Alexander's choice - The real Immortal Zugzwang
PREFACE
This story is a chess centered reworking of a short novel by my mentor Daisaku Ikeda.
The hero is Alexander the Great (356 BC Pella- 323 BC Babylon) at the crucial moment of his life, during the Persian campaign.
I would like to share with you an encouragement from Ikeda sensei that is particularly dear to me.
I believe it also hovers between the lines of this article:
If you sow a thought, an action is born
If you sow an action, a habit is born
If you sow a habit, a character is born
If you sow a character, a destiny is born
— Daisaku Ikeda
Have a good reading.
α. Black
ω. White
323 BC. Alexander, 32 years old, is ill. His mind is clear, but his body is jaded.
He is in bed and, on the bedside table next to him, is the chessboard with the game in progress, arrived at the crucial point.
Alexander has the Whites. Philip has the Blacks.
Alexander the Great vs Philip chess match
They have been playing this game slowly, one move at a time, in their spare time, since they were children. In the few moments of freedom and leisure.
The game was going on even now that they were adults at the gates of India - the edge of the world.
The clash between West and East, between Macedonians and Persians, had in fact brought the knowledge of the game of chess into the close circle of the Macedonian court.
Would Alexander and Philip have succeeded in returning to Macedonia and introducing this wonderful game to the West?
The project of Alexander, who had the fortune and honor of being a descendant of the great leader Achilles, sung in Homer's Iliad, was to unite all peoples into a single people.
Like Ulysses he would have crossed the Pillars of Hercules too, but on the eastern side. He would have reached the ends of the world.
The statue "Pillars of Hercules" in the Strait of Gibraltar
But now Alexander has no more energy.
On the bedside table there is also a cup with the "drug".
On his face the signs of an inner conflict.
'Should I take it, or not?'
The drug looks like grape juice, but under his gaze the liquid seems cloudy, almost black, as if it had been taken from a putrid, unhealthy puddle. It gives off sinister gleams.
Alexander still holds the letter sent to him by Parmenion, the second general of the great army, delivered on horseback by a messenger with the highest priority.
He just finished reading it when Philip, his close friend and personal doctor, enters the room.
The letter reveals grim news:
"Philip is a traitor! He has been corrupted by the Persian court.
Do not trust him, and if he tries to cure you, be careful not to drink what he advises you to drink!"
Alexander, in disbelief, drops the letter to the ground. Philip picks it up and begins to read it in turn.
Alexander thinks back to what he just read... 'Philip is a traitor!'
The source is reliable and the evidence against Philip is strong.
The march to Tarsus in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) necessarily had to include the passage of the Taurus Mountains.
That natural gorge could become a tomb for the Macedonians. If the Persians had attacked there, Alexander the Great's army would have suffered irreparable losses.
Just as it happened, 150 years earlier (in 480 BC), to the Persians of Xerxes I, who were a multitude, at Thermopylae.
They were defeated by the small contingent of only 300 warriors of the Greek Spartans, commanded by the brave Leonidas.
The brave Leonidas facing the Persians.
Alexander's army passed through the gap unscathed instead and reached the gates of Cilicia.
They probably succeeded because there were spies within the ranks of the Macedonian army who could easily have organized an ambush later.
Tarsus mountains
There is no animal capable of defeating a lion...
only worms born of the lion’s body feed on the lion
— Nichiren Daishonin
'Philip has been corrupted by the Persian court...'
Philip!? His best friend since childhood and schoolmate!
As children and then as teenagers they had played and studied together and had encouraged each other towards the rainbow of their future.
A violent storm is raging in Alexander's soul. A whirlwind of thoughts:
'Do I have a drug or a poison in front of me? No, that's not the point...
Is Philip cheating on me? No, that's not the point either...
Do I still believe in friendship? What am I willing to bet on it?'
Alexander has a few moments to decide. He thinks of the army of 40,000 men, whose fate depended on him, of his duties to his people, of the war in progress... and of his values.
Philip was 13 years old when he entered the court at Pella, the capital of Macedonia.
Pella, capital of the kingdom of Macedonia - today Greece
His father, a knight and wealthy landowner, had died when he was only three years old.
He was raised by his mother with love. She could afford a tutor for her son, who educated him wisely.
Philip was a quick and intelligent child, very apt at studying.
