The Cost of Glory

The Unbillable Prophecy Alexander the Great cut the Gordian Knot to claim Asia. We see genius.

I see vandalism against a priceless sacred artifact. The real challenge wasn't cutting the

knot, but the subsequent paperwork nightmare for Menander, the Temple Curator.

Menander had to track down Macedonian functionary Philon to file the damage report on the massive,

shredded purple rope. The problem? No form existed for "Damage by Prophecy-Fulfilling

King." The closest category was "Vandalism by Foreign VIP." To authorize sweeping

up the debris, the Macedonian bureaucracy demanded Menander produce "half a score of boards,

half a bushel of minutes, and several sacks of official memoranda"—the actual price of