#Macedonianism

[seekingtheosis]

Understanding Formal Creed Statements: Its Need in Early Christianity

Explore the need for formal creed statements in early Christianity, addressing false teachings like Gnosticism, Docetism, and Arianism to preserve the true faith of the Church.

In the name of God the Father, Christ Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit, One True God. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus In the previous blog, where we introduced the topic of the Statement of Faith, we learned how the early Christian statement of faith, encapsulated in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, played a pivotal role in defining and uniting Christian belief across…

[communist-hatsunemiku]

Hello my friend, I'm on a quest to find Macedonian Miku but I've had ill luck

Here She is!

[holographings]

based off the prompt "where do i belong", for a short comic competition hosed by LIFT & HERA

[folkfashion]

Macedonian woman, North Macedonia, by Bojan Petkovski

[illustratus]

Alexander the Great and the horse Bucephalus — Follower of Simon Vouet

[zumbuli]

ѓурѓовден е! 🌿🌸

gjurgjovden is a celebration of nature for various peoples of macedonia. for ethnic macedonians, although the day bears a christian name, the traditions practiced stem from our pagan past. this illust depicts the tradition of young girls swinging and singing songs about crushes under a fruit bearing tree. cleavers are stuck on their clothes, so they stick to each other like the grass sticks to them. customs vary from region to region, so here i specifically focused on maleshevija, eastern macedonia, as well as maleshevski traditional dress.

gjurgjovden is about love as much as it's about nature to me. i celebrated it with my late grandmother, with whom i shared a name. i painted this last year, during the 40 day period of mourning after she died. the krpa here is like the one she gave me, that her mother made.

[diana-andraste]

Post-Mortem Laureatus, Kimon Loghi, 1896

[what-shitfuckery-is-this-ew]

every monster high fancast is just:

Frankie: white woman

Draculaura: white woman

Cleo: white woman

Lagoona: white woman

Abbey: white woman

Ghoulia: white woman

Clawdeen: Zendaya

[random-brushstrokes]

Kimon Loghi - Amurg (1940s)

[sartorialadventure]

[mellxncollie]

Housekeeping for Beginners (2023) dir. Goran Stolevski

[gael-garcia]

Housekeeping for Beginners (2023, Goran Stolevski 🇲🇰)

[jokeroutsubs]

'Bluza' translated in over 15 languages 🌎

To celebrate the release of 'Bluza' and as per our tradition, the JokerOutSubs team has translated the song in over 15 languages!

Translations below the cut!

Bluza (SRB)

Stolicu primakni

Ruku mi dotakni

Noćas ti si moja muza

Ja u ritmu tvoga bluza ću da

Plešem bez prestanka

Soba nam je mala

Ja ko pijana budala

A ni čaše nisam popio

Ja mislim da sam se zaljubio u tebe

Baš ja, koji nisam verovao da za nekim biću lud

Za tebe, kao u pesmama i filmovima ljubavnim,

sad iću svud

Samo se okreni

Baci pogled prema meni

Preći će tišina sama

Kilometre među nama

Dok jednom srce otkuca

Soba nam je mala

Ja ko pijana budala

A ni čaše nisam popio

Ja mislim da sam se zaljubio u tebe

Baš ja, koji nisam verovao da za nekim biću lud

Za tebe, kao u pesmama i filmovima ljubavnim,

sad iću svud

Ne palite još svetla

Još samo jedan tren

Da se nagledam lepote te

Ne palite još svetla

Ne prizivajte dan

Spasite me, smislite neki plan

Ako svane sunce

Ostaću sam

Blouse (ENG)

Translation by @moonlvster

Move your chair closer

Touch my hand

Tonight you're my muse

In the rhythm of your blues

I will dance non-stop

The room feels too small for us

I'm acting like a drunk idiot

But I haven't had a single glass

I think I've fallen in love with you

Yes, me, who didn't believe I could be crazy about someone

For you, like in love songs and movies,

I would go anywhere now

Just turn around

Glance towards me

Silence alone will

Pass kilometers between us

In a single heartbeat

The room feels too small for us

I'm acting like a drunk idiot

But I haven't had a single glass

I think I've fallen in love with you

Yes, me, who didn't believe I could be crazy about someone

For you, like in love songs and movies,

I would go anywhere now

Don't turn the lights on yet

Just one more moment

So I can admire that beauty

Don't turn the lights on yet

Don't summon the day

Save me, think of some plan

If the sun rises

I'll be alone

Bluza (SLO)

Translation by @kurooscoffee, review by Drumbeat, proofread by X coffebiscuitxx

Primakni stol,

dotakni se moje roke.

