Alexander - The greatest military genius on the battlefield. Always led his troops into battle, never lost, never retreated, extended his empire into India. So great was his prowess in battle that Caesar wept when he passed a statue of Alexander on one of his own campaigns because he would not be able to match Alexander's accomplishments at such a young age. But the main reason is because once he defeated the armies of an empire, he incorporated the peoples into the extended Greco/Macedonian realm of influence not by beating them into submission but by respecting their cultures, their religions, their customs and their culture. The people of the empires he conquered would watch in awe as he routed their armies, then in fear as he took control of their land, and then in admiration as he respected their people, properties and heritage.
Leonardo da Vinci - Here's a guy who painted, sculpted, invented, innovated and influenced our modern life in so many ways. I'd like to know what drove him, what was it that was so deep inside him that fired his imagination, fueled his passion and inspired his creative genius. Many of his works have been said to contain hidden meanings, symbolism and arcane references. I'd like to ask him about them and if they are really there, or if they are the machinations of the modern mind and merely speculative.
Benjamin Franklin - The creative genius of our modern times, bifocals, typewriter, lightning rod and odometer to name a few. This was a guy with a boatload of talent, genius to match and a wicked satirical wit! He was a scientist, statesman, inventor, printer, philosopher, musician and economist. It's not often you get that much wrapped in one package. Franklin was elected to the Second Continental Congress and worked on a committee of five that helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. Though much of the writing is Thomas Jefferson's, much of the contribution is Franklin's. In 1776 Franklin signed the Declaration, and afterward sailed to France as an ambassador to the Court of Louis XVI. Over 20,000 people attended the funeral of the man who was called, "the harmonious human multitude." I would have liked to sit down with him and drink some mead and get him talking about anything. He had many quotes about drinking:
"There cannot be good living where there is not good drinking."
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance"
"Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water."
Cheers,
Oskaar