Imitatio Alexander -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 11:04:47 04/25/08 Fri
Author: Kiernan
Subject: Imitatio Alexander

In Ancient Greece class yesterday, we were discussing the period of the Diodochi - the successors to Alexander - and I was struck with the mimetic rivalry which Alexander set up and which then exploded across the Mediterranean world. According to those at his deathbed, Alexander either gave his kingdom, "to the stronger," or "to the strongest." Interestingly, the only difference between these two words in Greek is pronunciation - they look exactly the same. This points to the escalation of mimetic rivalry - nothing differentiates the stronger and the strongest, because they are mimetic doubles constantly changing positions. Alexander's generals took this literally - that they were to rival each other for the throne. Dr. Siegel pointed out, however, that the way they went about doing this was simply by seeing who could imitate Alexander the best. Particularly in their armies, they had to have exactly the same configuration as Alexander's armies, and then they had to one up their rivals in size. For example, if Ptolemy got Elephants, well then, Seleucus needed elephants. In the end, however, they really were trying to see who could become Alexander - and thus, in the end, triumph over him, because as his generals they would naturally have been his rivals.

Dr. Siegel said that these generals took quite literally a mandate to "imitatio Alexander." Unlike "imitatio Christi", however, this imitation resulted in escalating rivalry.

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