pages in tandem. After his demise in 1515, Torresano and his sons sustained the business until Manucius’ kids came of age. The «Dolphin and Anchor» emblem, accompanied by the motto «Hasten Slowly,» emphasized the rewriting of the world’s history «Great Project» precise execution. It remained within the Alda house until the owners’ third generation when production ceased.
Venice. The Сlown At the Сarnival, the Picture is Freely Available
During the following popes’ reigns, ancient books were actively published:
– Alexander VI Borgia (Boruch), 1492—1503, born 1431, nephew of Pope Calixtus III Borgia (1555—1558);
– Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere), 1503—1513, born 1443, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV (1471—1484, Francesco della Rovere), patron of the Medici;
– Leo X Medici, 1513—1521, born 1475. The last pope who saw Western Europe become fully Catholic;
– Clement VII de Medici, 1523—1534, born 1478, cousin of Pope Leo X de Medici;
– Paul III (Alessandro Farnese), 1534—1549, born 1468, brother of Pope Alexander VI Borgia’s mistress.
Despite their enmity and hatred towards each other, these popes had similar mentalities and lifestyles. While their beliefs remain unclear, based on their actions, it’s most likely that they weren’t adherents of Christianity, but were instead supporters of a certain anti-Christian school of thought. Their main focus was on their own power and profit. They were unreserved in exposing each other’s faults and carrying out thorough investigations of the committed crimes.
It raises the question whether individuals like them, who were appointed by politics to write the world’s history, were honest in doing so.
Andalusian Arab philosopher Averroes (1126—1198). Artistic reconstruction by the author.
Chapter 4. Alexander and the Void
Alexander the Great. Artistic reconstruction by the author..
Most of the works of antiquity are focused on events and geographical regions that currently comprise India, which hints at the notion that this region served as the focal point of the world’s civilization in ancient times.
Among all of ancient authors’ works, the description of Alexander the Great’s campaigns holds the most significance and importance for us. The general assumption is that Alexander the Great led his famous military campaign from the present-day southern Balkans region through the realm of the Persian Empire to India, thus reaching the purported «the earth’s end.»
However, I aim to demonstrate that Alexander’s march was in fact from the East to the West.
Alexander the Great in Africa. Artistic reconstruction by the author.
Did Alexander reach «the earth’s end» during his campaign? Yes, that is correct. Based on the account of chroniclers, Alexander encountered no resistance from enemy troops or powerful states, but rather a vast wilderness: his army found itself in places where there was nothing but wild beasts, at the very edge of the world, on the «outer ocean shores».
The ancient authors recount sightings of incredibly tall individuals after weeks of traveling. Alexander was pleased, believing he had discovered a worthy opponent. Subsequently, scouts were sent out, and they soon returned with a remarkable findings, several hairy giants captured by them. Unfortunately, they were all gorillas. One may wonder if this description of Alexander discovering «the earth ends,» does, in fact, refer to India.
Alexander is in Africa. Artistic reconstruction by the author.
According to the narrative that has, traditionally, been indoctrinated in us by authors from Britain and, generally, Europe, we are expected to believe that the ancient chroniclers describe Alexander’s expedition into what is now India, wherein they explicitly depict a pristine wilderness – which, allegedly, lacks inhabitants, kingdoms, yet possesses an abundance of savage animals, such as gorillas in the jungle – being situated between modern-day Indus and Ganges rivers. Supposedly, the army led by Alexander arrived at the banks of the Ganges. The soldiers reportedly decided to retreat for a lack of a worthy opponent and resources to conquer. However, this claim may have been more plausible to the 19th or early 20th century readers who did not have a complex understanding of historical events.
Alexander the Great, artistic reconstruction by the author.
However, in the 21st century, it’s unlikely that any individual interested in history and geography would be unaware that the region extending from the Indus to the Ganges and spanning towards Bengal has always been recognized as one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. As early as ancient times, there were robust states, affluent cities, and sophisticated farming practices. These lands were among the first to be settled by the Aryans, who had arrived here over 1,000 years prior to the accounts documented by ancient writers. In Alexander’s era, they were the quintessential hub of our civilization. The only obstacle standing in his way was the idea of scouring the vast territory of Africa for the scattered primitive tribes eluding his pursuit.
Alexander on the shores of the External Sea (Atlantic Ocean). Artistic reconstruction by the author.
If we restore the geography that was turned upside down in the 19th century to its correct position, the events will fall into logical order. When Alexander’s army conquered the Persian Empire from India’s territories, all satrapies of the empire came under Alexander’s rule, including almost all of East Africa, which by that time was already well known and explored. The few rebellious regions of the empire that he defeated were conquered easily enough in a few swift campaigns. There were still little-known territories in Central and Southern Africa that were under the notional control of the Persian Empire, although nominally recorded and accounted for as the lands of the Persian Emperor. Although the Persian Empire very tentatively controlled these territories, there was really nothing to control due to the remoteness, lack of infrastructure, and economic unlivability of these territories at the time. Nevertheless, Alexander, of course, had to see it for himself and was not satisfied with the stories of former advisers of the Persian Emperor.
The Route of Alexander the Great’s Fleet Around North Africa. Author’s map from his archive.
The journey from the banks of the Nile to the Niger (these are the modern names of these rivers, in ancient times they were called Euphrates and Indus respectively) along the southern border of the Sahara was not marked by great battles, but rather by an expeditionary military campaign with small skirmishes, relatively easy victories and the swearing in of local kings and chiefs. In some cases Alexander appointed new leaders from among his trusted military personnel, in others he retained those who had already