Nocoj si moja muza.

V ritmu tvojega bluza bom

plesal brez prestanka.

Najina soba je majhna.

Jaz pa kot pijana budala,

čeprav nisem spil niti kozarca.

Mislim, da sem se zaljubil vate.

Prav jaz, ki nisem verjel, da bom kdaj na koga nor.

Zate bi kot v ljubezenskih pesmih in filmih

zdaj šel povsod.

Samo obrni se,

poglej proti meni.

Tišina bo sama

prepotovala kilometre med nama

v enem samem utripu srca.

Najina soba je majhna.

Jaz pa kot pijana budala,

čeprav nisem spil niti kozarca.

Mislim, da sem se zaljubil vate.

Prav jaz, ki nisem verjel, da bom kdaj na koga nor.

Zate bi kot v ljubezenskih pesmih in filmih

zdaj šel povsod.

Ne prižgite še luči,

samo še en trenutek,

da se nagledam te lepote.

Ne prižgite še luči,

ne kličite dneva.

Rešite me, izmislite si nek načrt.

Če vzide sonce,

bom ostal sam.

Blouse (FRE)

Translation by @yoda-bor, corrections and suggestions by IG wakaranwaa, Anastasia, X klmastrakur and Katoche

Rapproche ta chaise

Touche ma main

Ce soir tu es ma muse

Au rythme de ton blues

Je danserai sans m'arrêter

Notre chambre est petite

J'agis comme un idiot ivre

Mais je n'ai pas bu un seul verre

Je pense que je suis tombé amoureux de toi

Oui, moi, qui ne pensais pas pouvoir être fou de quelqu'un

Pour toi, comme dans les chansons et les films d'amour,

j'irai n'importe où maintenant

Fais simplement demi-tour

Regarde vers moi

Le silence seul fera

Passer les kilomètres qui nous séparent

En un seul battement de cœur

Notre chambre est petite

J'agis comme un idiot ivre

Mais je n'ai pas bu un seul verre

Je pense que je suis tombé amoureux de toi

Oui, moi, qui ne pensais pas pouvoir être fou de quelqu'un

Pour toi, comme dans les chansons et les films d'amour,

j'irai n'importe où maintenant

N'allumez pas encore les lumières

Juste encore un instant

Pour que je puisse admirer cette beauté

N'allumez pas encore les lumières

N'invoquez pas le jour

Sauvez-moi, trouvez un plan

Si le soleil se lève

Je resterai seul

Blusa (ITA)

Translation by @vesdagrem, review by @varianestoroff and IG irenalemajic

Avvicina la sedia,

toccami la mano.

Stasera sei la mia musa.

A ritmo del tuo blues

ballerò senza sosta

La nostra stanza è piccola.

Mi comporto come uno stupido ubriaco

ma non ho bevuto neanche un bicchiere.

Penso di essermi innamorato di te.

Sì, io, che non pensavo sarei mai stato pazzo di qualcuno.

Per te, come nei film e nelle canzoni d'amore,

andrò ovunque.

Voltati e basta.

Guardami.

Solo il silenzio

passerà i chilometri tra noi,

in uno solo battito.

La nostra stanza è piccola.

Mi comporto come uno stupido ubriaco

ma non ho bevuto neanche un bicchiere.

Penso di essermi innamorato di te.

Sì, io, che non pensavo sarei mai stato pazzo di qualcuno.

Per te, come nei film e nelle canzoni d'amore,

andrò ovunque.

Non accendete ancora la luce.

Ancora un istante,

così ammiro quella bellezza.

Non accendete ancora la luce.

Non invocate il giorno.

Salvatemi, pensate a un piano.

Se il sole sorge

resterò solo.

