Vol. 82, No. 2, Summer 2008 - Monmouth College

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Alexander the Great New Research (Continued)Diafovrti [Greek for “Cradle of Zeus”or “That Which Carries/Bears Zeus”]).It would be Zeus, in which Alexanderwould refer to as his “true” father later inlife, as a result of the Oracle of Ammonin 331 B.C. proclaiming him as the Son ofGod…the Son of Zeus. (*Note: Alexanderwas even considered to be a Son of Zeus,even before he left Hellas to fight thePersians. He was once acknowledged asa Diovskouro~ [Greek for “Son of Zeus”]even by his mother Olympias and themysterious Pythia, Oracle of Delphi).According to Pausanias, Alexander in336 B.C., age 20, was named General andKing of the Hellenes in their campaignagainst the Great Persian Empire at theSecond Pan-Hellenic Conference heldat Korinthos (*Note: In other words, theLeague of Korinth). Before Alexandermarched East with his army, he followedthe ancient main road (later recorded bythe Romans as the 84 th Roman Road onthe TABULA PEUTINGERIANA, whichwas the official Roman road map) fromKorinth and reached Gortynos, in orderto pay homage to his Arkadian ancestors.Legends and historical accounts(even by Pausanias and Apollodoros toname a few) state that the Makedonianswere descended from Makedon, a Son ofLykaon. At the renowned jAsklhpieivon[Greek for “Sanctuary of Asklepios”] inGortynos, Alexander bathed in its healingwaters and made sacrifices to the godAsklepios, Son of Apollo. Before he left,Alexander dedicated his armor (thorax,shield, and spear) to the temple, as wellas to the Gortynian people. Since the4 th Century B.C. and up until 1912, theinsignia of Gortynia in Arkadia, especiallythat of the modern town of Atsicholos, hadon it the thorax and spear of Alexander theGreat. Some individuals familiar with Alexander’stravels make the argument that thisemblem was actually a copy of an insigniaof Great Alexander’s. Unfortunately, theoriginal seal, as well as the Makedonianarmor which was left by Alexander himselfto the people of Gortynos, have been lostthroughout the ages because of war, poverty,famine, and emigration.Also, it is of no coincidence that theremains of Alexander vanished withouta trace from Alexandria, roughly aroundthe same time period of the late 4 th -early5 th Century A.D., when ancient Gortynoswas deserted and its remaining inhabitantsfounded the village of Atzi-Cholos.A possible etymology I have proposed forthe name of the original establishment ofjAtziv-Colov~ could mean “Wrath of theYouthful One” or “Wrath of the LuminousOne”; (*Note: The second word of colov~,means “wrath” in Greek). The name isunclear, but it could refer to the youthfuldemi-god Asklepios, the god PhoibosApollo, or to Alexander the Great himself.Ironically, the first word of jAtziv has alsoa very important meaning in the Semiticlanguages of the lands in which Alexanderhad spread his ideals of Hellenism. Theetymology of jAtziv in the semitic languageof Assyro-Babylonian means “to see (fromlight).” This term was accordingly associatedfor UTU, the Sumerian god of lightand of the sun, as well as the god of wellbeingand health; he was the equivalent ofthe sun god BABAR (called “Shamash” bythe semitic people).According to ancient historians suchas Arrian and Plutarch, it was not uncommonfor Alexander to allow his troops tointermarry with women from other tribesof ancient Hellas, as well as in the ancientcivilizations he had decree over in Egypt,Asia Minor, Persia, and India. He realizedthat it was the only way for Hellenic idealsand culture to successfully flourish. Such afact could also shed some insight on howthe original villagers of Atzi-Cholos cameabout using a Semitic/Assyro-Babylonianterm, for the first word of their village’sname. If some of the Makedonian soldiersof Alexander, who followed him onhis campaign into Asia, did intermarrywith Gortynians and have possibleoffspring, then they still would have hadsome contact with the families they leftbehind, even years later when, and if, theyreturned home.Furthermore, it is clearly and historicallyproven, that many of the men withAlexander, did intertwine Hellenic valuesand language, with those of the Persiansand other Semitic cultures. It is probablethat they attributed the term jAtziv (aterm associated with UTU or for his otherequivalent, BABAR) to the Hellenic deityof Phoibos Apollo, or even