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| Greece |
When Alexander the Great came to power after the assassination of hs father, Phillip of Macedonia, in 336 BCE, he saw himself as a second Achilles, destined to defeat 'barbarians'. He began by quelling Greek rebellions, and moved on against the Persians. Along the way, he conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, before subduing Persia. He then went further and defeated Transoxania before reaching as far as the Indus River;his troops, exhausted by the constant battles, mutinied and Alexander had to turn back. During his journey back, en route to taking over Arabia, he fell ill and died.
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| Greece |
Alexander's army consisted of over 30,000 Greek and Macedonian soldiers, each skilled with a Greek-style military training.
Alexander established new cities wherever he went; he is believed to have founded over 70 cities. He appointed Greek men to every city he conquered, in order for them to govern and intermarry with the local population. His empire was called the Hellenistic Empire. After his death, the empire was divided into three Hellenistic kingdoms; Egypt, Bactria, and Macedonia/Greece.
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| Greece |
During Alexanders' stay, and continued conflict with the people who would be later known as the Pashtuns, in the areas along the border of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, Greek soldiers mixed with some local Pashtun tribes.Modern-day Khattak and Ghilzai are the main tribes who claim their ancestry from the Greek soldiers who followed Alexander in his campaigns. Genetic studies have shown traces of Greek ancestry among some Pashtun tribes, confirming these claims.
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| Afghanistan |
It also helps to clarify the origins of the Attan Dance. The dance itself is now an umbrella name for numerous variations of the dance, including the Kibali Attan, Wardaki, Logari, Paktia/Khosti, Kochyano/Kuchi, Kattak, and Nuristani styles.
The dance itself is believed to have originated from the Greek Pyrrhic dance, performed for the Greek Goddess Athena. The Khattak style is thought to be the closest version to the Pyrrhic dance.
According to VirtualAfghans.com, the Khattak style is as follows:
"..men performed this dance with their weapons in their hands. A Khattak dancer performs with the zeal of a hero, displaying his physical fitness through body movements, while holding one, two, or even three swords at a time. Each sword weighs about one-and-a-half kilograms. The dance is a 5-step routine involving spins, with the swords crossed over their backs and elbows outward, or it can be performed with the swords out the sides and typical Attan half-spin in place, while landing to a full spin. Depending on the rhythm of that beat, this spin can be completely reversed in full synchronicity. This dance is performed with the musician tuning the beat to the technique of the performers."
Today, the Attan dance is considered a traditional Afghan dance. It was accepted into the fold of Afghani-Islamic society during the rule of the Mughal Dynasty, when the dance was modified into a Muslim dance soldiers used to get 'closer to God' before they went on their missions. A concept that no doubt is attributable to Afghanistan's rich Sufi history.
Today, the Attan dance is often performed at large Pashtun functions, like wedding celebrations.This ancient Greek dance, one of the most important rituals of the Greek Religion lives on, within some of the most conservative communities in the world.