Bluse (GER)

Translation by a member of JokerOutSubs

Rück deinen Stuhl näher

Berühr meine Hand

Heute Nacht bist du meine Muse

Im Rhythmus deines Blues

Werde ich ununterbrochen tanzen

Unser Zimmer ist klein

Ich benehme mich wie ein betrunkener Idiot

Aber ich habe kein einziges Glas getrunken

Ich denke, ich habe mich verliebt in dich

Ja, ich, der nicht geglaubt hat, ich würde verrückt nach jemandem sein

Nach dir, wie in Liebesliedern und -filmen

würde ich jetzt überall hingehen

Dreh dich einfach um

Schau zu mir

Allein die Stille wird

Kilometer zwischen uns überwinden

In einem einzigen Herzschlag

Unser Zimmer ist klein

Ich benehme mich wie ein betrunkener Idiot

Aber ich habe kein einziges Glas getrunken

Ich denke, ich habe mich verliebt in dich

Ja, ich, der nicht geglaubt hat, ich würde verrückt nach jemandem sein

Nach dir, wie in Liebesliedern und -filmen

würde ich jetzt überall hingehen

Schaltet das Licht noch nicht ein

Nur noch einen Moment

Damit ich diese Schönheit betrachten kann

Schaltet das Licht noch nicht ein

Beschwört nicht den Tag

Rettet mich, überlegt euch einen Plan

Wenn die Sonne aufgeht

Werde ich alleine sein

Blouse (DUT)

Translation by a member of JokerOutSubs

Zet je stoel dichterbij

Raak mijn hand aan

Vanavond ben jij mijn muze

In het ritme van jouw blues

Wil ik oneindig dansen

De kamer voelt te klein voor ons

Ik gedraag me als een dronken idioot

Maar ik heb geen enkel glas gehad

Ik denk dat ik verliefd ben geworden

Ja, ik, wie niet geloofde dat ik gek op iemand zou worden

Voor jou, zoals in liefdes liedjes en film,

ik zal nu overal heen willen

Draai je gewoon om

Kijk naar mij

Alleen stilte zal

Kilometers tussen ons passeren

In één enkele hartslag

De kamer voelt te klein voor ons

Ik gedraag me als een dronken idioot

Maar ik heb geen enkel glas gehad

Ik denk dat ik verliefd op jou ben geworden

Ja, ik, wie niet geloofde dat ik gek op iemand zou worden

Voor jou, als een liefdes lied en film,

ik zal nu overal heen willen

Doe de lampen nog niet aan

Nog één klein moment

Zodat ik deze schoonheid nog kan bewonderen

Doe de lampen nog niet aan

Laat de dag nog niet binnen

Red mij, bedenk een plan

Als de zon opkomt

Zal ik alleen blijven

Bluse (DAN)

Translation by X AnnaaMontana

Ryk din stol tættere på

Rør min hånd

I aften er du min muse

Til rytmen af dine blues

Vil jeg danse uafbrudt

Vores værelse er lille

Jeg opfører mig som et fuldt fjols

Men jeg har ikke drukket en eneste tår

Jeg tror, at jeg er blevet forelsket i dig

Ja, mig, som ikke troede, at jeg kunne blive vild med nogen

Med dig, som i kærlighedssange og -film,

ville jeg tage hvor som helst hen nu

Bare vend dig om

Se på mig

Stilheden vil i sig selv

Tilbagelægge kilometerne imellem os

På et enkelt hjerteslag

Værelset føles for småt til os

Jeg opfører mig som et fuldt fjols

Men jeg har ikke drukket en eneste tår

Jeg tror jeg er blevet forelsket i dig

Ja, mig, som ikke troede jeg kunne blive vild med nogen

Med dig, som i kærlighedssange og -film,

ville jeg tage hvor som helst hen nu

Ikke tænd lyset endnu

Bare et øjeblik til

Så jeg kan beundre den skønhed

Ikke tænd lyset endnu

Hidkald ikke dagen

Red mig, læg en plan

Hvis solen står op

Vil jeg være alene

Pusero (FIN)