He mastered writing, had memorized and recited fluently the verses of Homer and Euripides. Even the little algebra that was studied at the time was easily within his reach.
Word of Philip's excellent results soon spread.
So one day a messenger from the court appeared before Philip's mother. He informed her that her son was summoned there.
"The royal family has chosen your boy to become a fellow student of Prince Alexander," said the messenger.
What a shock! The mother's eyes filled with tears. She was already longing for her son. But she wisely understood that this was a great opportunity for her son!
"Don't worry," added the messenger. "Philip will be allowed to come home from time to time, to visit you."
After a few days the man came back to pick up the boy. It was the year 345 BC and it was a beautiful spring day.
Escorted by the messenger, Philip walked through the streets of Pella, the capital of Macedonia, to the entrance of the royal palace where two sentries were on guard.
The building was majestic. He admired the columns of the facade, the heavy stone roof, the statues of the deities and the images carved in relief on the pillars and walls.
Alexander's Royal Palace in Pella - Yesterday and Today
He was led to his room, lit by a window and with a large study table and a comfortable bed.
He barely had time to unpack his belongings when he was summoned to another wing of the palace.
"Prince Alexander is coming. Behave and wait!"
The wait was very short. Soon the doors were flung open and a very beautiful young woman, Olympia, the Queen of Macedonia, and her son, little Prince Alexander, entered the hall.
The woman began: "Philip?" A confident smile shone on her face.
The young man gave a timid nod.
"My son is studying with his two tutors. To be more stimulated to learn, a companion has been recommended to compare himself with. You are known to be an excellent student. We would like you to be his mate. Alexander is alone and it would be nice if he had a friend".
The snow-white dress, pinned on the right shoulder and falling softly to the floor, enhanced Olympia's simple beauty and dignity.
Olympia, Alexander's mother
"Alexander, welcome Philip."
The prince quickly descended the steps and came to meet Philip with a happy expression.
"Philip, nice to meet you."
Alexander had well-proportioned features, brown hair, and a proud, but not arrogant, attitude.
'So he is Prince Alexander, the future King of Macedonia!' thought Philip.
Alexander was then 12 years old, a year younger than Philip.
Philip returned to his room happy. His initial worries had disappeared. He had been fascinated by the figure of Alexander. He felt that they would become great friends.
It was time to go to bed. He had a long and restful sleep.
From the next day a new life began. He served at court. Together with Alexander he began his bright path towards adolescence. In studies they rivaled but encouraged each other.
They studied grammar, the diction of archaic Greek, Aristophanes, Aeschylus. And then geometry, mathematics, music theory and astronomy.
Neither of them was second to the other. Well, maybe Philip was better at studying.
However, in gymnastics and athletics the future King was clearly superior.
His body was beginning to take on the features of a man. The sculpted muscles reacted with vigor and promptness when solicited. A spear, thrown by him, sped like lightning. In archery he had incredible precision and, in jumping, his body transformed into a spring, like a lion on the attack.
Half the day was devoted to exercising the mind, the other half to exercising the body.
In those times, in Macedonia as in Greece, the aim of education was to grow men in whom inner beauty was equal to outer beauty.
Kalokagathia in Greek sculpture
Kalokagathia, literally <<beautiful and good>>, is for the Greeks the ideal of physical and moral perfection of man. It indicates correspondence between external and internal beauty (virtue).
Young Alexander loved horses very much. His father taught him to ride when he was only 6 years old.
One day a horse merchant showed up at court. One of these horse was black, massive, elegant and proud... but untamable. Well Alexander was the only one capable of calming that restless beast.
Bucephalus
He nimbly grabbed the reins, placed himself under its nose and turned it to face the sun. Then he climbed onto its back and they galloped for a long time. The horse was finally tamed.
He called him Bucephalus.
"You see, Philip? Horses get nervous as long as they see their shadow. Against the sun they no longer see it and calm down."
That animal would be his companion in adventures until the end of his days.
Philip looked after Prince Alexander with total dedication.
The seasons passed quickly.
One winter morning Philip woke up hot. A very high fever had risen. He had not spared himself in training despite a slight cold. He had a bad pneumonia, he no longer ate or drank and slept all day. The cough tormented him. His conditions were deteriorating rapidly.
