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.
Alexander! Alexander, by all that's holy, you should be dead!
I went after Kleander, he'd have done the same for me.
Kleander happens not to be the king.
For which Greece can be thankful.
I admit I tempted the gods, but they're good to their own.
What are you now, a god or man?
Whatever suits my purpose.
If one Greek lives, because a Persian
trembles at the sight of a god, it suits my purpose.
And your own men, what are they to believe?
Once I've slept like a Macedonian
and bleed like a Greek, they'll follow my command.
Alright, spit it out, you chew your tongue like a camel. What's wrong?
- You take too many risks. - Anything else?
Yes, this order to march.
What pace do we set, how far do we go, and by what route?
That's it, but hotter, much hotter!
What was it you said?
You wanted to march, we haven't yet...
- If you insist on talking, join me. - Now please.
The girls will scrub that scowl off your face.
Now will you be serious?
Later, Antigonus, I'll explain everything at dinner.
I'll tell you what, invite the council of generals to dinner.
We will have a party. We'll celebrate.
- Celebrate what? - My return.
No, better yet, our departure.
Anything for a celebration.
Stay still.
If you want to live, you do as I say.
Tonight, dressed as a Greek soldier, you will kill Alexander.
If he dies, you'll live.
If he lives, you're dead.
Here, here! Now!
My lord, Tauron wanted me to show him how you dealt with that Persian dagger.
Well I was curious about the principle of leverage.
You can't explain it, you have to show it!
Tauron is an engineer, not a fighter.
Let me show you.
- Ah, now, my lord, you shouldn't... - Come on.
Get up! Get up!
Kleitos! Kleitos!
Good lesson Kleitos, I've always wanted to know
how to fall without breaking any bones.
- A toast, to Alexander. - Thank you.
May all his victories be as easily won.
To Alexander, who has proved, as is oft said,
a quick fox is stronger than a dumb ox.
To my king and my commander,
may you live as long as it is in my heart to wish it,
and may you rule as long as it benefits Greece!
- Gentlemen, thanks for the toast! - Hail Alexander!
Princess, will you pleasure us with a dance?
With pleasure, my lord.
Karonos. No no.
You gave an order to march. Have you given any thought to a direction?
I had, my lord. West.
- For the coast? - No. Towards home.
Obviously you thought that would be my command.
I would attempt to lead this army as wisely as you my lord.
Given the opportunity of course. - Of course.
I'm glad we see eye to eye, Karonos.
That what we both do is for the good of our men.
I will assu...
The camp is prepared, Alexander.
The men await your orders. - Good.
Must they wait all night? It's getting cold.
No, of course, you shall have them now.
Council of generals will remain, the rest of you are dismissed. At once.
Princess Ada, my apologies, I'll explain later.
The army will not withdraw, it will advance.
We march to the east. - The east?
I have learned where Memnon's army rests.
We shall advance and attack through here.
It will be a forced march, with two hour rest periods every six hours.
I expect the army to be at this location at the end of the first day,
and here on the night of the second. Aristander,
you will lead the light cavalry and be the first into the mountains.
This will be your route, through this valley.
Tauron, you will follow him with your catapults and other machinery.
Cleander, you and your lancers will follow Aristander.
Antigonus, you will take the light infantry,
move forward through this pass, connecting with Aristander here.
Karonos, you and your men will move across this range, with the heavy infantry.
Kleitos, you will follow Karonos with your bowmen,
meeting the main body of troops here.
Attalos, you will follow them with the supply trains and reserve forces.
I will brook no delay, are there any questions?
A two days march, how long a march after that?
You shall know in time.
Now what of the battle plan? Will we know that in time?
Or do we fight without one? - You will know it.
Any others? - One, my lord.
- Ask it. - Why to the east?
To the point, Karonos.
We have conquered the coastline from Syria to Egypt and a thousand leagues deep.
I say it is enough to protect Greece.
And I say it is not. Greece is not safe until king Darius is destroyed.
Every time we have him within our reach, he retreats further into Persia.
We cannot chase after him forever.
The men are exhausted by these endless campaigns.
If we continue on, we eventually will destroy our own army.
And if we stop now, Persia will only grow strong again
to start another war. Is that what you want?
I want peace as much as you do and we can have it for the asking.
Darius would be glad to compromise. Let him keep eastern Persia!
And let us keep what we have.
I will not compromise with Darius.
Alexander, there are not enough men in all of Greece,
to conquer Persia and to hold it.
I did not cross the sea to conquer Persia!
