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

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Published 2018-08-10
Alexander the Great is one of the most extraordinary individuals in history. He became king of the fringe Greek kingdom of Macedonia in 336 BC at the age of just 20, and before his death twelve years later, had imposed Macedonian overlordship on Greece, destroyed the mighty Persian Empire and led an army deep into modern Afghanistan and to the Indian frontier.

At Opis he faced a mutiny by his Macedonian troops, angered that he wanted to send some of them home, while appearing to give preference to his new Asian subjects, and adopting many of their customs. Alexander dealt ruthlessly with the ringleaders, before (according to 'The Anabasis' by Roman historian Arrian) making a speech to his army in which he berated his troops for their disloyalty.

The speech, as it has reached us, was no doubt written by Arrian rather than Alexander. His actual words are now impossible to ascertain. But Arrian had access to eyewitness accounts which are now lost (principally Ptolemy and Nearchus), and modern historians generally agree that the speech was a real historical event, and that Arrian gives a good representation of its likely content.

Putting its (contested and debated) value as a historical source to one side, the scene - as it appears in Arrian - is a brilliantly written moment of high drama and emotion, in which Alexander first highlights his debt to his father Philip, before launching into a tirade in which he lists his own astounding achievements and qualities of leadership.

The speech has been abridged and edited by myself for this video.
You can read Arrian's full version in English translation here: en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Anabasis_of_Alexander/B…

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All Comments (21)
  • @TheDejakal
    After a speech like that, even I felt like I owed Alexander an apology.
  • “Under my command, not one man has been killed fleeing the enemy.” That line gave me chills, what a general
  • This man died 2000+ years before I was even born, but after hearing this speech, I feel the need to beg his forgiveness myself.
  • Alexander really invented the strategy of “I can’t believe how ungrateful you’re being right now” that’s still used by mothers to this day
  • @trapical
    "A scar can be seen on every part of my body, though only the front." What a brilliant line, the man's back bears no wounds because he never once turned tail.
  • @CaroFEH
    Imagine giving a speech so good It still captivates people 2300+ years later, incredible!
  • @lethalwolf7455
    The last real commander was Napoleon, a soldier once proclaimed, “He’s not like the other generals, he’s covered in mud and blood” after Napoleon had taken over a cannon after its operater was shot through the eye. He also visited the severely wounded of his army after the battles and thanked them, removing his own medals to pin them on his men
  • @bigbadseed7665
    Everybody gangsta till Alexander start listing his accomplishments.
  • @herewego4015
    In summary: “I’m not upset, just disappointed.”
  • @ArkamasRoss
    “We’ve celebrated our weddings together!” These men seem to have shared an incredible brotherhood and they were about to squander it.
  • @trainwreck237
    Love the subtle implication of the line "There isn't one part of my body, the front at least- that doesn't bear a wound." The man never turned away from battle, leaving no chance for the enemy to lay a wound on his back.
  • Fun fact : Socrates taught Plato, Plato taught Aristotle, Aristotle taught Alexander the Great.
  • @user-gt5hp4up6c
    The greatest soldier and military leader in the history. Great respect for those who recorded this speech 2,300 years back..
  • With an army of only 40k, he started his journey to conquer 500 million people around the word, and he did it with pride.
  • @Victor-kt6qn
    One of the few men in history who truly deserve to be called The Great.
  • @HDoug412
    Alexander’s army: mutinies Alexander: THE AUDACITY
  • @sanjnamous
    As a Persian who for the most part of my life lamented the invasion of the Macedonians and the defeat of the Achaemenid Empire. Also lament deeply the early demise of Alexander the Great. The beautiful marriage of Greek and Persian culture may have lasted longer. What a travesty the Wars of the Diadochi were. A masterpiece this is. Chilling, emotional, magnanimous. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
  • @Nevezeniyeet
    I listen to this when I'm feeling down. I pretend that depression is just a foe that I will defeat and when I listen to his speech I gain confidence and morale or sum.