In Babylon was the funeral of Ifaistiwna, the bunch which had brought before the Perdiccas. For the construction of the burial pyre Alexander tore down the walls City area 10 stages (about 1,8 km), He chose the baked brick, iron out the ground and created a square surface of a foursquare plethroy Wharf (about 874 M2). On manufactured 30 Chambers and paved the roof with Palm tree trunks, so all the construction is square. The exterior decoration consisted of seven superimposed tiers. The frieze of the base were 240 Golden plwres pentirwn, that at epwtides (the two beams on either side of the bow, where hung the anchors) had a statue of Archer heights 4 ELLs (about 1,80 m), with one leg gonatismeno (in firing position), while aboard, there were statues armed EUR 5 ELLs (about 2,20 m). The gaps between the plwres supplement foinikides woolen (Red flags, that marked the start of the battle). On the second level were placed torches EUR 15 ELLs (about 6,60 m). The handle had gold hoops, at the point of combustion were Eagles, I looked down to open their wings, and at their bases were Dragons, that kept the Eagles. At the third level there were all kinds of hunting animals performances, in the fourth level was no golden show Centaurs and the fifth frieze had gold performances lions and bulls alternately. The sixth frieze had performances of Macedonian and Persian weapons, that symbolized the Macedonian victory over the barbarians. In the upper frieze Siren statues were hollow, whence moirologitres epselnan the unseen epitaph lamentation on the dead. The total height of the funerary pyre exceeded 130 cubits (about 57,66 m).
Officials, soldiers, Ambassadors and locals were competing in promotions and all were grandiose ceremonies epikideies. It is said that the total (public and private) costs for the funeral of Ifaistiwna were colossal. During the funeral ceremonies Arriano in honor of Ifaistiwna had cost 10.000 talanta. According to Plutarch, Alexander was not intended to surpass the amount of 10.000 ταλάντων, but like the elegance and beauty of the monument to make shows more expensive. When Justin cost 12.000 talanta, While in Diodorus the exceeded. The ceremonies were closed with gymnikoys and musicians matches, the brightest who had organised as then Alexander. They took part 3.000 contestants, "they shortly afterwards was destined to profit and his own funeral».
The General mourning for the Ifaistiwna continued, but not inhibited iota Alexander's activities. None of the ancient authors not giving in detail the sequence of events in Babylon, so I don't know what preceded and what followed his funeral Ifaistiwna. But judge Alexander the Advanced, as is humanly expected and note that no ancient historian doesn't connects with Oracle, that had been requested by the Oracle of Ammona. After the funeral he met ambassadors from all over Greece. It is said that Alexander garnered from Susa, the Pasargadae and all other parts of Asia the spoils, that had gotten Xerxes from Greece, and delivered to the Ambassadors of the respective States. Older He had delivered to the Athenians ambassadors the busts of two tyrannoktonwn, of the responsible and of the Military, This time handed over the statue of Artemis Kelkeas.
We do not know for what reason went each Embassy, but due to the massive influx of, both the Greek and other embassies, I had met from Ekbatana directed towards Babylon, We must assume that went with the etiquette. It was preceded by the subjection of the Persian Empire, the whole of India, mainly in the West of the Indus and the proclamation of the end of the war at wpi. A large number of people and resources, to a much greater extent of territorial achaimenidikoy now began to run State with single administrative, tax, currency and metric system. An Asian Empire, India and known territories Europe and Africa, was nascent and all adjacent folks, allies and non-, rushed up to him kosmokratora filofronisoyn, to prevent month break up any misunderstandings and to ensure benefits.
Alexander was the first who had come for religious themes, second who brought gifts, 3rd those were border disputes and called for arbitration, tetartoys who had gone to private subjects and pemptoys those who disagreed with the return of exiles, which had decided earlier. Prioritizing the prestige of their sacred accepted first ilian, After the Ammwnioys, Delphi, the Corinthians, the Epidayrioys and after all other. It is characteristic that, While Alexander until Kleito had killed with his hands, in his fight to be the son of Amun, ranked second in ammonium value after the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. I.e. once again, and even in a period that had eliminated any opposing voice, He made it clear that the world was conquered by a King while kosmopoliti, Greek origin and consciousness does not. In addition a lot had changed since then, the Sands ' adopted ' Alexander. The new situations forced to depart from the Egyptian God and invent a new global God. And did the Sarapis.
That time arrived in Babylon the Kassandros, his son Antipater, whose other son, the Iolas, He was already in the backyard of Alexander as archioinochoos. In addition the Kassandros showed no flexibility and behaved like a Greek among Greeks, causing the violent outburst of King of Asia. This traumatic for cassander contact with Alexander made him the mortal enemy of the Argead House, they finally managed to eliminate. In accordance with the Plutarch, When he arrived in Babylon, because he had not seen the Asian standard of prostration, the Greek upbringing made him laugh carelessly, as it turned out. Maybe because his behavior hurt the way administration, you have chosen Alexander, Maybe because Alexander was angry with his father, grabbed him loudly from the hair with both of his hands and hit his head on the wall. Another time, kassandros tried to refute them, that nonplussed by his father, But Alexander of argues the question "Did so the way people without disadvantage and say that they came to deplored;». "This is slander, that is far from evidence "said Kassandros and Alexander laughing loudly threatened him" these are up sophisms of Aristotle and klapsete very, If you look that the adikeite even a little». Alexander's behavior say that instilled such terror in Kassandros for Alexander, so much later, When he was no longer King of Macedonia, in a visit to Delphi, watching in front of a statue of Alexander "missed the logically of, rose hairs, began to tremble and barely met».
(Arrian VII. 14-15, Diodorus XVII. 113.3-4, 115, Plutarch Alexander 72.3-5, 74.2-CC, Justin 12.12.12
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