Doctors tried various treatments without success. When he began to talk in his sleep, they began to worry. "It means he's raving," the doctors told Alexander.
"Is it possible that you can't cure him?" he said angrily. "I'll go to his bedside. Philip needs a friendly care, a presence that reassures him!"
Alexander was discouraged by them. It was too dangerous. The disease could be contagious.
No way. He had been at his bedside for days, holding his hand, making him drink little sips, and talking to him.
Meanwhile the boy dreamed, darkened by fever, of a mighty figure, blinding in its brightness. He approached him, proud and majestic.
He looked like the brave Achilles, but the closer he came, the more his features resembled a familiar face...
The Homeric hero Achilles
"Alexander!"
"Here I am!" he heard in reply. "Take your time and regain your strength! We have a great mission to accomplish together."
In a fit of emotion, the young men solemnly promised each other to remain friends forever.
After a long month of illness, the fever finally stopped and the young man slowly recovered.
Alexander had saved his life.
One day Alexander asked Philip: "What do you want to do for a living, with all this studying?"
Philip, looking in his eyes replied:
"A doctor. Yes, I will be an excellent doctor..."
Aesculapius, God of medicine and Hippocrates of Kos, father of modern scientific medicine.
"...Nature has not given me physical strength, so I will never be a warrior.
Illness took my father. I will learn the art of healing and put it to your service. You saved my life."
Tears streamed down Philip's cheeks.
In those years, great changes were taking place in Macedonia. New students joined the school. They were the sons of aristocrats, who held important positions in the management of the state.
The fate of Macedonia in the next generation would depend on the growth of these students.
King Philip II, father of Alexander, brought in a new teacher.
He was the greatest scholar of their time, the scholar of scholars: ARISTOTLE.
Aristotle
Aristotle, together with Plato and Socrates, is considered one of the fathers of Western philosophical thought.
The young people were thrilled to become his students. What a privilege!
The lessons would be held outdoors (peripatetic school, from the Greek περι «around» and πατέω «to walk», with the teacher and the students discussing together) in a wonderful garden nicknamed "the garden of King Midas" with a portico.
King's Mida's magic touch
The royal villa was opened specifically to make it the seat of the Academy.
According to legend, everything Midas touched turned to gold.
Would these young people bring prestige to themselves and to society when their time came?
Among the students at the school were:
- Hephaestion, the future deputy commander in chief of Alexander's army,
- Ptolemy, the one who twenty years later, as king of Egypt, would found the Ptolemaic dynasty,
- Perdiccas, who after Alexander's death would become the new regent,
- last but not least, Philotas, the son of Parmenion, the valiant general under Philip II, then under Alexander; the one who would send the messenger with the letter informing of Philip's betrayal.
Aristotle was Macedonian. Member of the most illustrious family of doctors, directly descendants from the great Greek God of medicine Aesculapius.
Contemporary and friend of Philip II, father of Alexander.
In Athens he was a student of Plato and attended his Academy for 20 long years, with passion, until the death of his mentor.
Fresco by Raffaello Sanzio: Plato and Aristotle at the Peripatetic School of Athens
Then he moved to Assos in Asia Minor (now Türkiye) to his friend Hermias, who was king there and ruled it. Aristotle married Pythias, Hermias' adopted daughter, in Assos.
When three years later the city was attacked by the Persians and Hermias was captured by them, Aristotle was forced to move to Lesbos. Then came the summons of Philip II to take up the role of mentor of the Macedonian nobility.
"Dear boys, what is the use of knowledge? To sharpen human virtues such as justice, faith, friendship and courage.
Ultimately, what you should learn is not wisdom itself. You have to study to act with wisdom and determination.
So the best school, the battlefield, will be for you precisely life in the world."
Aristotle taught them the fundamentals of ethics.
"Everyone seeks happiness. We can say that it is the supreme aspiration of men.
What is happiness, anyway? Even if everyone desires it, few know what it is and how to acquire it.
The environment in which we live is subject to many changes and in the course of life we experience ups and downs that we could call luck and misfortune.
If we look at people considering the twists of fate we could conclude that sometimes they are happy and other times unhappy.
So happiness is changeable like a chameleon?
Rather, it is found at a deeper level, unconditioned by the reversals of good and bad fortune.
