Of All The Things I've Lost...
May. 14th, 2006 12:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sadlikeknivesSo, I was reading yet another Alexander the Great book today (Stephen Pressfield's The Virtues of War. I love his descriptions of ancient battle, but his insistence on denying teh gay grates a bit), and for some reason I kept mentally reading all of Alexander's lines in a woman's voice. Which has led to me thinking up the alternate history of Alexandra the Great.
Who became her father's heir at seven after proving her mettle by taming Bucephalas--sometimes a compassionate touch can do what sheer force cannot. Her only surviving brother was mentally retarded, so her father figured, "Whatever, I'll give her a try."
Who married Hephaistion in grand ceremony after she led the cavalry that smashed the Sacred Band of Thebes at Chaeronaea when she was sixteen, ensuring the army's love and that she wouldn't be overthrown for her infant half-brother or one of the bastards.
Who astonished the Persians, because she was after all king of Macedon, so they were throwing women at her, and they weren't sure what to make of this Hephaestion character. Who went ahead and married Roxane and Stateira herself, because when you rule most of the known world, you can do whatever the heck you please.
I can almost see her, this short little red-haired woman with muscles, who'd be kind of pretty if she hadn't gotten her nose broken about three times, mounted on a huge black stallion in full war armor, charging into battle at the tip of the phalanx because in any incarnation, the heir of Philip leads from the front.
I really think I'm going to try to write this. Somebody talk me out of it. Please?
Who became her father's heir at seven after proving her mettle by taming Bucephalas--sometimes a compassionate touch can do what sheer force cannot. Her only surviving brother was mentally retarded, so her father figured, "Whatever, I'll give her a try."
Who married Hephaistion in grand ceremony after she led the cavalry that smashed the Sacred Band of Thebes at Chaeronaea when she was sixteen, ensuring the army's love and that she wouldn't be overthrown for her infant half-brother or one of the bastards.
Who astonished the Persians, because she was after all king of Macedon, so they were throwing women at her, and they weren't sure what to make of this Hephaestion character. Who went ahead and married Roxane and Stateira herself, because when you rule most of the known world, you can do whatever the heck you please.
I can almost see her, this short little red-haired woman with muscles, who'd be kind of pretty if she hadn't gotten her nose broken about three times, mounted on a huge black stallion in full war armor, charging into battle at the tip of the phalanx because in any incarnation, the heir of Philip leads from the front.
I really think I'm going to try to write this. Somebody talk me out of it. Please?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-05-14 07:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-14 09:13 am (UTC)*is an enabler*
no subject
Date: 2006-05-14 09:39 am (UTC)*is also an enabler*
no subject
Date: 2006-05-14 11:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-14 07:25 pm (UTC)Plot it out, make it a novel, and sell it. Then you won't have to worry about termite mud!
no subject
Date: 2006-05-15 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-15 02:27 pm (UTC)