#“King of Asia”

[jeannereames]

As Alexander conquered more territories, he seems to have widened his list of royal titles. So, aside from being king of Macedon, he also became pharaoh of Egypt and king/emperor of Persia (king of kings? King of Asia?). Did Alexander actually invest himself with these titles in any official capacity?

Also, based on his adoption of titles (or not), should we see Alexander's vast dominions as one articulated empire, as in, everything was kingdom of Macedon, or should we understand his domains more in the basis of a “personal union” of many countries united under the same monarch?

How Alexander understood his new empire is unclear, in part because he seemed to be figuring it out as he went. Also, because he’d made a second round of changes in the spring/summer of 324 BCE, after he’d returned from India, but these may not have been entirely done before Hephaistion died—then Alexander himself. (The first set of changes were the summer/fall of 330.)

I think it safe to say he saw it all as far beyond “Greater Macedon,” based on his modifications, starting with the spring Susa weddings (top Macedonian officers to Persian noblewomen). Then in the summer, while he was in Opis, he reorganized the army (again), including the introduction of a Persian unit of Companion Cavalry, as well as the 30,000 “Epigoni,” the young Persian (aristocratic) boys who’d been trained in the use of the Macedonian sarissa. This SO incensed the rank-and-file, it caused the infamous mutiny (together with the dismissal of older and disabled veterans). His formal court appearances also began to feature not only Macedonian guards (Hypaspists), but also Persian, albeit in separate units. This general period may also be when he formally appointed Hephaistion Chilliarch.

As for titles, as far back as 330, he began styling himself “King of Asia”—which wasn’t the title traditionally employed by Achaemenids: Kshayathia Kshayathiyanam (Xšāyaθiya Xšāyaθiyānām), “Great King” or “King of Kings,” Shahanshah in Middle Persian. He knew the title perfectly well, so it was a clear choice not to use it, and nothing in our sources suggest he went through the traditional enthronement for Persians kings … nor for the Egyptian pharaoh, either. There’s been some debate about the latter, but these days, I believe the majority opinion is that he simply wasn’t in Memphis long enough. He was in a hurry to chase Darius.

IMO, too much significance is given to his time in Egypt, his claim to Ammon’s sonship notwithstanding. It’s not that Egypt wasn’t important, but it later gained a disproportionate prominence due to hindsight. I do think he had high goals for Egyptian Alexandria, especially for trade (he knew a good port when he saw one), but I’d say he had an equal intention to elevate Babylon. One was a completely new city, the other, the heart of old Mesopotamia … but long enough outside the seat of power that he could return it to that status without appearing to sit in the shadow of the Achaemenids.

So he was trying to create something new, but with enough ties to prior kingships that it wouldn’t offend. Recall that in the ancient world, “new” was not a virtue. Today, the “fresh, new” approach is sought after, but back then, tried and proved and traditional was preferred.

[viceandmature]

Chicken Sacrilege on Yuri (which she deflects)

[illustratus]

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon by Edward John Poynter

[snototter]

A king ratsnake (Elaphe carinata) also known as a Taiwan stink snake or stinking goddess, resides in a tree in Beijing, China

by Guillaume Blanchet

[disneytva]

Some cute Timon and Pumbaa artwork for Walt Disney World Passholder Magnets IG by Asia Ellington ("The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse" franchise, "Primos") and Paul Rudish ("The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse" franchise).

[rrcraft-and-lore]

The Thar desert found in India. Most of it is found in the state of Rajasthan (Kings Land - Land of Kings), with parts stretching into Pakistan, the Indian state of Gujurat, Punjab, and Haryana. There is a unique tradition there in the city of Bikaner - the camel festival.

Some architecture from the area:

This is an utterly beautiful place in the world and just one of so many gems India has to offer. Bikaner has a nifty history of being an oasis trade path through central Asia and Gujurat.

