Quote:
Originally Posted by Archaea
Alexander unless he's sick, but which Ceasar? Nero? Constantine?
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I'm assuming he means Julius Caesar, but I guess "Caesar" can also refer to Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas.
My favorite ancient author is Plutarch. A Greek (but Roman citizen) who lived in the 2nd century (CE), Plutarch wrote a lot of stuff, but is most famous for his
Parallel Lives, where he compared the life of a famous Greek with the life of a famous Roman. Unsurprisingly, he paired (Julius) Caesar with Alexander.
Caesar's got some credentials: seasoned fighter, probably smarter than Alexander, ruthlessly calculating, in excellent physical shape (When he was in his early fifties, he fought a campaign in Egypt - this is when he hooked up with Cleopatra. While on a ship, he came under attack and the ship sank, but Caesar managed to swim to shore wearing his full armor.)
But Alexander is a little more reckless and probably a little more fierce. He grew up Macedonian - a people famous for drunken brawls. Alexander killed one of his closest friends Kleitos in a drunken rage, and was wounded in battle several times as he led the charge. Plus, he conquered most of the known world, so I would put him down as more of a risk taker.
So, I'm going to go with Alexander in a one-on-one fight (especially since Alexander grew up participating in Greek athletics, while Romans did not); I'd even go with Alexander in a single battle. But in a long war or large-scale strategy, Caesar's your man.