massimo Manfredi Page A
Authors: Valerio Massimo Manfredi
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consult the greatest living mind in the eastern and western Greek world.’
‘And just who is this extraordinary personage?’
Philip smiled. ‘He is the son of Nicomachus, the physician who brought you into this world. Your new tutor is the most famous and the most brilliant of Plato’s disciples. His name is Aristotle.’
11
‘May I take anyone with me?’ Alexander asked after listening to his father’s plans.
‘Any of the servants.’
‘I want Leptine. And my friends?’
‘Hephaestion, Perdiccas, Seleucus and the others?’
‘I’d like them to come.’
‘They will accompany you, but there will be special lessons which only you may attend, lessons that will make you different from the others. Your tutor will decide on the order of teaching, the subjects you’ll study with the others and those which are reserved for you alone. The discipline will be strict: no disobedience of any kind will be tolerated, nor distractions or lack of effort. And if you deserve it you will receive your punishment just as your companions will.’
‘When am I to leave?’
‘Soon.’
‘How soon?’
‘The day after tomorrow. Prepare your things, get the girl ready, choose which other servants you require and spend some time with your mother.’
Alexander nodded and stood in silence. Philip looked at his son closely and saw that he was biting his lip to hide his tears.
He came closer and placed a hand on Alexander’s shoulder: ‘It has to be done, my boy, believe me. I want you to become Greek, I want you to be part of the only civilization in the world which creates men rather than servants, a repository of the most advanced learning, a culture which speaks the language of the Iliad and the Odyssey, which represents the gods as men and the men as gods. This does not mean that you will betray your origins, because you will remain Macedonian to the depths of your soul: the sons of lions will always be lions.’
Alexander still had nothing to say and kept his hands busy with the case containing his new razor.
‘We have never been very close, my son,’ Philip began again as he ruffled Alexander’s hair with his big, calloused hand. ‘There has been no time. You see, I am a soldier and I have done what I could for you: I have conquered a realm that is three times as big as the one I inherited from your grandfather Amyntas and I have made the Greeks, the Athenians in particular, realize that here in Macedon there is a great power which they must respect. But I am not able to mould your mind, neither are the teachers you have had so far here in the palace. They have nothing more to teach you.’
‘I will do as you wish,’ Alexander said. ‘I will go to Mieza.’
‘I am not sending you into exile, my son; we will see each other, I will visit you, and your mother and sister will also be able to come sometimes. I simply wanted to make ready a suitable place for your studies. Naturally your weaponry instructors will also go with you, together with your riding instructor and your chief huntsman. I do not want a philosopher, I want a king.’
‘As you wish, Father.’
‘One more thing. Your uncle Alexander is leaving us.’
‘Why?’
‘Up till now he has simply been playing the role of King, like an actor in a theatre. He wore the sovereign’s cloak and crown while his kingdom remained in the hands of Aribbas. But your uncle is twenty years old now: it’s high time he began his life’s work. I will get rid of Aribbas and put Alexander on the throne
I am glad for him, but I’ll be sorry to see him go,’ said Alexander, used as he was to listening to his father’s plans as though they had already been put into effect. He knew that
Aribbas had the support of the Athenians and that there was an Athenian fleet at Corcyra, with a contingent of infantry ready to land.
‘Is it true that the Athenians are at Corcyra and are getting ready to
‘And just who is this extraordinary personage?’
Philip smiled. ‘He is the son of Nicomachus, the physician who brought you into this world. Your new tutor is the most famous and the most brilliant of Plato’s disciples. His name is Aristotle.’
11
‘May I take anyone with me?’ Alexander asked after listening to his father’s plans.
‘Any of the servants.’
‘I want Leptine. And my friends?’
‘Hephaestion, Perdiccas, Seleucus and the others?’
‘I’d like them to come.’
‘They will accompany you, but there will be special lessons which only you may attend, lessons that will make you different from the others. Your tutor will decide on the order of teaching, the subjects you’ll study with the others and those which are reserved for you alone. The discipline will be strict: no disobedience of any kind will be tolerated, nor distractions or lack of effort. And if you deserve it you will receive your punishment just as your companions will.’
‘When am I to leave?’
‘Soon.’
‘How soon?’
‘The day after tomorrow. Prepare your things, get the girl ready, choose which other servants you require and spend some time with your mother.’
Alexander nodded and stood in silence. Philip looked at his son closely and saw that he was biting his lip to hide his tears.
He came closer and placed a hand on Alexander’s shoulder: ‘It has to be done, my boy, believe me. I want you to become Greek, I want you to be part of the only civilization in the world which creates men rather than servants, a repository of the most advanced learning, a culture which speaks the language of the Iliad and the Odyssey, which represents the gods as men and the men as gods. This does not mean that you will betray your origins, because you will remain Macedonian to the depths of your soul: the sons of lions will always be lions.’
Alexander still had nothing to say and kept his hands busy with the case containing his new razor.
‘We have never been very close, my son,’ Philip began again as he ruffled Alexander’s hair with his big, calloused hand. ‘There has been no time. You see, I am a soldier and I have done what I could for you: I have conquered a realm that is three times as big as the one I inherited from your grandfather Amyntas and I have made the Greeks, the Athenians in particular, realize that here in Macedon there is a great power which they must respect. But I am not able to mould your mind, neither are the teachers you have had so far here in the palace. They have nothing more to teach you.’
‘I will do as you wish,’ Alexander said. ‘I will go to Mieza.’
‘I am not sending you into exile, my son; we will see each other, I will visit you, and your mother and sister will also be able to come sometimes. I simply wanted to make ready a suitable place for your studies. Naturally your weaponry instructors will also go with you, together with your riding instructor and your chief huntsman. I do not want a philosopher, I want a king.’
‘As you wish, Father.’
‘One more thing. Your uncle Alexander is leaving us.’
‘Why?’
‘Up till now he has simply been playing the role of King, like an actor in a theatre. He wore the sovereign’s cloak and crown while his kingdom remained in the hands of Aribbas. But your uncle is twenty years old now: it’s high time he began his life’s work. I will get rid of Aribbas and put Alexander on the throne
I am glad for him, but I’ll be sorry to see him go,’ said Alexander, used as he was to listening to his father’s plans as though they had already been put into effect. He knew that
Aribbas had the support of the Athenians and that there was an Athenian fleet at Corcyra, with a contingent of infantry ready to land.
‘Is it true that the Athenians are at Corcyra and are getting ready to
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