I came to put and end to the barbarism that wrought this land,
and has plagued Greece for two hundred years.
I came to put an end to wars forever.
We cannot conquer the world!
Then we shall build a new one.
For Greece, and for all the stands.
- She'll build a graveyard instead. - That's enough!
I command this army and I say we attack.
Memnon is Darius' best general, his defeat weakens all of Persia.
I say we attack! Because if we do not, Memnon will.
Will you follow or will you not?
I follow my king.
The orders stand. You are dismissed, prepare to march at once.
Cleander, I wish to see you in my tent.
I would like you to ride with me and the horse companions,
go to Antigonus, ask him to come to my tent.
- Alexander... - Never mind.
I have no desire to argue politics, but what kind of orders are these?
By all that's holy, have you gone mad?
- Calm down. - First day, second day,
you can't lead an army into battle without telling them a plan.
I have no intention of doing so.
- Why all the secrecy? - Because it's necessary.
For some time now, I have been aware the Persians know every move I make.
Someone in our midst betrays us.
Until I know who, I must keep close council.
A traitor?
Then, you must tell someone your plans.
If anything should happen to you...
Cleander's been told everything, I can trust him.
Here. Come.
Drink with me, and I'll tell you all I have planned.
Alright, but none of that sweet Persian creams you swallow.
Here then, good Greek wine.
With bite like a Macedonian wind.
It's been too long...
Much too long.
My lord, I tried.
This is an escaped Persian prisoner, dressed in one of our uniforms.
I would feel better if this too were Persian...
But it's Greek!
Easy now, come on!
- Alexander! - No.
Push... Push it up!
Our men can't keep up this pace.
How many battles are we expected to survive?
If our agreement with Memnon goes through, there shall be no more battles.
Well our agreement means nothing, unless we retreat.
Retreat... and then peace.
He must be killed, Karonos.
- Yes. - How?
He's surrounded by loyalty.
Then loyalty must die too.
Alexander will be killed by the hand of the one he loves and he trusts.
- Too tight? - No, it's fine.
You refuse a physician, I told Cleander you wouldn't refuse me.
Supply column's still half a day's march to the rear, can't keep up.
Well it must. Tell Attalos I want no excuses.
I have told him, it was he who gave me the report.
Then I'll tell him myself.
You're in no condition to go anywhere.
I'm not cripple.
I've got two arms and I'll use them both against Memnon.
Not only the supply train, the army is so tired that...
We'll rest tonight Antigonus.
Tomorrow at dawn we join Memnon in battle.
Tomorrow? But you told me that...
I would give you the plan of battle in sufficient time and so I will.
Now, Ada, you must go back, it's not safe.
Guard! - Yes sir.
He'll see you to the rear.
For your tenderness, thank you.
I shall pray for you, may the gods be with you, until we meet again.
Now, let me show you the positions we'll take.
I'm sure they are brilliantly conceived.
Alexander, I've been up and down the line, the men are exhausted.
In three days they've marched the distance that would take any other army a week.
They won't have the strength to fight tomorrow.
They are Greek soldiers, they'll follow me if I command it.
Of course they'll follow you, they'll all die for you. Is that what you want?
If you commit us to battle tomorrow,
we'll loose three or four thousand men in the first half hour.
If I don't, we'd lose the advantage we've gained by our forced march.
and Memnon will kill ten times that number.
I tell you this battle is ill timed, you can't...
You're always telling me something I can't do!
What are you, my father? - No!
I'm only a soldier.
Point out a man, tell me he is your enemy
or the enemy of Greece, and I will kill him.
But tell me to order my men into battle
when I know they'll be slaughtered, this I won't do.
I will not take that responsibility. - I will.
I'll lead this army to victory tomorrow with or without you.
Antigonus!
If you won't share the responsibility at the front, then go to the rear.
See to it that the supply train is in position.
You can share that responsibility with Attalos.
How many of those rope slings you going to make?
You must have made a hundred.
What's he going to do, have us climb those cliffs by hand?
Get some sleep, how are you going to fight tomorrow if you stay up all night eating?
I don't like it.
I hear Antigonus doesn't think we should attack.
Who does? These mountains are nothing but a burial pile.
Ah, sleep. Alexander knows what he does.
I don't like it. I saw a star fall, it's a bad sign.
Star falls, a soldier dies.
Get those animals moving!
I heard about the disagreement.
You have my support.
You're a good man, Attalos.
There are scores of others like myself who agree with you.
This battle is ill omen.
