From the Boston Business Journal (11.5.14),
On his deathbed Alexander the Great summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:
The best doctors should carry his coffin.
The wealth he had accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should be scattered along the way to his burial.
His hands should be left hanging outside the coffin for all to see.
Surprised by these unusual requests, one of his generals asked Alexander to explain. Here is what he said: “I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that the wealth acquired on earth, stays on earth. I want my hands to swing in the wind so that people understand that we come to this world empty-handed and we leave empty-handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted — time.”
The article provides eight tips for effective time management in the workplace. You can read it here.
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As for Alexander, did he really speak those words? I would say ‘no’ but as I have not read all the sources I am not in a position to do so. Instead, I’ll settle for I very much doubt it.
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My reason for this is that, in my opinion, the humility and detachment from worldly things expressed in the quotation belongs to the Christian era rather than B.C. period. What we are reading here, therefore, as worthy as it is in its own way, is simply the result of someone co-opting Alexander for the furtherance of their own agenda. It’s a shame they could not find a Saint to help them make their point.
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And from the Chicago Tribune (12.5.14),
On Friday, May 9th, East Lake Academy celebrated Grandparents’ Day with a special Mass in honor of some very important people: ELA’s 2014 first communicants, the ELA 8th grade class of 2014, ELA grandparents, and the Blessed Mother, Mary.
Another tradition also took place: the annual Grandparents’ Day 5th Grade Class Play. This year, the 5th graders performed “Tales of Ancient Greece,” an original piece written and directed by the class (with some help from their teacher) that follows the story of Greece from its mythical beginnings during the Trojan war up to the rise of Alexander the Great almost a millennium later.
Read the full report here.
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It’s good to see Alexander on the stage again, even if he had to share it with sundry other Greek heroes!
The Second Achilles 