• PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPM
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    2 months ago

    Explanation: Caesar, at the age of 32, was still a relative no-one, a minor Roman politician from a well-established family, and mourned this fact, weeping at a statue of Alexander because he felt that, at 32, he had achieved nothing, while Alexander, by 32, had performed massive and glorious deeds.

    Your life isn’t over at 32. You got a long road ahead of you.

    • ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      let’s not forget that Alex was a favoured son of a great king himself. one could argue that the pedestal he’d been given allowed him to “succeed” faster.

      that should give some perspective on Xander’s achievements, great as they are, even if it should not take away from them.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        that should give some perspective on Xander’s achievements, great as they are, even if it should not take away from them.

        Buffy, on the other hand…

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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        2 months ago

        Most “great men” have a backstory like that. The world’s not meritocratic, and the ancient world didn’t even pretend to be.

      • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Yup this. The great man theory is so overblown imo. They only did what they can because they inherit a good situation.

    • drolex@sopuli.xyz
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      2 months ago

      Your life isn’t over at 32. You got a long road ahead of you.

      Tell that to J.H. Christ, from Nazareth.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOPM
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        2 months ago

        Antoninus Pius didn’t become successor to the position of Emperor until he was 52. Genghis Khan didn’t embark on his first major conquests until he was 48. You got time to become the most powerful man in the world.