[medl2ey39]

[mysticalhiss]

What if Rani was a tiger. What then

[aero-sense]

After gaining a little more information about Omashu from the games, I'd like to go into the South Asian/SEA references of the city.

The common headdress for men in Omashu are turbans. They wear it the same style of the Cabbage Man which @atlaculture has matched it to a Khăn Vấn, a vietnamese turban:

The turban does have a similar shape, but depending the style, the Khăn Vấn can be wrapped like a headband that shows hair in the back, unlike the Omashu turbans that wrap completely around the head. Turbans have a long history that spans many cultures and religions, so here are some other turbans I thought looked similar:

These are the Sikh turbans, also referred as a Dastār. This particular style shown in the example is called the modern Dumalla. I thought the wrapped style was similar to the turban design in the game.

Another kind are the Islamic turbans found in South and South East Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. The turban can come in different colors and patterns (I found only white ones for the examples, but I've seen green, yellow, and checkered before).

The women in Omashu also wear head coverings and this one in particular reminded me of the hijab style I've seen Indonesians wear.

Another cultural reference @atlaculture covered is how King Bumi's rock candy he encased Sokka and Katara with is like the rock sugar used in Asia. The method of developing rock sugar, or Misri, was invented in India and is the oldest refined form of sugar. It's used as candy or a sweetener for milk and tea. In Karnataka, it's served with water for guests in the summer.

Lastly, Bumi's name has ties to South and South East Asia. @cyndaquillt has already done a wonderful post going into Bumi's name from a South Asian view:

Bhumi (भूमि, pronounced bhoo-mi) is a Sanskrit word that means ground. The root of the word is Bhu (भू) which means earth.

There's also @ririsasy additions, that Bumi is the Indonesian word for Earth. In Indonesia, Bumi is a name usually given to males, while Bhumi is a name commonly given to Indian women, and is the name of the goddess of Earth in Hinduism.

There's many overlaps between these cultures and more, but overall Omashu leans towards a more South Asian/SEA setting than East Asian compared to the rest of the Earth Kingdom. Any additions or corrections are welcome!

[dailybridgerton]

YOUNG KING GEORGE looking at YOUNG QUEEN CHALOTTE in CHARLOTTE: A BRIDGERTON STORY

[owlithere]

Missed Opportunities: One Piece #4

So when people ship Zoro and Sanji (it could work with someone else, but I mostly see it in zosan fics and arts) to make their relationship official (or get married), authors make Zoro give one of his earnings to Sanji (because they'd both have trouble keeping the ring on their hands). And don't get me wrong - I love the idea (Sanji in his 40s with one of them look gorgeous), but I think it would be a bit strange not to see Zoro with three of them on. Both for the people around Zoro and for himself (also his balance would be somewhat disturbed - at leat for a bit). So because of that silly thought, here's an idea.

The earrings are mostly sold in pairs. For Zoro to have three, he would have to buy two pairs and leave one as a spare. Before the ✨feelings✨, he probably didn't care for the other one - he gave it back to the seller or something. But anyone who wears the same earrings all the time knows - they wear out - they get crooked or scratched (even gold ones) - especially if you sleep with them. Zoro is a pirate - a figther. He often sleeps in strange positions. I'm sure his are not in the best condition and need occasional replacement.

So what if, after realising his feelings, Zoro buys a new pair and this time keeps the extra one. (Perhaps he'll decorate it with his initials or the number 3 to add to the significance.) And he'll give it to Sanji, so he'll still have 3 in his ear, but they'll also be matching.

[illustratus]

Alexander covering the body of Darius with his cloak

by Charles Meynier

[aswiya]

King Mahendra greets a guest during his coronation ceremonies. He wears Shreepech, the crown of Nepal, decorated in diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds, and bird-of-paradise plumes. May 1956.

Marc Riboud

[metalcultbrigade]

John Wetton 12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017

[medl2ey39]

Wetton clothing collection