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Ramsey Snow is....Alexander the Great?


Cmlloyd1316

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Numerous people have noticed close parallels between GOT characters and famous historical figures. Jon Snow and Julius Caesar, Dany and Henry Tudor or Cleopatra, Etc....but I havent seen anyone post this so here it goes.

I think at this point the connection between Alexander the Great and Ramsey snow is pretty heavy handed. At the very least I think the comparison is interesting, at most it could serve as a bit of a prediction for Ramsey's future (uniting the north, dying young?)

Alexander's father was King Phillip II of Macedon. Phillip was a cunning and capable man who used brilliant military and diplomatic strategy to expand his empire. Macedon was one of the more powerful nations in Northern Greece, but no one would have imagined that Phillip would eventually conquer or control nearly all of the neighboring city states of Northern Greece. Phillip was able to achieve this not just through military tactics, but also through clever diplomacy, including marrying the daughters of powerful friends and foes. Alexander was Phillip's son and heir through Olympias, a Mollossian princess. Alexander rarely saw his father growing up, and by most reports he was occasionally embarrassed by being only half Macedonian. The next part is an excerpt from Alexander the Great's bio on Biography.com "Alexander received his earliest education under the tutelage of Leonidas. Leonidas, who had been hired by King Phillip to teach Alexander math, horsemanship and archery, struggled to control his rebellious student. Alexander's next tutor was Lysimachus, who used role-playing to capture the restless boy's attention. Alexander particularly delighted in impersonating the warrior Achilles."

Alexander did, however, gain the respect of his father by the ability that he displayed in charge of his father's cavalry during several battles. 

Once he was content with his empire, as he had succeeded in uniting almost all Greek city states, Phillip decided he would remarry again. This time, Phillip would marry The daughter of a prominent Macedonian General, named Cleopatra Eurydice. Any child they would bear would have been Phillip's first fully Macedonian heir, and a potential threat to Alexander's inheritance. Soon after Phillip's first child by Cleopatra was born, he was assassinated, historians believe by a Macedonian noble who in turn was immediately killed before he could explain his motive. Upon his father's death, Alexander moved quickly to ascend to the throne, he ordered all other potential heirs (his half brothers and sisters) be murdered, and he consolidated his power with the military. Alexander's mother personally slaughtered Phillip and Cleopatra's child and drove Cleopatra to suicide, or so it's believed. When he had total control, Alexander offically blamed the Persians (their enemy) for the murder of Phillip, and used it as a reason for conquest.

The rest, as they say, is history. Alexander is somewhat controversial, as he is heralded for his success in conquering and expanding his empire, but is also remembered for his arrogance and almost sadistic punishment of prisoners/deserters. Alexander has also been described as delusional (calling himself a god, killing those who did not worship) by some historians, or psychopathic by others.

Compare that with a timeline of Ramsey's life and you see that they line up remarkably save for a few changes. Ramsey never saw his father, who was a clever tactician that gained power in the North, Ramsey was sent a tutor paid for by his father that influences him immensely, he gains power by earning his father's respect through battles (pretty sure he leads cavalry but not sure), he is fiercely ashamed of his blood being only half bolton, he is sadistic and delusional, he marries the supposed sister of one of his former enemies in order to be respected as king in her land (Alexander does this with a sister of the persian king), he murders his father when his father remarries and produces a natural born heir (even murdering his stepmother and half brother), he blames his fathers death on his enemies, and upon his fathers death he inherits the control of a formidable and almost completely unified North that he wishes to expand through military might. 

Then theres the whole Pink Letter issue that Ramsey apparently sends to Jon Snow while Roose Bolton is still alive threatening him to surrender. I'm not sure if this perfectly fits but Phillip of Macedon famously sent a letter to the King of Sparta say something along the lines of, "If you do not submit at once, I will invade your country. And if I invade, I will pillage and burn everything you hold dear. If I march into Laconia, I will level your great city to the ground." 

To which the Spartan King replied, "If".
 
Sorry for how long that was, I just find these sort of connections fascinating. I recognize it isnt an exact fit but I think GRRM really intended to incorporate Alexander's story into his own, as many other characters display parallels (Alexander's mother and Cersei, Roose and Phillip, even historical figures from "The World of Ice and Fire").
 
Anyways let me know if you guys agree, hate it, or want to hear about other connections I've picked up on.
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