Translation by @saallotar, @niini5 and @drugsforaddicts

Siirrä tuoliasi lähemmäs

Kosketa kättäni

Tänä iltana olet muusani

Blues-sävelesi rytmiin

Tanssin taukoamatta

Huoneemme on pieni

Hölmöilen kuin humalassa

Mutten ole juonut lasillistakaan

Luulen että olen rakastunut sinuun

Minä, joka en koskaan uskonut hullaantuvani kenestäkään

Vuoksesi, kuin rakkauslauluissa ja elokuvissa,

menisin minne vain

Käännythän ympäri

Vilkaisethan minuun

Hiljaisuus yksinään

Tekee kilometrejä välillemme

Yhdessä sydämenlyönnissä

Huoneemme on pieni

Hölmöilen kuin humalassa

Mutten ole juonut lasillistakaan

Luulen että olen rakastunut sinuun

Minä, joka en koskaan uskonut hullaantuvani kenestäkään

Vuoksesi, kuin rakkauslauluissa ja elokuvissa,

menisin minne vain

Älkää sytyttäkö valoja vielä

Hetkeen ainakaan

Jotta voin ihailla kauneuttasi

Älkää sytyttäkö valoja vielä

Älkää kutsuko huomista

Pelastakaa minut, keksikää suunnitelma

Jos aurinko nousee

Olen yksin

ブラウス (JAP)

Translation by X sae_w

もっと椅子を寄せて

この手に触れておくれよ

今夜　君は俺のミューズ

君のブルースのリズムに合わせて

休むことなく踊るよ

小さな部屋にふたり

酔った間抜けのフリしてるけど

本当は一杯だって飲んでない

どうやら　恋をしてしまったみたいだ

君にさ　そう、俺がだよ　

誰かに夢中になるなんて　ありえないと思ってたのに

君に首ったけ

まるでラブソングやロマンス映画みたいにさ　

どこへだって行くよ

振り向いて

こっちを見ておくれよ

沈黙だけが　ふたりの間を数キロ先まで駆けてく

たった一拍の鼓動のうちに

小さな部屋にふたり

酔った間抜けのフリしてるけど

本当は一杯だって飲んでない

どうやら　恋をしてしまったみたいだ

君にさ　そう、俺がだよ

誰かに夢中になるなんてありえないと思ってたのに

君に首ったけ

まるでラブソングやロマンス映画みたいにさ

どこへだって行くよ

まだ明かりはつけないで

あと一瞬だけ

この美しい光景に見惚れていたい

まだ明かりはつけないで

一日を呼び起こさないで

どう���助けてくれ　何か案をおくれよ

朝日が昇ってしまえば

もう俺は1人きりだ

Bluza (MAC)

Translation by IG marijakonte

Priblizhi go stolcheto

Dopri mi ja rakata

Nokjva ti si moja muza

Vo ritamot na tvojot bluz kje

Igram bez prestan

Sobata ni e mala

Jas ko pijana budala

No ni chasha ne sum ispil

Mislam deka se zaljubiv vo tebe

Bash jas, koj ne veruvav deka za nekoj kje bidam lud

Za tebe, kako vo ljubovnite pesni i filmovi,

sega kje odam sekade

Samo svrti se

Frli pogled kon mene

Tishinata sama kje pomine

Kilometri megju nas

Sè dodeka srceto ednash ne zachuka

Sobata ni e mala

Jas ko pijana budala

No ni chasha ne sum ispil

Mislam deka se zaljubiv vo tebe

Bash jas, koj ne veruvav deka za nekoj kje bidam lud

Za tebe, kako vo ljubovnite pesni i filmovi,

sega kje odam sekade

Ne pushtajte svetla sè ushte

Samo ushte eden moment

Da se iznagledam na ubavinata tvoja

Ne pushtajte svetla sè ushte

Ne go povikuvajte denot

Spasete me, smislete nekoj plan

Ako izgree sonceto

Kje ostanam sam

Blúz (HUN)

