Tristan Hughes

Livy saying how great these Roman commanders were and that there's only one Alexander.

And I do completely agree with that.

If Alexander the Great dies when they're campaigning in Italy, you've lost your king.

The generals around Alexander...

if at this time his young kid is still only an infant child, there's every chance that they decide just to retreat from Italy and then to fight, as they will do in the actual Wars of the Successors, they'll fight over what they see as the most valuable parts of Alexander the Great's empire.

Ptolemy will end up probably in Egypt again or something like that.

The issue I take with that statement is this Roman idea that their commanders, although Alexander was absolutely incredible, at the end of the day, they had more commanders who were better than Alexander's commanders, which I take massive issue with.

because it's clear Alexander the Great's success is dependent on his generals.

Alexander takes the limelight, but without his key commanders, I've mentioned the names earlier, like Perdiccas and Craterus and Ptolemy and so on, who also...

are like Alexander in that they fight from the front, they know Alexander's battle plan, Alexander relies on them to lead troops in battle and on campaigns.

You know, by the time Alexander the Great dies, they are the most formidable commanders, the most capable, they are arrogant as figures as well, but they're very confident figures that the world has ever seen.

Yes, Alexander dies, these generals will almost certainly fight amongst themselves.

But you can't accept this idea that the Roman commanders pitted one against, let's say, one Roman commander pitted against one of Alexander the Great's leading generals.

This idea that they were just as much of a match

I'd have a great debate with, because I think they would have struggled against a Perdiccas, against a Ptolemy.

I know then you can bring Pyrrhus in later and explain that.

But Pyrrhus just beat them in a battle, you know, clearly, and then the Pyrrhic victory.

But that's another story.

So those are my small retorts to what you said there, Stuart.

I agree with you on some of the things.