is alexander the great 'great?'

my rabbi says, what's so great about alexander the great?

i'm just a simple, ordinary person. i'm not a historian. but i do remember this story, as told by my meditation teacher.

when alexander the great became king, he summoned the best astrologer in the land. he asked one question, when will i die? the astrologer went to work, came back with the chart and replied, your majesty, you will die when the sky turns to iron and the earth turns to gold. what does that mean? here's how alexander the great read it: when the sky turns to iron and the earth turns to gold? it's impossible. that will never happen. that mean i shall never die.

so he went out to conquer and conquer.

one day, he started to feel unwell when he and his army were crossing a desert. he kept going. he felt worse and worse. at some point, alexander said, let's rest here. his minister said, your majesty, this is nowhere to receive a king, let us go a little further. so alexander did. he held on until he just felt so ill that he had to lie down. he stopped his horse and began to get off. his loyal minister immediately removed his own protective garment, a soft vest woven with pure, fine gold threads, and spread it across the sand. alexander didn't see what he was lying on. he went horizontal and closed his eyes. it was midday. alexander's general, out of kindness and devotion, held up his iron shield over alexander's head. after a while, alexander felt a little better. he opened his eyes. what did he see? iron above him and gold below. ah. he remembered the astrologer's findings. he understood. he said, if i knew then what i know now, i would have lived differently, but, it's too late, it's too late. he wept, and he wept, and he wept himself to death.