Translation by X ddrflctn

Húzd közelebb a széked

Érintsd meg a kezem

Ma éjjel te vagy a múzsám

A bluesod ritmusában

Fogok táncolni megállás nélkül

A szoba túl kicsi nekünk

Olyan vagyok, mint egy részeg bolond

Pedig még egy pohárral sem ittam

Azt hiszem, szerelmes vagyok beléd

Igen, én, aki nem hittem volna, hogy valakiért majd megbolondulok

Érted, mint a szerelmes dalokban és filmekben,

most már bárhová elmennék

Csak fordulj meg

Vess egy pillantást felém

Maga a csend fog

Kilométereket megtenni közöttünk

Egyetlen szívdobbanás alatt

A szoba túl kicsi nekünk

Olyan vagyok, mint egy részeg bolond

Pedig még egy pohárral sem ittam

Azt hiszem, szerelmes vagyok beléd

Igen, én, aki nem hittem volna, hogy valakiért majd megbolondulok

Érted, mint a szerelmes dalokban és filmekben,

most már bárhová elmennék

Még ne kapcsoljátok fel a villanyt

Csak még egy pillanat

Hogy csodálhassam ezt a szépséget

Még ne kapcsoljátok fel a villanyt

Ne idézzétek meg a napot

Mentsetek meg, találjatok ki valami tervet

Mert ha felkel a nap

Én egyedül maradok

Bluzka (POL)

Translation by a member of JokerOutSubs

Przysuń swoje krzesło

Dotknij mojej dłoni

Tej nocy jesteś moją muzą

W rytmie twojego bluesa

Będę tańczył bez przerwy

Nasz pokój jest mały

Ja niczym pijany głupiec

Ale nie wypiłem ani kieliszka

Myślę, że się zakochałem w tobie

Tak, ja, który nigdy nie myślał, że można za kimś szaleć

Dla ciebie, jak w piosenkach i miłosnych filmach,

pójdę teraz wszędzie

Tylko się odwróć

Spojrzyj na mnie

Cisza sama pokona

Kilometry nas dzielące

Z jednym uderzeniem serca

Nasz pokój jest mały

Ja niczym pijany głupiec

Ale nie wypiłem ani kieliszka

Myślę, że się zakochałem w tobie

Tak, ja, który nigdy nie myślał, że można za kimś szaleć

Dla ciebie, jak w piosenkach i miłosnych filmach,

pójdę teraz wszędzie

Nie zapalajcie jeszcze światła

Jeszcze tylko moment

Abym mógł podziwiać twoje piękno

Nie zapalajcie jeszcze światła

Nie przyzywajcie dnia

Uratujcie mnie, wymyślcie jakiś plan

Jeśli wzejdzie słońce

Zostanę sam

Bluz (TUR)

Translation by X povejmiselin

Sandalyeni yaklaştır

Elime dokun

Bu gece benim ilham perimsin

Bluzunun ritminde

Durmandan dans edeceğim

Oda bizim için çok küçük

Sarhoş bir aptal gibi davranıyorum

Ama tek bir kadeh bile içmedim

Galiba sana aşık oldum

Evet, ben, biri için deli olabilceğime inanmayan ben

Senin için, aşk şarkılarında ve filmlerinde olduğu gibi,

her yere giderim

Sadece arkanı dön

Bana doğru bak

Sadece sessizlik

Aramızdaki kilometreleri

Tek bir kalp atışında geçecek

Oda bizim için çok küçük

Sarhoş bir aptal gibi davranıyorum

Ama tek bir kadeh bile içmedim

Galiba sana aşık oldum

Evet, ben, biri için bu kadar deli olabilceğime inanmayan ben

Senin için, aşk şarkılarında ve filmlerinde olduğu gibi,

her yere giderim

Henüz ışıkları açma

Sadece bir dakika daha

Böylece o güzelliğe hayranlık duyabilirim

Henüz ışıkları açma

Sabahı çağırma

Kurtar beni, bir plan yap

Eğer güneş doğarsa

Yalnız kalacağım

Blusa (SPA)

Translation by @bestofjokerout, review by @madscientist-physicsedition

Acerca tu silla

Toca mi mano

Esta noche eres mi musa

Al ritmo de tus blues

Bailaré sin parar

La habitación parece demasiado pequeña para nosotros

Estoy actuando como un idiota borracho

Pero no me he tomado ni una copa

Creo que me he enamorado de ti

Sí, yo, que no creía que podía estar loco por alguien

Por ti, como en las canciones y películas de amor,

ahora iría a cualquier parte.

