At point of death, Alexander the Great called his generals and told them his three last wishes.
1) That his coffin be carried on the shoulders of doctors.
2) That the treasures he had conquered (gold, jewels, others) be scattered on the road to his tomb.
3) That his hands be left dangling outside the coffin for all to see.
One of the generals, shocked by these unusual last wishes, asked Alexander what the reason was. Alexander replied:
1) I want the doctors themselves to carry my coffin to demonstrate that they have no power to heal in the face of death.
2) I want the ground covered with my treasures to remind people that the material goods conquered here, remain here!
3) I want my hands in the wind, so that people can see that we come empty-handed and leave empty-handed.