The Greatest Speech in History? Alexander the Great & The Opis Mutiny

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] what I'm about to say isn't a minute to stop you returning home as far as I can go wherever you wish but I want you to know how you have behaved towards me and how I have treated you I'll begin as is right with my father fellating when he found you you a mere peasants wearing hides attending a few sheep on the mountain slopes and you could barely defend them from your neighbors under him you began living in cities with good laws and customs and he turned you from slaves into rulers over those very barbarians who used to plunder your land he conquered most of Thrace taking the best harbors so there was trade and prosperity and put the mines to steady work the Vez aliens they used to terrify you well we rule them now the Athenians and Thebans always looking for a chance to attack Macedonia was so humbled myself paying my small part in the war that they no longer take Tribune from Macedonia but instead depend upon us for their protection my father went to the Peloponnese and put their house in order then he was a declared Supreme Commander of all the Greeks for the campaign against the Persians and honor not just for himself but for all Macedonians this is what my father Philip did for you great enough on its own but small compared to what you've gained from me I crossed the Hellespont even though back then the Persians still commanded the sea I defeated the satraps of the Great King Darius and made you rulers of Ionia yonis Pragya and Lydia and took my leases by siege the rest of the land surrendered willingly and their wealth became yours all the riches of Egypt and Cyrene II which I won without a fight are yours now Syrian Palestine Mesopotamia Babylonia all belong to you the wealth of Lydia the treasures of Persia the jewels of India and the outer sea you are now satraps you are generals and captains what have I held back for myself apart from this purple cloak and diadem nothing no man can point to my riches only the things I hold in trust for you all and what would I do with them anyway I eat what you eat I get no more rest than you many times I have spent the night on watch so that you could sleep soundly who among you believes he's worked harder for me than I have for him come on if you've got scars strip and show them to me I'll show you mine there isn't one part of my body the front at least that doesn't bear a wound my body's covered in scars from every weapon you can think of swords arrows stones clubs all for the sake of your lives your glory and your wealth and yet here I still am leading you as conqueror of land and sea rivers mountains and the plains we've celebrated our weddings together many of your children will be cousins of my own I've paid off your debts without asking how you got them even though you're paid well enough and pillage every city we take many of you wear golden crowns badges of courage and honour given you by me any one of us who was killed who met a glorious end we buried with full honours many now stand immortalized by bronze statues in Macedonia their families are honored and pay no taxes under my command not one man has been killed fleeing the enemy and now I wanted to sell it back some of you who've been wounded or crippled will have grown old to be welcome to back home as heroes but since you all wish to go then all of you go go home and tell them that your King Alexander conqueror of the Persians Metis battery ins and Sidious who now rules over the Parthians chorus pians and higher canyons as far as the Caspian Sea who's marched over the mountains of the Hindu Kush crossed the Oxus and tanaya's rivers even the Indus first to cross it since Dionysus himself I would have crossed the high faces two of you hadn't cowered in fear who sailed into the Great Sea from the mouth of the Union who crossed the desert of Gaudreau Zia where no one had ever led an army who took Armenia while my feet sailed the Persian Gulf when you get home you tell them that when you made it back to Sousa you abandoned him and went home leaving him under the protection of the foreigners you'd conquered perhaps this report of yours will seem glorious in the eyes of men and worthy in the eyes of the gods begone thank you to all the patreon supporters who helped create this video if you'd like exclusive early access to videos like this and the chance to vote on future topics please visit the epic history TV patreon page [Music]

Channel: Epic History TV

Views: 4,410,452

Rating: 4.9454207 out of 5

Keywords: alexander the great, ancient history, epic history, epic history tv, history, hellenistic, alexander, greece, macedonia, greek history, military history, persian empire, darius, mutiny, speeches, great speeches, arrian, documentary

Id: RlKJDwViNKs

Length: 7min 38sec (458 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 10 2018

Reddit Comments

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[u/memax123]

I saw this video a couple months back, every time it pops up I have to give it a rewatch just because of how captivating it is.

[u/robot_tron]

That was very well done, especially for a small team production. What are some sources I can read further on this?

[u/rossimus]

My understanding is that there aren't any records of the actual speech, just second hand praise giving the gist of it. Is there an actual record of the speech?

[u/Bucktown187]

Got to give this man credit his father united or conquered all of Greece and his son took essentially the known world. In fact if I'm correct Rome wasn't even a power of any sort in this time. At 32 years old, goddamn.

[u/bystander007]

"What I'm about to say is not meant to stop you returning home. As far as I care you can go wherever you wish... But I want you to know how you have behaved towards me, and how I have treated you."

If he really said anything close to this then he basically went full disappointed parent on an entire army.

[u/wolftown]

The history is grand, but the title's suggestion is weak sauce; the content of this speech is pure speculation.

[u/[deleted]]

His actual participation in battle in absolutely unthinkable to military commanders today. Today we are impressed when the CO gives a decent 5 minute speech to boost morale. Back then Alexander was the one getting shot by arrows or the first one scaling a wall in order to bring victory, not just talk about it.

[u/SerDerpio]

I'm 35. I have 2 cats and a condo. This made me rethink my lifes choices.