True happiness should be absolute."
I love chameleons. The most grumpy animals in the world.
After a break, Aristotle's lecture continued.
"The quality that reveals the intrinsic nature of our existence is called areté, 'virtue'.
We truly manifest our humanity only through virtue.
Following virtue with our heart, acting according to it. This is the royal road to experience absolute happiness in my opinion."
Aristotle paused, staring at the green, flowering meadows and the field with olive and fig trees and vines. Then he continued:
"It is not enough to commit only a few days. It is an effort that must be made constantly. In other words, a man who dedicates his entire life to the pursuit of virtue without being influenced by good or bad luck can be called happy.
By continuing to pursue virtue, to fight for a cause in which one believes with all one's heart, one can achieve happiness even when enduring hardship or persecution.
Will and discipline must be forged, they cannot be weak or the pursuit of virtue will remain a mirage.
Sometimes it will be necessary to fight our "little self" satisfied banally by small comforts or privileges. We must become masters of our own mind.
APETH = aretè - Library of Celsus in Ephesus, today's Türkiye
Let us consider, for example, the virtue of courage.
Cowardice and recklessness are its opposite extremes. The human soul has a tendency to be overcome by these extremes. The virtue we call courage, on the other hand, is found in the middle.
Therefore, virtue belongs to moderation and is neither in too much nor in too little."
The young people were ecstatic. How much wisdom and compassion. They loved their teacher. They would never tire of listening to him, talking to him and learning.
| Ethical virtues | Virtues of the intellect |
|
- Justice |
Related to calculation: |
|
- Temperance |
- Art e Prudence |
| - Liberality | |
| - Magnificence | Scientific: |
| - Magnanimity | - Wisdom |
| - Meekness | (Science ed Intelligence) |
"What is the supreme virtue, Master?" asked one of them.
Several examples of virtues were listed: courage, temperance (balance), liberality (generosity), meekness.
"By the way, the most important of all virtues is justice," concluded Aristotle.
"It is the perfect virtue, not only because it concerns our actions, but also has repercussions on others.
In other words, we must act with justice for the good of the community and of our neighbor. Therefore, it is particularly important for you, who will one day be called to govern!"
The lesson ended.
Some time later Philip II himself came to visit the Academy.
He had the young men informed that he would eat with them. Then they would go hunting together.
When he arrived, they all sat around a large table and he entertained them with nice conversation.
He was pleased to see how well they were growing.
Philip II, King of Macedonia.
"How are you, my boys? Are you happy here?
I have done my best to transform Pella into a center of learning.
From Greece I brought doctors, painters, architects, the most brilliant craftsmen and then men of letters and philosophers, including the most esteemed of all, Aristotle!
I believe that nowadays Pella surpasses even Athens as a center of culture."
The king paused and a dark shadow fell over his face.
"However, these are difficult times. The Persians have violated the non-aggression pact.
Artaxerxes III has dared to attack Assos and kidnap Hermias, my dear friend and father-in-law of Aristotle. It is clear that the aim was to provoke me.
We will have to wage war on the Persians before they attack us."
The young men were very impressed by the deep trust the King had shown them. After all, they were faithful schoolmates and followers of his son Alexander, the future King.
"Since you are the future right-hand man of the kingdom, I will share my suspicions with you.
Someone is informing the Persians of the decisions that are being made at court.
Unfortunately, it is a common occurrence that in key places of power some elements are tempted to take advantage of their privileged position to plot intrigues and obtain personal benefits...
There are people who would not hesitate for a moment to commit high treason and deny their King and their country."
With contrition, everyone retired to their rooms.
That night the young people didn't sleep, arguing among themselves to figure out who the court traitor could be.
Hunting with the King.
The next day, as promised by the King, they all hunted together with him, having the opportunity to demonstrate their courage and skill.
It would remain an everlasting memory of their youth.
Shortly after the visit of King Philip II they had the sad news of Hermias' death.
He had been killed by crucifixion after being tortured.
"Torture? Crucifixion? Even as a prisoner a King is generally treated with respect. What unworthy behavior!"
The young men were angry and shocked, Alexander most of all.
Poor Aristotle was also very shaken.
The next morning the master and his disciples went out for a walk again. It was the cold winter season and their hearts were also troubled by what had just happened.