Date la vuelta

Mira hacia mí

El silencio por si sólo

Pasará kilómetros entre nosotros

En un solo latido

La habitación parece demasiado pequeña para nosotros

Estoy actuando como un idiota borracho

Pero no me he tomado ni una copa

Creo que me he enamorado de ti.

Sí, yo, que no creía que podía estar loco por alguien

Por ti, como en las canciones y películas de amor,

ahora iré a cualquier parte

No enciendas las luces todavía

Sólo un momento más

Para poder admirar esa belleza

No enciendas las luces todavía

No invoques el día

Sálvame, piensa en algún plan

Si sale el sol

Estaré solo

Brusa (CAT)

Translation by @bestofjokerout, review by @madscientist-physicsedition

Acosta la teva cadira

Toca la meva mà

Aquesta nit ets la meva musa

Al ritme del teus blues

Ballaré sense parar

L'habitació sembla massa petita per a nosaltres

Estic actuant com un idiota borratxo

Però no m'he pr��s ni una copa

Crec que m'he enamorat de tú

Sí, jo, que no creia que podia estar boig per algú

Per tu, com en les cançons i pel·lícules d'amor,

ara aniría a qualsevol lloc.

Dona't la volta

Mira cap a mi

El silenci per si sol

Passarà quilometres entre nosaltres

En només un batec

L'habitació sembla massa petita per a nosaltres

Estic actuant com un idiota borratxo

Però no m'he près ni una copa

Crec que m'he enamorat de tú

Sí, jo, que no creia que podia estar boig per algú

Per tu, com en les cançons i pel·licules d'amor,

ara aniría a qualsevol lloc.

No encenguis les llums encara

Només un moment més

Per poder admirar aquesta bellesa

No encenguis les llums encara

No invoquis el dia

Salva'm, pensa en algun pla

Si surt el sol

Estaré sol

Blus (SWE)

Translation by @fullmoonsnstars, review by a member of JokerOutSubs

För din stol närmare

Rör vid min hand

I natt är du min musa

I rytmen av ditt vemod

Slutar jag aldrig dansa

Rummet känns för litet för oss

Jag beter mig som en redlös dåre

Fast jag inte druckit ett enda glas

Jag tror jag blivit förälskad i dig

Ja, jag, som inte trodde jag kunde bli galen för någon

För dig, som i kärlekslåtar och filmer,

skulle jag gå vart som helst nu

Bara vänd dig om

Se på mig

Tystnaden kan själv

Föra kilometer emellan oss

På ett enda hjärtslag

Rummet känns för litet för oss

Jag beter mig som en redlös dåre

Fast jag inte druckit ett enda glas

Jag tror jag blivit förälskad i dig

Ja, jag, som inte trodde jag kunde bli galen för någon

För dig, som i kärlekslåtar och filmer,

skulle jag gå vart som helst nu

Tänd inte lyset än

Bara ett ögonblick till

Så att jag kan beundra skönheten

Tänd inte lyset än

Tillkalla inte dagen

Rädda mig, tänk ut en plan

Om solen gryr

Blir jag ensam

[jeannereames]

Do you think that Alexander was truly liked by those around him, in a personal level? True friendship. Not really Hephaistion but also like Ptolemy, Seleucus, Roxanne, Arrhidaios, those who grew up with him or were his closest circle. Or was it all cynical politics?

Found it! That was weird. Appearing/disappearing asks?

Did the people around Alexander like him?

Did the people around Alexander like him? Hephaistion did. But the rest?

The asker refers to his personal circle, but I want to address this more broadly. I’ll return to his personal circle at the end.

First, we must beware of that pesky “shading” by later authors as part of their attempts to use Alexander’s career for commentary on their own time. They meant to show how success and power spoilt him and made him into a tyrant. That said, I believe he was well-liked overall. Yet things did change over time.

