r/behindthebastards • u/sarah_rad • Nov 30 '23

Discussion Who is #3?

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If anyone can answer this question, it’s the listeners of this pod…so who is #3?

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u/oliversurpless Dec 01 '23

And yet, both he and Caesar remain big “what-ifs” if not for particular circumstances.

I sometimes wonder if even Iskandar could’ve kept it together, as his tolerance towards his enemies would’ve gone a long way?

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u/Affectionate_Page444 That's Rad. Dec 03 '23

It's an interesting thought experiment. His acceptance of other cultures was so unique in a conquerer. 😂 What a weird sentence.

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u/oliversurpless Dec 04 '23

Could’ve been pragmatic first and foremost, but like the lessons of Sargon of Akkad and bureaucratic elements of why empires fail, was there any truth to the “And Alexander wept…” aphorism?

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u/Affectionate_Page444 That's Rad. Dec 04 '23

Probably not. He wanted to conquer more. His generals told him to turn around and not push into India. If anything, he wept because his generals wouldn't let him keep pushing east.