King Philip II aria from the opera Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos

Philip II shield

ACT 1

Scene 2

Aegea, Macedon – Assassination of Philip II

 In the great amphitheater, Philip II is organizing the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra with her uncle King Alexander I of Molossis, a kingdom from Epirus to Italy.  Previously, Philip himself had married a fifth wife, Cleopatra Eurydice while his fourth wife, Olympias of Epirus, had withdrawn in Molossis with her brother Alexander I.  Philip II underestimated Olympias’ reaction to his marriage and her thirst for power and authority.

Macedonians: Long live the newlyweds, Cleopatra of Philip and Alexander I of Molossis.

Cleopatra of Philip and Alexander of Molossis: We thank you, people of Macedon; you are now connected again with Epirus and Molossis.

Macedonians: Long live our King Philip II; Grand General of all the Greeks.

Philip II: Macedonians, glorious people; Macedonians successors of Heracles, we stay here having the Dream of Anatolia in our hearts.  If you are united with me, I will lead you to the victorious fight of the Greeks.

Macedonians: Lead us Philip, against the Persians.

Philip II: The Great Idea, oh, noble friends.  Finally, all the Greeks, we are now united.  Thracians, Illyrians, Scythians, Persians, the Macedonians are conquering you.  Fellow Greeks, we will bring peace to all the Greek cities of Asia Minor.

Macedonians: We are all with you, Philip.

Pausanias of Orestis: We are all with you, Philip… (Stubs and kills Philip with a knife)

Philip II: Pausanias… Ah…

Macedonians: Misfortune… Death to the murderer of Philip II

(Perdikkas and the nobles kill Pausanias)

Alexander: Father…

Philip II: Ah… Alexander, my child, never harm anyone during your life otherwise harm will find you, my son.  The war in Asia I bestow to your capable hands.  Take the army and go away from your mother… Ah…

Macedonians: (they lament)

Panos Karousos: Alexander the Great (Aria of the Throne)

Alexander the Great painted by Apelles

(Aria of the Throne)

Alexander the Great

And when the entire world was stretched in front of me

Like a vast field full of flowers

When I looked life right in the eyes and won

And above everything I flew into the deep blue

And what lays beyond I am going to see, and beyond all that is beyond

And you God, I want to find you and look in your face I want

And then to return to you human I want, back to you

For you life I will return, for you I will return

And when we started singing my brothers

And our song united with that of the birds up high

Everything seemed right then immortal and victorious

Then, I threw the wreaths to your hands

And what lays beyond I am going to see, and beyond all that is beyond

And you God, I want to find you and look in your face I want

And then to return to you human I want, back to you

For you life I will return, for you I will return!

(From the opera Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos)

OLYMPIAS aria ACT I from the opera Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos

ACT 1

Scene 3

Pella, Macedon

 Olympias, whose name was originally Myrtale, was the Grand Priestess of the Shrine of Zeus at the oracle of Dodona.  While a priestess, she descended to the Necromanteion of Acheron, the oracle of the death, to speak with the dead, and received a prophesy and an order to devote herself to the Kabeiria Mysteries of Dionysus in Samothrace.  She went there, she became a priestess and it was there that she met Philip II who proposed to marry her.  She accepted the proposal with the condition that she would become Queen of Macedon and Philip’s official wife.  Queen Olympias had two children with Philip, Alexander and Cleopatra. Despite her new title, her previous title of Grand Priestess demanded respect and she was presiding over ceremonial sacrifices.

Macedonians: Olympias!

Olympias: Iacchus, is the altar ready?

Macedonians: It is ready and sanctified.  Come to the sacrificial ground Great Olympias.  Give the sacred goat as a sacrifice to Semele’s son.[1]  Great Priestess Olympias, make the sacrifice with the double axe.

Olympias: Glory to the Great Goddess!  Fire and blood! (Olympias sacrifices the goat)

Great Goddess, receive this Blood Bath!  Come, Fire from the sky, Prometheus’ Fire, cathartic fire of the Kabeiria Mysteries of Samothrace.

Macedonians: Olympias, like a dragon you are who chills my blood in horror.  Glory, glory to the Queen Olympias!

Olympias: Zeus and you ancient Kabeirians listen to my words.  Dionysus, help me take revenge in the name of the Macedonians, in the name of Philip and for my throne, and may the blood of my enemies spill as the blood of this goat.

Macedonians: Gods and you, Zeus, you threw your bolt of lightning in Olympias’ bowels.  She received the sperm of a god and you gave birth to a Prince son, the greatest son of Zeus!

