Introducing the arguments: why the big debate?
In 327 BC, Alexander tried to introduce a new custom to his court: proskynesis. The basic idea was that before anybody could discuss anything with the king, they had to kneel in front of him and bow to the ground. This had been a part of Persian court practice for centuries, and the Persian members of Alexander’s court would have been performing the gesture before him for years, but it was totally alien to the Macedonians. Unsurprisingly, the Macedonians reacted angrily to the idea, refused to do it, and the plan was ditched.
But why were the Macedonians unhappy? Why did Alexander want them to perform proskynesis anyway? What did the gesture even mean?
These questions lie at the heart of an intense scholarly debate, which has raged since antiquity, when Roman-period writers criticised Alexander’s actions. They interpreted proskynesis through a Greek lens. For the ancient Greeks, the action was one that might be performed before a cult statue in a temple. If not an actual act of worship, it was at the very least a way of recognising a divinity. Given that Alexander was brought up in a Greek cultural context, he was obviously well aware of this. Consequently, the argument goes, in trying to get Macedonians and Greeks to adopt the practice, he must have wanted his subjects to accept him as a god. This interpretation was the dominant one in Roman times, and retains a powerful voice amongst modern scholars.
But not all historians agree. Some point out that Alexander was following Persian precedent in trying to introduce proskynesis and that, in Persia, it had nothing to do with religion. Instead, it was a way of recognising the superior status of the king. Given that Alexander was moving towards a more autocratic style of kingship at this time, they argue that this was one more way in which he was trying to make his authority clear. Equally, making everybody perform the same gesture, was a way of showing that everybody in the Persian court had an equal status. In Alexander’s court, this meant making Macedonians equal to the Persians they had just defeated in battle. No wonder, the argument goes, that the Macedonians were unhappy about the idea.
The film recreates the available ancient evidence, and introduces the debate. At the end, you will have seen all of the important evidence and heard the major arguments; you will be able to take a stance on this issue. Why did Alexander try to introduce proskynesis? Let us know on twitter and vote in our poll!
But not all historians agree. Some point out that Alexander was following Persian precedent in trying to introduce proskynesis and that, in Persia, it had nothing to do with religion. Instead, it was a way of recognising the superior status of the king. Given that Alexander was moving towards a more autocratic style of kingship at this time, they argue that this was one more way in which he was trying to make his authority clear. Equally, making everybody perform the same gesture, was a way of showing that everybody in the Persian court had an equal status. In Alexander’s court, this meant making Macedonians equal to the Persians they had just defeated in battle. No wonder, the argument goes, that the Macedonians were unhappy about the idea.
The film recreates the available ancient evidence, and introduces the debate. At the end, you will have seen all of the important evidence and heard the major arguments; you will be able to take a stance on this issue. Why did Alexander try to introduce proskynesis? Let us know on twitter and vote in our poll!