He began as king of a (relatively) small kingdom in northern Greece where all a Macedonian had to do before addressing him was to take off his hat—didn’t even use the title “King.” By his death, he’d taken over in a tradition that depicted rulers as “King of Kings” and “King of the Four Quarters” [e.g., the Whole World], even a god-king (Egypt). Going from (little) Macedonia to (enormous) Asia naturally cut down on his availability to soldiers and even his own Companions/Hetairoi—which pissed them off. Partly, it was simple logistics. He had too many responsibilities, and too many people wanted a piece of his time. Yet after Darius’s death in 330, he also added layers of court ceremonial to better align with ancient near eastern royal expectations and secure Persian respect.

That alienated his own people (maybe more than he expected). However exaggerated I believe the objections to his adoption of Persian custom, there’s little doubt it wasn’t well-received by traditionalists who preferred their kings approachable. Now, be aware: that approachability was more curated than our sources admit, as these sources inflated shifts to serve their own themes. Macedonian kings had bodyguards for a reason, and certain aspects of divine charisma were associated with their physical person (see below). The average citizen could NOT just wander up to one for a chat. Even so, elaborate Persian ceremonial was quite alien to Macedonia.

Nor was such ceremonial required of Macedonians in 330; our sources note that Alexander was essentially running two parallel courts with differing expectations. Nonetheless, the Macedonians took exception to the changes, offended to see “their” king “succumb” to foreign ways. He was getting uppity. They may also have feared it would trickle down to them eventually, even if it hadn’t yet.

Kleitos the Black’s exact words to Alexander in their infamous, alcohol-fueled spat is 99% invented. (Except maybe the line from Euripides; I’m least suspicious of that.) Some of it involved a play mocking officers who’d died recently at the Marakanda massacre as a means to absolve Alexander, who hadn’t been present, but whose failure to clarify the chain of command got them killed. I suspect that was a lot of it. But as with all “straw that broke the camel’s back” fights, it quickly escalated into a litany of complaints. Some of those were about the changes at the court. And Kleitos didn’t survive the encounter.

Alexander’s remorse appears to have been genuine. And the fact the army was ready to convict Kleitos of treason after-the-fact, said a lot about their empathy for the king. Nonetheless, after that, NOTHING was the same for his inner circle. In the right circumstance, he might kill you. And the army would absolve him of it.

Yet the army didn’t regard every negative act by Alexander as forgivable. They were not willing to overlook the murder of Parmenion. If they could understand/see themselves getting worked up enough to kill even a good friend when drunk, the cold, calculated removal of a potential (not even demonstrated) political threat was something else again. Especially a threat who’d served Alexander (and Philip) with such distinction.

E.g., nuance is required when assessing soldierly opinion.

A couple more things suggest Alexander was—overall—beloved:

1. At the battle of Granikos, he was elected the ancient equivalent of MVP; an award made by soldiers. He accepted, then never allowed his own name to be in the running again. Yet it was an award from the soldiers, and means he was respected not just as a leader, but as a fighter.

2. During both so-called “mutinies,” the soldiers didn’t want to kill him, they only wanted him to change his policies. If there’s some doubt the first actually occurred, the second at Opis certainly did. Yet when he showed the soldiers what it would mean to reject him (he replaced them), they came crying for his forgiveness. They didn’t say, “Good riddance” and head home.

3. On his deathbed, the Macedonian soldiers clamored so to see him that his top officers had to knock down a palace wall in order for them to parade through and say a final goodbye.

Now, that’s soldiers. What about his Companions/Hetairoi? At this high level, liking or disliking also involved personal advancement and family position—as the asker alluded to.

Those willing to “play ball” (so to speak)—go along with Alexander’s changes—had a whole new world opened. This wasn’t just his personal circle but included figures such as Krateros who understood what side his bread was buttered on. I’m not sure how much love was lost between him and Alexander, but they certainly respected each other. There were others who fell into this category, such as Koinos and Kleitos the White. Non-Macedonians/Greeks too, who may have seen him as a road to higher office than they’d held under Darius, or perhaps just to survival. Although I do think Poros and Alexander had a Moment; Poros remained loyal even after it served him to do so, despite his own son’s death at the Battle of Hydaspes. Something actually clicked with those two, I believe.