Olympias: Macedonians, Greeks, I had wild and prophetic dreams.  While I was a priestess in Samothrace, the same night that took Philip as my husband, I dreamed a storm and a bold of lightning entered my body and exited as fire which grew larger and larger and then disappeared in the chaos.  That night, worshiping Orpheus!  So many good and horrible things happened that night.  Ah! News of three victories reached me the night that Alexander was born.

Macedonians: Worshiping Orpheus, in a trance, holding the thersus and a snake, you stormed first of the Mainades[2] with Bacchus at your side, in the mountains of Thrace!

Olympias: Macedonians, be quiet.  Be quiet, do not talk any more!  You betrayed me and then you betrayed me some more, so be quiet and stop talking.  Remember, that it was I who gave birth to Alexander the Great.  I learned the mysteries of the Egyptians and of Atlantis from Pharaoh Nectanebo I[3] and that’s my background and Alexander’s.

Macedonians: Glory to Great Olympias!  Glorious Olympias!

Olympias: Be quiet, didn’t you hear what I said?  Be quiet, Macedonians.

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[1] Translator’s note: Semele was the mother of Dionysus by Zeus

[2] Translator’s note: Mainades were female deities participating in the mysteries of Dionysus, also called Bacchus and Iacchus.

[3] Translator’s note: Pharaoh Nectanebo I of the 30^th Dynasty who was in contact with the Greeks while fighting the Persians

Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos ACT IV A Royal Wedding in Susa

Alexander the Great marries Stateira and Hephaistion marries her sister Drypetis at Susa.

Susa – In the palace, the great nuptial feast is ready

Army: Semiramis’ gardens and Nicean Field, Carmania and Persia honor you, Alexander.

Persians & Greeks: Let the newlyweds enter to this Olympian, celebratory feast! Seleucus & Apama! Nearchus and Barsine! Eumenes and Artonis! Ptolemy & Artakama! Perdikkas & Nicea! Krateros & Amastris! Dripetis & Hephaistion! Stateira & Alexander!

Aristander: The golden chalice that was offered to Hermes and was taken by the Tri-Hero.

Alexander: The Persians and the Greeks are like siblings, Perseus[1] ruled here with Andromeda!  Tonight the West is marrying the East! Let us all drink the wine of love from the gold urn, your wedding gift.

Persians & Greeks: Long live Alexander, long live the newlyweds!

All: Tonight the West is marrying the East!

(Ballet: A Greek man is dancing with a Persian woman)

Peucestas: Hail to Alexander the Great, king of the kings, leader of new peoples and civilizations.  Persia drinks to your health.

Persians & Greeks: To your health you’re Highness!  When Zeus married Hera, all the gods honored the greatness of marriage on Earth!  And now you, Alexander the Great, you brought the greatness and glory of Olympus on Earth!

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[1] Translator’s note: Perseus is the first of the heroes of Greek Mythology associated with numerous trials and triumphs.  He married the daughter of the King of Ethiopia, Andromeda, after saving it from a sea monster.

Choir from the opera Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos

Alexander the Great statue in Germany 

(The army transfers Alexander from paradise to the palace)

(Paean of Alexander the Great)

Army:

Of the Macedonians, great hero

Of everyone, supreme bravery

With the Grecian torch, you brought

Glory in Asia

And in front of the Olympian god

Discarded and silent

She gave you her pure white breasts

Welcoming you as a liberator

In the heart of the paradise

In the secret altar of memory

You lit the flame that will always stay lit

Of brotherhood and peace

And the tragic humanity calls

From the Parthenon to the entire world

We stand thunderstruck, Alexander the Great

Immortal in dreams and in soul

Alexander the Great, ascends to the refurbished, elevated, golden throne of Nebuchadnezzar, wearing the crown of the King of the Kings, a golden bay leaves wreath, and golden garments. Kings and emissaries from all over the world are coming to submit to him and to kneel in front of Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great on the throne scene ACT IV from the opera Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos

Alexander the Great, ascends to the refurbished, elevated, golden throne of Nebuchadnezzar, wearing the crown of the King of the Kings, a golden bay leaves wreath, and golden garments.  Kings and emissaries from all over the world are coming to submit to him and to kneel in front of Alexander the Great.

