Alexander The Great

Alexander the Great

Persia, 2297 years ago.

A land of rock, of sand, of war.

Barbaric war.

For this was the kingdom of Darius, king of kings, ruler of all western Asia.

For centuries, the winds of battle swept this land dry of life,

until one day from Greece, from the west,

came a man to bring life to the soil, and civilization, and peace.

A man who was known as...

Alexander!

Cut them down.

Aretes... He's alive.

Kleitos, my water bag.

Aretes.

The others...

Dead.

Cleander, he...

Is he alive? Here.

Persians... took him prisoner...

Where? Aretes?

My lord... they are gathering.

Vengeance, Aretes. I swear it.

Butchers, to mutilate the body.

It's nothing to them, but flesh and bone.

It dies, it stinks and rots.

There's no soul to these barbarians.

If they've slaughtered Cleander like this up,

teach them, by all the gods I will.

Bury them.

Persians! Look!

They're on the hill, they have Cleander!

No, my lord, it's a trap, they have Cleander!

Let's go, Persephones, or I'll take your arm with me!

But they head for the mountains. You saw their campfires, like a thousand...

Cleander is like a brother to me! The gods will protect me!

Well what are you waiting for? Even a god needs help!

Cleander.

Ah, I thought you'd never come.

You fool, that's no way to ride a horse.

It was unavoidable my lord.

What happened?

I have a feeling they were waiting for us in ambush.

As if someone had told them that... - Alexander, look!

- Well what about the possibility? - I have nothing else to report.

All we know is his last position, here.

The other three Cleander's men were found five days ago.

Antigonus.

And the mouth of the gorge where you found signs of a skirmish.

Now if Cleander was taken prisoner, Alexander might have gone in pursuit.

- How far did you look? - Far as I thought wise.

And your wisdom, how far would that take you?

- What are you saying? - That's enough from you!

No-one questions your hazards nor your desire to find our king.

Now I suggest we search further North.

Aristander!

You will take a company of 500 men and search through here.

My lords!

Did you find any trace of our king, Karonos?

I found nothing.

To the south, for a 100 leagues, there's nothing but dust and empty trails.

- Perhaps further to the east. - And then again north and later west?

We cannot stay here forever.

We've all heard the reports.

The Persians gather in greater forces than ever.

There are always rumors.

Yes, Tauron, but I'm speaking of facts. Sentry! Bring him in.

Behind this range a sea of Persians prepares to flow down upon us.

Now what do we do when they come?

We're boxed in here, mountains on all sides, no place to maneuver the troops.

Antigonus, we're inviting disaster, and you know it.

This is no rumor, but an officer, captured last night.

Tell them!

How many gather in the east?

The sun darkens in the dust of Memnon's army.

Memnon? I thought he was killed last year as Issus?

He lives. He will crush you as he would step on a beetle.

Five kings. Five nations are now pledged to Darius.

All of Persia moves towards us to trap us here and destroy us at one sweep.

We must withdraw before it's too late.

Back to the coast if necessary,

but at least to a position we can defend against Memnon.

My general Memnon!

Alexander is dead, as we planned.

- Show me his head. - You will have it tonight.

I left to report to you. - Did you see him die?

I saw the trap sprung.

Alexander rode into it like a raging blindman.

Just like our Greek friend told us he would.

- DID YOU SEE HIM DIE?! - There was no escape.

Very well.

But I shall have one head tonight, his or yours.

Alexander's horse!

Alexanders horse!

Alexander's horse!

Marsh weed. I knew he went east.

Blood. Days old.

The king is dead.

It can't be.

I don't believe it.

Sentry. Take him.

Treat him gently, as Alexander would have it.

Ada.

I can't live without him.

You can and you will.

- Let me... - No no no no no.

At your age life, is all that matters.

When you get my age, you can be heroic.

Princess, you have a home here in Persia, family,

you'll be released from hostage to return.

No, I belong to Alexander.

Not any more. He's dead.

I know how you feel, he was like a son to me.

You know, when he was a boy, he once told me

the gods would protect him always.

Not in this world, I said, I will be your protector.

I should never have let him go out by himself.

Oh Antigonus, it's not your fault.

I tried to reason with him.

I could never hold him back.

Poor Antigonus, you loved him as much as I.

I respected him.

As you must.

To respect him, we show our courage.

Understand?

There is no other choice!

Antigonus has commanded in Alexander's absence before.

He should assume command now.

I will not lead Alexander's army.

- But you are the senior general. - Yes, I am.

And I bear full responsibility for my decision.

My day has past. - No!

I tell you I will not command.

What I do is right for Greece, and right for this army.

With the hardships we must face, we need a younger man.

One who's leadership is unquestionable,

who ranks second only to Alexander as a commander.

Karonos, I speak of you.

The troops will obey you.

I will obey you.

I pledge you.

Now we'll obey, and so pledge.

There is no substitute for the man who sat on this throne.

Alexander of Macedonia shall never be forgotten.

For the first time in history because of him,

Greece has no enemy facing her shore.

I will try to do service to his name.

But in my own way!

I will build a chain of fortress cities along the coast,

to protect all that we have won.

Now if I lead this army, we shall move no further east.

Leave Persia to the Persians!

And we shall consolidate our gains.

My lords, our responsibility is to Greece.

We must protect her, we must return to her.

Is there anyone who says no?

Then so be it. I accept command.

Amos, order the troops to break camp immediately.

Tonight we march west, towards the sea and home.

If you leave, Karonos, I will not follow, nor will my men.

You will march if I command it.

- Not until I find Alexander. - He's dead.

If so, I shall find his body and return it to Greece where it belongs.

- Now you understand... - Please!

A thousand men, let me have them, and a week's delay.

It's a brave gesture, Aristander, and one that suits you.

And would you ride into Memnon's camp itself?

I have no fear of Memnon.

Then you're a bigger fool than I thought you were!

No-one calls me fool.

I say it.

- Alexander! - Alexander!

- It's the king! - The king has returned!

Tauron, my old mate. Aristander.

Kleitos, I expect you worried more than any.

- He went back, I told you. - Among horses, he too is a god.

Karonos!

Now dry those tears. I want a happy face.

I'll be with you in a minute.

Call a bathroom in first, and hot water, buckets and buckets of it.

I see the camp is being prepared to march, why?

We were given orders to withdraw,

consolidate our position in case of attack.

- At whose command? - At mine.

My lord, I... I believed you to be dead.

I'm surprised you think me dead so quickly.

Well I never thought Alexander would die quickly.

But five days, my lord. Five days.

I, I thought it a military necessity.

Gentlemen, I smell of marsh weed, sand dust and sweat.

I want to bathe, I want to shave, and I want to rest.

Least of all, I want to talk. See Cleander,

he hasn't stopped talking since his rescue.

Karonos, we think alike. Let the order stand. We move tonight.

- Shall we pretend he isn't here? - Would it do any good?

- No. - Then I shall go, and wait your call.

Alright, Antigonus, I admit I was wrong,

I was reckless, foolish, impetuous, and all the rest.

That's what you want to say, isn't it? - Only partly.

- I thought it might do for a start. - Thank you.

Running off into the mountains alone.