My last visit to Sardes goes back several
years and it seems that Turkey
Sardes is being praised as the capital of Lydia Temple of Artemis
Wherever I go, I always automatically look for Alexander the Great simply because he
has been in so many places, and that includes Sardes. I already
followed Alexander to Sardes
in a previous article “Heading
for Dascylium and Sardes”, but since the city is in the news once again it
may be worth to elaborate a little more about its important role.
Closer to Alexander,
there is the role his sister, Cleopatra played.
She was Queen of Epirus after her husband Alexandros
had died and she was an excellent match for anyone aiming for more power after
her brother’s death. She first was ready to marry Leonnatus, but he died while fighting on Antipater’s side during the siege of Lamia Nicaea Nicaea Lydia
Perdiccas was moving at a slow pace,
escorting Alexander’s body to Macedonia Memphis Nile . He failed his duty to his troops and a group of his
senior officers decided to simply murder Perdiccas.
Now the road was open for Ptolemy, who approached Cleopatra
soon after, asking for her hand in marriage. She agreed, and they soon saw
themselves as king and queen on the throne of Macedonia Asia Minor who thwarted the plan
by preventing her from leaving Sardes and eventually had her killed
so she would not fall in the hands of any of the successors who would use her
to rise to higher power.
Poor Cleopatra,
she was widowed while in her early thirties and ended up being a pawn in the
Successors’ fight for legitimation. She cannot have been much older than
forty-five when she died. Love and/or happiness were no issue in those days,
and in a way I am glad Alexander did
not live to witness this.
Well, much of this part of history will most
certainly be ignored by the guides taking the tourists around Sardes.
KingCroesus and King AlexanderIII are certain to steal the
show, but even …