As for those who grew up with him—Hephaistion, Perdikkas, Leonnatos, Seleukos, Lysimakos … it seems they did like him, even if they didn’t always like each other. Seleukos was responsible for Perdikkas’s murder, in the Successor Wars later. There were others, but those names float to the top again and again. Similarly, although older, Harpalos, Ptolemy, Erigyios, and Laomedon all got themselves exiled for his sake. And Alexander never forgot it. The man who brought news to Alexander of Harpalos’s first flight (due to embezzling) was initially arrested for a false report. Alexander simply didn’t believe his friend had betrayed him.

 And it wasn’t just those men. The tale of Alexander drinking a medical potion given him by his doctor Philip—despite a missive from Parmenion warning him about Philip—became famous as a tale of trust. And sure enough, the drought cured the king, so ATG’s trust was well-placed. A later story about Alexander locking up Lysimachos in a cage with a lion in punishment is almost certainly bogus (with overtones of Roman-era stuff). Other evidence suggests great affection for his men. That’s perhaps why Philotas’s failure to inform him about a conspiracy endangering his life came as such a blow.

One may wonder if some of those guys, like the talented—and older—Krateros, didn’t want to replace him as king? Certainly after his death, they did vie to be kings.* Periodically, I run across some misguided person arguing that Philotas and/or Parmenion wanted to take his place, hence the conspiracy. It’s even embedded in our ancient sources, which didn’t understand Macedonian kingship (were thinking on Roman models).

But those men couldn’t be kings. They weren’t Argeads, and it mattered. (Such supposition also assumes they were part of the real conspiracy, rather than Philotas simply being an arrogant dumbfuck who failed to report it.)

The Argeads had Royal Charisma. Charis is a gift from the gods: literally. It can be beauty and grace, sure, but at its base, it simply means “favor.” The difference between a king and a tyrant was that the former had charis by descent. The men who became tyrants (or tried and failed) all believed they had it too, but by their own demonstrated aret�� and timē. That’s why they were never just popular Joe Blow off the street. They were Olympic victors, winning generals, etc.  All were also aristocrats and fully intended to establish their own royal dynasties…but failed.

Until the Hellenistic Age. The Successors were just tyrants who made it work. Some (like Seleukos) even created mythological origins for themselves. Daniel Ogden has a good book on the creation of this myth: The Legend of Seleucus: Kingship, Narrative and Mythmaking in the Ancient World. If you’re curious about how all those things go into charis, I recommend it.

It’s not enough to be competent. One also needed the gods’ blessing. Charisma. That’s why Alexander’s officers might compete with and snipe at each other…but not with/at him.*

As for figures such as Roxane or Oxyathres (Darius’s brother who joined ATG’s court after Darius’s murder), it’s impossible to know what their opinion of him would have been. We have zero reliable evidence. It would seem Sisygambis (Darius’s mother) genuinely liked him. But again, this may have served later narratives, so I wouldn’t swear to it. She might have just made the best of a bad situation.

So! The final vote is that he seems to have been more popular/well-received than not … for a rather ruthless ancient world conqueror. Ha. I think that’s part of his eternal fascination. He’d be far less interesting if he’d simply been a monster.

Also, I forgot, but I did a separate post a while back on a related topic: Did Alexander's Companions Like Each Other

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* It took some years before the Successors started using the title “King” (Basileus). Antigonos Monophthalmos was the first, if I remember right, around the same time Alexander IV was murdered by Kassandros—and he didn’t claim the title himself. It was given him by Athens. Up to that point, they’d all simply called themselves “governors” and/or “regents.” Even if they might have been privately considering how to become kings in their own right, the charisma of Macedonian kingship belonged to the Argeads. Getting rid of Alexander IV (quietly), then Olympias’s murder of Philip III Arrhidaios and Hadea Eurydike left no Argeads. Then Alexander’s empire could become “spear won” territory.

[illustratus]

Alexander covering the body of Darius with his cloak

by Charles Meynier

[easterneuropeancrafts]

Bulgarian woman from Smilevo (1931), Macedonian Bulgarian Woman (also known as Bulgarian woman from Smilevo) (1931)

Ivan Mrkvička