"I want to talk to you about friendship," Aristotle began in his placid tone.
"Who is a true friend? What is friendship?
A friend is a person's "alter ego", a second self. Friendship is believing in your friend more than he believes in you.
Yes, it's all about this ability to trust.
My dear disciples, engrave this truth deep within your soul:
If you fail because you did not trust your friend, your wounds will never heal, but if you make a misstep because you trusted him, healing is possible.
The essence is trust: there is no other force that gives a firmer foundation to friendship.
A true friendship is not jeopardized by gossip.
How is it possible that two friends, who are able to communicate with their hearts in their sleeves and who know each other perfectly, can be influenced by the words of a third person?
Who is best suited to understand if a man is betraying another's trust? His friend.
Two people so strongly connected know each other. Humanity, talents, flaws, virtues.
True friendship is only achieved between like-minded people.
Friendship that is sought only for convenience is a cold and selfish feeling. Such a relationship is ephemeral, because it vanishes as soon as our interests change.
True friendship is therefore not based on calculation.
Friendship makes us better. Making the other happy becomes a source of joy for us too.
That's why a friend is a second self. In friendship two people become one person and a bond of this kind can be defined as life.
In fact, everything in life is in relationship.
Brotherlike friends, mates looking in the same direction, sharing the same cause. This is what you are to each other."
He was moved and stopped for a while.
"Hermia was my friend."
He paused again, a lump in his throat.
"Hermias is certainly a model of friendship.
He was a King and despite the torture he suffered because of the Persians he did not betray his ally King Philip II by revealing vital information that would have harmed the Macedonians.
In Assos he gave lustre to his kingdom by bringing culture and philosophy.
He lived and died with honour."
One day Alexander invited Philip to the hill to spend a few hours with him. After a long ride they lay down on the grass to look at the sky and in the meantime they talked happily.
You once told me that you wanted to become a doctor."
"Yes, this desire grows stronger day by day."
"I will help you as much as I can...Would you really put your medical art at my service?"
"Even at the cost of my life. It would be the greatest honor for me...And your plans, Alexander?"
"I will defeat the Persians and reach India, where the world ends. I will unite all the peoples of the world as one people."
"It will be an honor to be at your side on this mission."
It was a very emotional moment for both of them.
Thus Alexander decided to carry out his mission by continuing his father's work.
Philip II gave prestige and a leading political role to the Macedonian kingdom, Alexander consolidated it and began a campaign of conquest that would allow the kingdom to extend to the entire known world.
He had already conquered Asia Minor and the Middle East, had almost defeated the Persians, and was now undertaking a first expedition to India, at the edge of the known world.
Alexander made a decision. He would take the medicine. He grabbed the cup, raised it to his lips, and took a sip the moment Philip finished reading the letter.
Still holding the cup, the King turned to the doctor with smiling eyes.
The two men looked at each other in silence.
Alexander downed the rest of the drug in one gulp. Then he placed the cup back on the table.
Philip faltered. He let the letter he held in his shaking hands fall on the floor and ran to the bed as Alessandro fainted.
As the substance spread through his blood vessels to every organ in his body, Alexander was overcome by excruciating pain and paralysis. Still trusting in Philip's goodness, he closed his eyes and abandoned himself in his arms, sinking into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.
"What did I do!?" Philip, with tears in his eyes, became aware of the serious act he had committed.
He denied his entire life, his beliefs and his values...for what?
He was blackmailed. He would have been killed by the Persians if he had not poisoned Alexander.
Once the mission was accomplished, he would have obtained a satrapy to govern with absolute power.
satrapies of the Persians
But he didn't want it anymore. He felt guilty and wanted to tear his skin off.
"Our game ends here, dear Alessandro. Zugzwang. The move was yours. You were forced to move and whatever choice you made your game was lost anyway..."
Actually Philip's game ended there too.
The royal guards entered the room before Philip could escape. They found Alexander lifeless, the cup of poison on the floor and him there, at the scene of the crime, in front of them.
It is true, he was known, esteemed and obeyed by the troops, being the King's second in command together with Hephaestion.
But traces of the poison were still in the cup, the proof of his guilt was incontrovertible and it was clear from his eyes that he was guilty.
Philip, as the King's personal physician, would have been investigated and judged anyway, since Alexander was dead.
