Tea at Trianon: Alexander the Great’s Most Pivotal Battlefield

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Alexander the Great’s Most Pivotal Battlefield

From Artnet:

Alexander the Great was crowned king of Macedon in October 336 B.C.E.. Over the following decade, he conquered an unparalleled territory that grew to span from Greece to northwestern India. In the millennia since, experts have grasped at literal scraps just to get a taste of Alexander the Great’s actual lived experience.
Now, ancient Greek aficionados can gaze at the very scenery that Alexander himself encountered amidst the Battle of Granicus.

The 90,000-man clash happened in May 334 B.C.E. near the Granicus River, now known as Biga Stream, which runs through northwestern Turkey—formerly home to the Troy. Even though he was outnumbered, Alexander managed to achieve his first of three triumphs here over the imposing Achaemenid Persian Empire, clearing the way for eastward Hellenization. (Read more.)

From The Greek Reporter:

Alexander the Great, born in 356 BC, became one of history’s most renowned figures. He built an empire that stretched from Greece to India, uniting diverse cultures under his rule. The name Alexander, meaning “defender of the people” in Greek, carries a sense of power and responsibility. This name evokes images of conquest, unity, and strength.

As his empire expanded, his name’s influence spread, transcending languages and borders. Cities were named in his honor, with Alexandria in Egypt being the most famous. These cities became centers of learning and culture, spreading the name Alexander far and wide. His legacy was not just in the lands he conquered but in the cultural and intellectual seeds he planted. (Read more.)