The Greatest Speech in History? Alexander the Great and the Opis Mutiny Alexander’s Speech That Crushed a Mutiny 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. In 324 BC, Alexander the Great's own army turned on him. After a decade of conquest across Persia, Egypt, and India, Alexander's battle-hardened Macedonian veterans had had enough — and when he ordered them home, replaced by foreign troops, they mutinied. What followed was one of the most devastating speeches in ancient history: Alexander laying bare every sacrifice, every scar, and every wound he'd suffered for men who now wanted to abandon him. Our Opis Mutiny video brings Alexander's speech to life with stunning 3D animation, recreating the tension of that fateful day at Opis, as the King of Macedon confronts his own soldiers — and dares them to leave. Witness the dramatised full speech, delivered as Alexander himself may have given it, as he recounts his father Philip's legacy, his own campaigns from the Hellespont to the Indus, and the bond — now broken — between king and army. The scene dramatised in this project comes to us from the Greek historian Arrian, in 'The Anabasis of Alexander' (c.AD 140). The speech itself was no doubt written by Arrian rather than Alexander, whose words are lost to time. But Arrian had access to eyewitness accounts which are now lost (principally Ptolemy and Nearchus), and modern historians generally agree that this speech was a real historical event, and that Arrian gives an accurate representation of its likely content.
Audio by: Epic History Inspiration: "Alexander's Speech That Crushed a Mutiny" - Epic History "The Greatest Speech in History? Alexander the Great and the Opis Mutiny" - Epic History Character Design: Oversimplified Description: "Alexander's Speech That Crushed a Mutiny" - Epic History "The Greatest Speech in History? Alexander the Great and the Opis Mutiny" - Epic History Transcript: What I'm about to say isn't meant to stop you returning home. As far as I care, you can go wherever you wish. But I want you to know how you have behaved towards me, and how I have treated you. I'll begin, as is right, with my father, Philip. When he found you, you were mere peasants, wearing hides, tending a few sheep on the mountain slopes, and you could barely defend them from your neighbours. Under him, you began living in cities, with good laws and customs. And he turned you from slaves into rulers over those very barbarians who used to plunder your land. He conquered most of Thrace, taking the best harbours so there was trade and prosperity, and put the mines to steady work. The Thessalians - they used to terrify you! Well, we rule them now! The Athenians and Thebans, always looking for a chance to attack Macedonia, were so humbled – myself playing my small part in the war - that they no longer take tribute from Macedonia, but instead depend on us for their protection! My father went to the Peloponnese and put their house in order. Then he was declared supreme commander of all the Greeks for the campaign against the Persians – an honour not just for himself, but for all Macedonians. This is what my father Philip did for you. Great enough on its own – but small compared to what you've gained from me! I crossed the Hellespont, even though back then the Persians still commanded the sea. I defeated the satraps of the Great King Darius, and made you rulers of Ionia, Aeolis, Phrygia and Lydia, and took Miletus by siege. The rest of the land surrendered willingly, and their wealth became yours. All the riches of Egypt and Cyrene, which I won without a fight, are yours now. Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, all belong to you! The wealth of Lydia, the treasures of Persia, the jewels of India and the outer sea! You are now satraps. You are generals, and captains. What have I held back for myself, apart from this purple cloak and diadem? Nothing. No man can point to my riches - only the things I hold in trust for you all. And what would I do with them anyway? I eat what you eat. I get no more rest than you. Many times I spent the night on watch so that you could sleep soundly. Who among you believes he's worked harder for me than I have for him?! Come on! If you've got scars, strip and show them to me! I'll show you mine. There isn't one part of my body – the front, at least – that doesn't bear a wound. My body's covered in scars from every weapon you can think of – swords, arrows, stones, clubs. All for the sake of your lives, your glory and your wealth. And yet here I still am, leading you, as conqueror of land and sea, rivers, mountains and the plains. We've celebrated our weddings together. Many of your children will be cousins of my own. I've paid off your debts, without asking how you got them, even though you're paid well enough and pillage every city we take. Many of you wear golden crowns – badges of courage and honour given you by me. Any one of us who was killed, who met a glorious end, we buried with full honours. Many now stand immortalised by bronze statues in Macedonia. Their families are honoured, and pay no taxes. Under my command, not one man has been killed fleeing the enemy. And now I wanted to send back some of you who've been wounded or crippled, or have grown old, to be welcomed back home as heroes. But since you all wish to go, then all of you – go! Go home and tell them that your king, Alexander, conqueror of the Persians, Medes, Bactrians, and Scythians; who now rules over the Parthians, Chorasmians and Hyrcanians as far as the Caspian Sea; who's marched over the mountains of the Hindu Kush, crossed the Oxus and Tanais rivers, even the Indus – the first to cross it since Dionysus himself. I would have crossed the Hyphasis too if you hadn't cowered in fear… … who sailed into the Great Sea from the mouth of the Indus, crossed the desert of Gedrosia, where no one had ever led an army. Who took Carmenia, while my fleet sailed the Persian Gulf… When you get home, you tell them that when you made it back to Susa, you abandoned him and went home, leaving him under the protection of the foreigners you'd conquered. Perhaps this report of yours will seem glorious in the eyes of men, and worthy in the eyes of the gods. Be gone!