Army & Persians: The whole world is at your feet, Alexander.  Your dream to unite the entire world under one country, one earth… You have achieved everything world-emperor, invincible, radiant one.  Hail to you, richest King of Kings, Alexander.  All the kingdoms have come to surrender to you, but honored in front of a god, they ask for your sympathy: Rome, Cartagena, Ethiopia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, India, Iberia, Gaul, the Northern peoples, Celts, Scythia, Libya… we submit to your reign.

Dinocratus: King Alexander, I will depart for Macedonia, to begin the building of the great monuments that the people will admire throughout the centuries.  A pyramid in Vergina[1] as the tomb of your father, Philip, and the transformation of the Athos Mountain to Alexander, so from the Aegean Sea you can be viewed like a protector, Olympian God, of the peoples that you united into the Hellenistic Empire.  The temple of the Goddess Artemis for you as a levy to your honor; hail, Alexander the Great!

Nearchus: The Arabian campaign is completed; Archias, Androsthenes, and Ieronas have returned with the fleet, while Anaksikrates returned via the Akamba Sea.  As you ordered, the island after Tylos[2] was named Icarus.  The fleet has reached the southernmost point of the Indian peninsula and continues to gather a lot of pearls and spoils.  I will order the fleet now to circumvent Africa.  As for the Mediterranean, our fleet controls it up to the Temple of Olympian Zeus.  King, God, Alexander, I kneel in front of you.

Ostanes: The twilight of the gods is approaching, when the human hearts will sink in solitude and desolation waiting for someone to come and save the world.  Humankind, in front of you, kneels Alexander, and worships the mortal because along with you the Human race ascends to the highest point.  The Hellenistic Empire is a higher unity under the liberating ideals of the God Alexander the Liberator!

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[1] Translator’s note: the modern city of Aigai

[2] Translator’s note: the region of today’s Bahrain

The end of Alexander the Great scene ACT IV from the opera Alexander the Great by Panos Karousos

The end of Alexander the Great

The army transfers the god-like hero, sick to his deathbed.  His destiny unknown, Alexander the Great will die in the biblical Paradise, between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, under the gaze of the father god.

Chorus: Despair!

(Roxana enters, crying)

Sisygambis: What’s happening?

Roxana: A thunderbolt stroked the top of the ziggurat, and a star pierced the darkness that the earthquake created.  Then an eagle rose and up in the heavens disappeared.

Sisygambis: What did the god say?

Army: Belus[1], the Great.

Sisygambis: To take him there? To the temple?

Roxana & Sisygambis: To take him there?

Seleucus: The god said for him to remain here, and he also gave an omen!

Sisygambis: What omen?

Peucestas: A Capricorn with horns came from the west and killed Aries.  And from his head four horns grew carrying the great cross!

Sisygambis: Oh, my child Alexander, you are departing.  Blessed of Marduk[2]; Enkidu[3] awaits for you like another Gilgamesh.

Roxana: Oh, Alexander, you will not live to see your child.

Sisygambis: The cosmos will never give birth again to a king like him.

Roxana: Your child is calling you from my womb.

Roxana & Sisygambis & Army: Savor of the people, liberator, oh!

Soldiers: Let us see our king, let us say farewell, let us…

Alexander: Peucestas.

Peucestas: My king.

Alexander: The royal ring, take the royal seal.

Peucestas: …thank you… The Macedonians want to see you Alexander.

Alexander: Let them come in…

(The soldiers parade silently with their armaments in hand to kneel for the last time in front of the one whom they adored as a god.  Alexander the Great, looks at them, raises lightly his hand, and bids farewell)

Soldiers: Oh!

Sisygambis: Oh! Like another Olympias, I mourn Alexander.  More than Darius, I love you, my child Alexander! (Wailing loudly, she collapses at the edge of the bed of Alexander the Great)

Roxana & Sisygambis & Army: The gods wait for you in Olympus, but you will return one day as a judge of the souls!

Alexander: Here is the source of the sun, the water of immortality…

Ptolemy: To whom do you bestow the kingdom, Alexander?

Alexander: To the best… to Krateros… Great Olympias, my mother, I am dying! Greeks, in a Great Greece I am dying!

Roxana & Sisygambis & Army: Alexander, hero, divine, eternal, immortal!

Funeral Procession of Alexander the Great

[1] Translator’s note: Belus was the son of Poseidon and Libya; also claimed to be the originator of Egypt.

[2] Translator’s note: the patron god of Babylon

[3] Translator’s note: in the Epic of Gilgamesh Enkidu is the wild-man who through a great fight becomes Gilgamesh’s best friend.