A wave of indignation erupted within the ranks of Alexander's army and the last pockets of resistance operated by the Persian elite were routed.
Almost 2350 years have passed since then. Who is Philip?
Alexander the Great is instead universally remembered as the most famous strategist and conqueror in History, a coherent and correct man, capable of transforming his ideals into reality.
Alexander the Great leading his army on the back of Bucaphalus.
Didn't you like this ending? May the the story went another way.
<< go back to the SCHRÖDINGER'S EPILOGUE
That's exactly how things went!
>> fast forward to the FINAL OBSERVATIONS
Alexander's illness was serious. Philip had been studying it with obsessive attention since the beginning. He had taken note of every symptom without underestimating any of them.
According to the principle that <<like is cured by like>> (similia similibus curantur), he had prepared a poison that reproduced the same symptoms as his King.
In the same way that the fat of the soap takes away the grease from the clothes with that poison Philip intended to destroy the other poison that had already nested in the body of the king.
Since the disease was very serious he took the risk of increasing the doses.
He feared that the poison might kill him, but if he did nothing, Alexander would die anyway.
Philip, as friend and King's personal physician, would have been investigated, found guilty and executed if Alexander had died.
He didn't worry, anyway.
He had no attachment to life and certainly would not have wanted to continue living if Alexander had died.
'Alexander read Parmenion's defamatory letter and drank the medicine anyway... and with a smile on his lips!'
Philip was moved with emotion, his heart palpitating.
'His virtue will save his life more than my medicine,' thought Philip, remembering Aristotle's lessons from his adolescence.
He stayed by his bedside day and night for days, cooling his body and forehead with cold water, wetting his lips to provide a little moisture, talking to him and holding his hand. He was confident.
When Alexander opened his eyes and spoke to him, Philip burst into tears of relief. He had repaid his debt of gratitude to his friend and King.
"Philip!"
"Alexander!"
"I am sick anyway, but I feel much better.
Shall we continue our game? Uhm, let's see... Zugzwang. The move is mine. I am forced to move and no matter what I choose, the game is lost..."
"Well done Philip" said Alexander and offered a handshake.
Philip was unable to answer anything, but he hugged him tightly, his cheeks streaked with tears.
Alexander succeeded in fulfilling his dream of finally defeating the Persians and reaching India.
Alexander the Great leading his army while riding Bucephalus
Shortly after the disease returned in a more serious form and he died.
Parmenion and his circle of plotters were punished.
They decided to betray because they were too anchored to classical traditions. They did not accept a Western King who would accept the uses and customs of the peoples of the East, whom they arrogantly judged as savages.
The story really went like this.
After almost 2350 years, Alexander the Great is universally remembered as the most famous strategist and conqueror in history, a coherent and correct man, capable of transforming his ideals into reality.
His relationship with Philip is one of the brightest examples of sincere friendship.
Didn't you like this ending? May the the story went another way.
<< go back to the SCHRÖDINGER'S EPILOGUE
That's exactly how things went!
>> fast forward to the FINAL OBSERVATIONS
Surprisingly the game played between Alexander the Great and Philip was replayed with the exact same moves in March 1923 in Copenhagen between Friedrich Samisch (with the Whites) and Aaron Nimzowitsch (with the Blacks).
It represents an emblematic example of zugzwang.
Alexander the Great's trust in doctor Philip of Acarnania - Aaron Nimzowitsch and Friedrich Samisch OTB - credits 4 teachings in image editing go to Top Blogger @AstroTheoretical_Physics
Unfortunately, the protagonists were unaware of their illustrious predecessors, who had already played the same game.
Well yes. Today history is being rewritten.
The famous example of Immortal zugzwang is due to Alexander the Great and Philip.
If I were Friedrich Samisch I would be proud to have played the same moves as Alexander the Great. Aaron Nimzowitsch equally proud to have beaten him.
Compliments to NM @SamCopeland whose brilliant analysis of Friedrich Sämisch - Aaron Nimzowitsch perfecty fits to the game of Alexander the Great too.
According to current findings, this is the very first recorded chess game in human history and the very first to be professionally analyzed as well (2350 years later).
There is plenty of material for Guinness World Records.
Hope you enjoyed the reading!
See you soon.
DocSimooo