to his son,Asklepios. If these men who were withAlexander, did return home (especially theones who, and if, intermarried with womenof Gortynos), they would have sharedsome of the language terms they adoptedfrom other Semitic cultures (i.e. Assyro-Babylonian, etc.), with their families. Theywould had even attributed the term jAtzivto the two, foremost gods they worshippedin Gortynos — Phoibos Apollo and Asklepios— and become part of the Hellenic,Alexandrian dialect of Koinhv [Greek for“Common”] for the Gortynians. The termof jAtziv would have been transmittedthroughout the generations, until the citizensof ancient Gortynos relocated withinthe Lousios Gorge, and founded jAtziv-Colov~. The term’s usage, would havebeen a solemn way of remembering thehardships and sacrifices of those individuals,who fought alongside Great Alexander.Individuals who even helped him spreadthe ideals of Hellenism, during all the yearsof campaigning in those Semitic regions.If this is true, it is not farfetched to believeto why the inhabitants of Gortynia andespecially the villagers of Atsicholos preservedand used the emblem which depictson it the thorax and spear of their patronAlexander the Great for so many years,as their own official seal. It thus, seemsonly justifiable and honorable for the localinhabitants to have an icon created aboutSt. Sisois’ visitation of the dead GreatAlexander, as a way of venerating the greathero and liberator of ancient Hellas, whoproclaimed himself a fellow patron of Gortyniaand as a living Pelasgian-Arkadiandescendant.Nevertheless, Atzi-Cholos was probablya predominately early Byzantine Christianestablishment, which still maintained theinsignia of Great Alexander as their officialseal, even though it was bestowed upontheir ancestors by a pagan leader. This isof great importance and personal pridefor the villagers of the modern Atsicholos.The original establishment of Atzi-Cholosis 1 km north of ancient Gortynos in theLousios Gorge and built on both sides ofthe River Lousios; the site of the originalvillage is today called the Calavsmata[Greek for “Ruins”]. The Prodromos Monasteryis also located in close proximity ofthe Calavsmata vicinity.50
All the evidence that I have collected(in which not all of it I could mention),points to the conclusion that Gortynia hasa very deep relationship with the disappearanceof the remains of Alexander,than any researcher could have hoped orrealized. Could it be that after all theseyears, those devout followers of Alexander,people who even worshiped him, listenedto his final testimony and brought hisremains to the land of his Arkadian ancestorsand the birthplace of his “true” father?To the land where his immortal father’sspirit resides? No one will truly know,unless a group of passionate archaeologiststake it upon themselves to search onceagain for his remains.The land of Arkadia still has mysterieswaiting to reveal to the people of Greeceand to the rest of the world. One couldstart in the land of Gortynia and use astheir guide the local inhabitants, who stillseem to remember the local legends ofthe arrival and departure of Alexanderthe Great. These very people, who usedas their official seal the emblem depictingthe thorax and spear of Alexander, andwho live in the shadow of Mt. Lykaion, thebirthplace of Zeus and of Hellenism, maybe the ones who can further aid in solvingthe great mystery.For the record, I am not saying that thisByzantine icon of “Abba St. Sisois visitingthe remains of dead Great Alexander,”proves that Alexander’s mummifiedremains are in the land of Gortynia, inArkadia. Just relying on the Byzantineicon, is not scholarly enough for a claim.The icon just led me to other interestingfacts and clues, which help make a solidargument for them to have been broughtto Gortynia-Arkadia. This is why it iscalled a “theory” and not a “definitiveclaim.” But as all researchers in Academiawho create an original theory, I amstrongly supporting mine, as well as supportingother theories on the subject.Furthermore, many researchers andarchaeologists are trying to discover thetomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandriaor in the Oasis of Siwa in Egypt. Theyare constantly exploring and excavatingthe region, for the reason that, accordingto Diodoros Sikelos, Alexander wantedto buried near his father. Many scholarsbelieve this remark to refer to Alexander’strue father, Ammon