- Others? - Yes.
Who are just as willing to do something,
if they knew that they could count on your help.
- How many are there? - Enough.
Do they just conspire, or will they act?
It's already set. Will you join us?
- I will. - Good. Come, follow me.
What is he doing here? What did you tell him?
No, but he joins us! He split with Alexander.
You fool.
Antigonus, I'm pleased you're joining us.
I had no other choice, Karonos.
That's what I like about you, we think alike. We always have.
That is because we are Greek soldiers.
And as soldiers, we both know that if Alexander is allowed to continue east,
leading us into lands where there is no possible support,
he'll destroy this army, is that not correct?
It's possible.
He won't listen to me. - Yes, so I've heard.
And do you now know that he cannot be reasoned with?
What do you have in mind?
If Alexander were to die in battle,
would you nominate me to command the army as before?
- I would. - Then he will die.
With one of these. Persian daggers.
Think, Antigonus, I love him as you do.
He will die an honorable death.
His body will be taken back to Greece, he'll be given a hero's funeral.
Then without him, we can make peace with Darius
and Greece will be safe for a thousand years.
Thus we protect Greece from her enemies.
But who protects her from her friends?! - Attalos, kill him!
It's Alexander! He is here! My general!
They come from the hills behind! - What is this?
The Greek army! And it's a few minutes away. They come from nowhere!
Impossible! Only three days ago they were
camped across those mountains! A week's march!
I've seen them with my own eyes!
So you've seen them with your own eyes. Go!
Come the heaven dropped out of the skies like gods.
They have found a passageway through those mountains.
Alexander is clever.
My horse! Armor!
He has come to us, this boy king.
Saved us a dusty march.
Nothing has changed, except that he dies sooner.
Well? What are you doing here? Get with your men!
Well Aristander, are these plains wide enough for your cavalry?
Yes, my lord. There's room here for victory.
And we shall have it.
We caught Memnon napping.
His army is disordered and before this day destroyed.
Get Antigonus. Send for the generals.
Now we'll set the battle positions.
These Greek traitors!
They can't be loyal to their king or their enemies!
It is not his plan.
But we have the advantage!
Alexander has tired his men on a march.
While we are fresh, stronger, twice their size!
Our cavalry will run through them like weeds, on the first charge!
Daresh! You follow with the chariots!
Cut open a hole and I will lead this army through it!
And watch for Alexander.
I want his head.
Memnon expected us to sit back there waiting for his attack
so we moved quickly to catch him by surprise round and behind them.
By the time they attack we'll be set and ready.
They can't flank us for these hills will funnel their charge into our lances.
That's it.
Aristander, move your cavalry there on that rise.
The phalanx will spread out in the center.
When we join with the enemy, we'll make an opening for your charge.
Go now. - Yes, my lord.
Karonos, until Antigonus arrives, you command the right flank.
Get your men in position.
Questions, Karonos?
Tauron, position your machinery there among those rocks.
Load them full. Boulders, stones.
Put a squad of men on that ridge with all the rope slings we have.
When the chariots charge, drop them.
See those boulders? Drop them as well.
Yes my lord.
Kleitos, take charge of the bowmen.
Put them on the cliffs, to the right and to the left.
At the first charge, let fly.
Cleander, you take the center, with the lances.
Hold it at all cost, do you understand?
Attalos with back you up with the reserves.
I'll take the left flank to open up the Persian line for Aristander's charge.
Go now.
For our victory...
...and Greece.
What is it we do now Karonos?
Our plan has failed.
You considered him too much, you were too loyal!
Either you or I should have killed him.
I loved him too much!
Still he must die, before he destroys us all.
Set the point!
Set the point! Set the point. Set the point...
Lancers, position.
Lancers! Position!
Brave soldiers!
I command you, we do not stop, till the Greeks are dead!
Charge!
Lancers, aim!
Daresh! Chariots forward!
Chariots, charge!
The rope slings!
My lord! Antigonus, he's dead!
- How? - Murdered.
Murdered? Who did it? What's that?
By his side, written in blood.
- What name?! - Karonos.
Karonos...
Karonos!
Karonos. Karonos!
Karonos, I've been looking a long while for you.
And I you, my lord.
Now!
- Boulders! - Boulders!
- Boulders. - Boulders. - Boulders.
- Withdraw! - Withdraw! - Withdraw!
I am only a soldier.
Point out a man, say he is your enemy,
or the enemy of Greece, and I will kill him.
Subtitles: Oxytachus