Monday, March 20, 2006
Alexander the Great's Last Wish
After conquering most of then known world and leading his army deep into northwestern India. Alexander the Great was about to return to his homeland. He consulted the astrologers and asked if they could tell him how and when he was going to die.
Their Calculations showed that his life was short; in gact, it was almost at an end. They did not want to lie, and yet the truth would put their lives in danger.
"O Mighty King!" the cheif astrologer told the great conqueror, after much deliberation,"our calculations show that you will not die until the earth turns into iron and the sky is transformed into gold."
"Aha," thought Alexander to himself, "miracles such as this will take ages to come to pass. Maybe I'll never die."
But as he rode westward towards Persia,he suffererd a severe attack of malaria while passing through the Seistan Desert, now in Southwestern Afghanistan. " A fever has come over me," Alexander said to his cheif minister riding beside him." My Strength has gone and I can ride no Further."
At this, the minister was filled with anxiety, " O sire, I beg of you,ride just a few miles more," he said. " We may then find a tree under whose shade you can lie down and rest."
On they rode across the barren desert under a scorching sun. But after a further two or three miles, Alexander was so weak that he could ride no more. Alighting from his horse, he lay down on the hot ground, gasping for breath.
The worried minister had but one thought- how to give comfort to his emperor and protect him from the blazing sun. To make a soft couch for the great king to lie upon, he removed his coat of iron chain-mail which, as was then the custom, was lined with forty layers of silk to ward off sword strokes. He spread it on the ground, and Alexander rested on the soft couch of silk. The minister then held his shield over the emperor's face to shade him from the sun.
Exhausted by the fever and tossing restlessly from side to side. Alexander chanced to look upwards and see the official's shield. It was, he saw, richly decorated with strips of gold. Then he was reminded of the astrologer's prediction.
"Oh, what a fool I was to rejoice over what the astrologer told me, " he groaned. " For here and now, his prediction has come true. The earth on which im lying is made of iron, and the sky above me is of gold."
It was at that moment the royal physicians arrived and examined the world conqueror.
"Your majesty," they told him," there is no use in trying to deceive you. At this very moment you are lying at death's door."
"Is there no remedy whatever?" gasped Alexander.
"No, sire, the fever is too severe. There is no medicine that could possibly help you now."
The mighty emperor was in despair when he heard these words. But despite his exhaustion, he still refused to believe that death could be so close at hand.
"O faithful friend, " he gasped, to his cheif minister, "announce at once that I will give half my kingdom to any man who will enable me to live long enough to have a last glimpse of my mother. What do you say , O physicians ? Could not such a thing be possible?"
"Nay,sire" the physicians were obliged to tell him " you have a few minutes to live "
Alexander was panic-stricken."To whoever who will take me alive to my mother," he cried out in a loud voice, "I will give up all my conquests, holding nothing back."
"Your Majesty," the physicians tld him in grave tones," there is nothing that can prevent your death now."
At this, the mighty terror of nations wept like a child.
Moral :
Not even the world conqueror escaped death, what makes us think we will live forever.Every day we take 24,000 breaths. We waste each of these priceless breaths in useless pursuits. We should make full use of this human birth to jaap naam
Their Calculations showed that his life was short; in gact, it was almost at an end. They did not want to lie, and yet the truth would put their lives in danger.
"O Mighty King!" the cheif astrologer told the great conqueror, after much deliberation,"our calculations show that you will not die until the earth turns into iron and the sky is transformed into gold."
"Aha," thought Alexander to himself, "miracles such as this will take ages to come to pass. Maybe I'll never die."
But as he rode westward towards Persia,he suffererd a severe attack of malaria while passing through the Seistan Desert, now in Southwestern Afghanistan. " A fever has come over me," Alexander said to his cheif minister riding beside him." My Strength has gone and I can ride no Further."
At this, the minister was filled with anxiety, " O sire, I beg of you,ride just a few miles more," he said. " We may then find a tree under whose shade you can lie down and rest."
On they rode across the barren desert under a scorching sun. But after a further two or three miles, Alexander was so weak that he could ride no more. Alighting from his horse, he lay down on the hot ground, gasping for breath.
The worried minister had but one thought- how to give comfort to his emperor and protect him from the blazing sun. To make a soft couch for the great king to lie upon, he removed his coat of iron chain-mail which, as was then the custom, was lined with forty layers of silk to ward off sword strokes. He spread it on the ground, and Alexander rested on the soft couch of silk. The minister then held his shield over the emperor's face to shade him from the sun.
Exhausted by the fever and tossing restlessly from side to side. Alexander chanced to look upwards and see the official's shield. It was, he saw, richly decorated with strips of gold. Then he was reminded of the astrologer's prediction.
"Oh, what a fool I was to rejoice over what the astrologer told me, " he groaned. " For here and now, his prediction has come true. The earth on which im lying is made of iron, and the sky above me is of gold."
It was at that moment the royal physicians arrived and examined the world conqueror.
"Your majesty," they told him," there is no use in trying to deceive you. At this very moment you are lying at death's door."
"Is there no remedy whatever?" gasped Alexander.
"No, sire, the fever is too severe. There is no medicine that could possibly help you now."
The mighty emperor was in despair when he heard these words. But despite his exhaustion, he still refused to believe that death could be so close at hand.
"O faithful friend, " he gasped, to his cheif minister, "announce at once that I will give half my kingdom to any man who will enable me to live long enough to have a last glimpse of my mother. What do you say , O physicians ? Could not such a thing be possible?"
"Nay,sire" the physicians were obliged to tell him " you have a few minutes to live "
Alexander was panic-stricken."To whoever who will take me alive to my mother," he cried out in a loud voice, "I will give up all my conquests, holding nothing back."
"Your Majesty," the physicians tld him in grave tones," there is nothing that can prevent your death now."
At this, the mighty terror of nations wept like a child.
Moral :
Not even the world conqueror escaped death, what makes us think we will live forever.Every day we take 24,000 breaths. We waste each of these priceless breaths in useless pursuits. We should make full use of this human birth to jaap naam