Zeus, thus, they supposehis body is still in Egypt. But AmmonZeus was indeed worshipped in manyother areas, especially in Hellas. He wasthe equivalent of the Hellenic god, LykaiosZeus (“Zeus, the Enlightened One”),who was heavily worshipped in Gortynia-Arkadia (*Note: Proof of this is fromancient coins that have been discoveredin colonies founded by Arkadians, withthe image of Ammon Zeus on the obverseof the coins, and the reverse having thename ARKADWN inscribed on it, in referenceto the coin being of the Arkadians;c. 400-300 B.C.). Till this day, nothing hasbeen found regarding the tomb of Alexander.Many individuals have been searchingfor his remains for many centuries. But myconcern is not the tomb, but where in factwhere his mummified remains mysteriouslytransported to. It is not that difficult tosuppose that his remains may have beenpossibly returned to Greece, by individualswho still worshipped him.The main reason why Alexander’sremains could have been brought to Gortynia,is because in that vicinity of ancientGortynos is Mount Lykaion, the reputedbirthplace of Lykaios Zeus. Alexandertruly believed he was the Son of Zeus. Ifone reads and thoroughly analyzes all ofhis biographical accounts from credibleancient sources, in their original languages,Alexander presumably wished to be buriedin the land of his Father when he died.The ancient Hellenes knew of MountLykaion as being the holy vicinity of thespirit of Zeus. This is also the reason, towhy the Arkadians further called it by thename of Mount Olympos. Furthermore,this is also a very possible reason, to whichwhy Alexander went to Gortynos at age20; (*Note: Gortynos at that time was amere village, because the City of Megalopolisnearby became the “metropolis” ofthe Arkadian cities). Alexander traveledthere, because Mount Lykaion is in closedistance of the city and acknowledgedhimself as a Pelasgian/Arkadian, in whichPelasgos (father of King Lykaon of Arkadia)was believed to have been a Son ofZeus himself.Nevertheless, for a man who trulybelieved that he was a Son of Zeus, havinghim finally rested within the sacred vicinityof Mt. Lykaion, would have been thebest way for devout worshippers of Alexanderto honor his memory and probableconscience wish.Gortynia, the sacred vicinity of Zeus,would have been the most plausible ofareas, in order for his devout followers tohave finally rested Alexander’s remains, if,and only, they actually did acquire them.I am just focused on where GreatAlexander’s mummified remains couldfinally have been rested, unlike many otherresearchers and scholars who are searchingfor his initial tomb or tombs, for there werea few historically recorded. My opinionon that matter, is that his tomb is still inAlexandria, Egypt. The difference withmy original theory is not about the tombof Alexander, which many people think atfirst when they read my report, but abouthis mummified remains. Nevertheless, allpossibilities and theories, based on ancientand medieval accounts, should be takenseriously, regarding the mystery of theremains of Great Alexander. The benefitsabout theorizing, is that it helps theprocess of coming one step closer in tryingto solve such a great mystery, as to whatactually happened to the great Hellene’smummified remains.When Hellenes are involved, everythingis a possibility.Link 1: CNN International’s iReport ForCNN program which first featured myAlexander the Great research/video journalon Tuesday, May 13, 2008.My segment is at the 6 minute markof the acclaimed program. www.cnn.com/video/#/video/ireports/2008/05/16/ireport.for.cnn.a.myanmar.cnnLink 2: Alexander the Great New Research-Are His Mummified Remains in Gortynia-Arkadia, Greece? Full Descriptive VideoJournal iReport (11 min, 45 secs).www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-24455Link 3: Alexander the Great Discovery WritteniReport with images, which first caughtCNN’s attention to vett my story andresearch, and show it on CNN International.www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-201851
Page 2 and 3: ETA SIGMA PHI: Statement of Purpose
Page 4 and 5: Minutes of the 2008 National Conven
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Page 8 and 9: About the 2008-2009 OfficersJesca S
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Page 12 and 13: 2008 Convention AwardsPRIZESBest-Dr
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