He also wanted to know if he was truly invincible. But how did he do it? Nor was Alexander the sort of general to monitor success from afar. Though Alexanders army is perhaps less than half the size of its Persian foe, the Macedonian troops superior training and resolve not to mention their commanders peerless tactical agility prevails once more. Scholars argue as to whether Alexander sent down a formal decree from Babylon (in Iraq), one of his several capitals, actually ordering his subjects to worship him as a god. By turns charismatic and ruthless, brilliant and power hungry, diplomatic and bloodthirsty, Alexander inspired such loyalty in his men theyd follow him anywhere and, if necessary, die in the He put down unrest in the north of his kingdom with brutal speed and, when Thebes rashly declared independence from Macedonia, his reprisal was savage: the city was burnt to the ground, its people either slaughtered or sold into slavery. Whatever the intention, Alexander is said to have replied: I am the stick and the ball is the Earth before going on to conquer Persia. Hosted by Peter Woodward, the program takes viewers to the Greek locations of Alexander's youth: his father King Philip II's palace in Macedonia, the caves where he was tutored by the famous philosopher Aristotle, the battlefields where he fought by his father's side, the amphitheatre where Alexander watched helplessly as Philip was assassinated. Alexander was born in July 356 BC to King Philip II of Macedon by all accounts a thoroughly unpleasant man, but also a mightily effective leader. He raised his kingdom of Macedon from a small player on the Greek scene to the major protagonist and arbiter of the Greek world. Realizing that the best way to maintain control of the Persians was to act like one, Alexander began to wear the striped tunic, girdle and diadem of Persian royal dressto the dismay of cultural purists back in Macedonia. Alexander was born in 356 BC in Pella, the capital of the Macedon Kingdom. The phalanx a rectangular mass military formation made up of closely ranked troops was a formidable fighting machine. Thanks to its original inscription, this figure can be definitely identified as Alexander the Great, son of Philip II of Macedon. He then set the monument on fire, cremating the generals body along with the magnificent pyre. Whats striking is that his preferred sexual partners were mainly Oriental rather than Greek or Macedonian. Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of Macedon, a state in northern Greece. It seems that Alexanders cultural impact may even have spread beyond the borders of his massive empire, perhaps seeping into China. Yes, Diogenes replied, stand aside; youre blocking my sun. Alexander was charmed by Diogenes refusal to be impressed, stating, If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.. These may very well be just legends, but it is conceivable that Alexander, who was curious to learn about everything, had a go in a glass diving bell himself. 332 BC | Divine intervention at Siwa Oasis. Legend has it that when Alexander the Great was about to invade Persia in 334 BC, the Persian king Darius III sent him a polo mallet and ball. And Alexanders propagandist Callisthenes was invariably there to elaborate, enhance and disseminate the news far and wide. After succeeding his father to the throne, Alexander became one of the most successful military leaders in ancient history, conquering most of According to the Greek writer Plutarch, Alexander made Lysippus his official portrait artist during his reign. Darius brings an enormous army to the field near Gaugamela in modern Iraq. The most famous image of this kind of body armour is the Alexander Mosaic: a celebrated ancient mosaic which was found in the largest house in Pompeii the House of the Faun and depicts Alexander the Greats defeat of the Persian king Darius. It was directed by Oliver Stone and starred Colin Farrell. Alexander The Great Sikandar Perhaps Alexander was the first king of history to dream of conquering the whole world. Cities galore were founded en route, from Alexandria in Egypt (today, the countrys second biggest city) to Alexandria Eschate (Alexandria the Farthest) in Tajikistan and Alexandria Bucephalus, named for the Macedonians beloved horse, in whats now the Pakistani Punjab. There seems to be a problem, please try again. After his spectacular capture in 327 B.C. World History Surrounding Alexander the Great Alexanders legacy was quickly made, briefly lived, and has lasted to this day. Possibly his closest and warmest personal relationship was with a man his near-contemporary Hephaestion, a noble Macedonian who, like him, was taught by Aristotle. The next higher level was covered with Macedonian and Persian arms, testifying to the prowess of the one people and to the defeats of the other. After six years of ever-deeper May 334 BC | Alexander crosses the Hellespont. As the pinnacle of antiquitys ability in engineering, architecture and artistic beauty, the seven wonders of the ancient world still cast their shadow over human endeavour today. In 323 B.C. The Oracle replied that he should be honoured as a hero, and so Alexander went all out for a mausoleum/funeral pyre designed to impress. Aristanders interpretation of portents such as the behaviour of birds could mean life or death for Alexanders supposed friends no less than his sworn enemies. Within the sphere of recent critical scholarship, however, a distinct note of hostility can be detected, influenced perhaps by contemporary experience of bloodshed in regions such as Afghanistan and Iraq that Alexander himself once traversed. Mounted nomads played a version of polo that was part sport, part training for war, with as many as 100 men on a side. Alexander gave orders that the sacred flame in the temple should be extinguished, something that was only done on the death of a Great King. After defeating Darius again The awe, meanwhile, came from creating an aura of one directed from above, encouraging the belief that his rise towards global domination was preordained. They all aim to elevate Alexander not only above the common herd of ordinary men, but above the status of the merely mortal altogether: to the status of a semi divine hero or even a god. October 336 BC | Alexander becomes king of Macedon. The film's original screenplay derived in part from the book Alexander the Great, published in 1973 by the University of Oxford historian Robin Lane Fox. Hardly anything of those original writings survives today, unfortunately though we do have the works of ancient Greek and Roman historians and biographers such as Curtius Rufus, Arrian and Plutarch who themselves had access to the lost texts by Ptolemy, Aristoboulus, Nearchus and others. For a time, this was the only known portrait of Alexander the Great, and it is generally regarded as the surviving portrait that looks the most like him. Alexander (2004) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Alexander the Great was an ancient Macedonian ruler and one of historys greatest military minds whoas King of Greece and Persiaestablished the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen. He was also Alexanders best friend, right-hand man, and some say his lover as well. But, for all that, perhaps his greatest impact on human history derives not from his brilliance as a commander but as a supreme cultural ambassador. Everything you ever wanted to know about What made Alexander the Great such a brilliant military leader? Probably, too, his Greek-style education and his love of Homers writings gave him the notion of trying to emulate his boyhood hero, Achilles (the mythical Trojan War was, after all, a battle between Greeks and Orientals). Alexanders most telling tribute: he cut his hair short in mourning, this last a poignant reminder of Achilles' last gift to Patroclus on his funeral pyre. On top of all stood Sirens, hollowed out and able to conceal within them persons who sang a lament in mourning for the dead. Follow the links below to jump to the highlights in each section: Alexander III of Macedon, known to most as Alexander the Great, inherited his kingdom (in modern-day Greece) at the age of 20, following the assassination of his father, Philip II, in 336 BC. He combined immense personal charisma and bravery (he often led his troops from the front). Bagoas the Younger was a lover of Alexanders mid to late life, given to Alexander the Great from King Darius IIIs court post-conquest. By controlling Alexanders body, Ptolemy aimed to be viewed as the successor to his empire. Alexander gravely announced that the oracles presiding deity Ammon, whom the Greeks often identified with their Zeus, had promised him his hearts desire. The centerpiece of Alexanders fighting force was the 15,000-strong Macedonian phalanx, whose units held off the sword-wielding Persians with 20-foot-long pikes called sarissa. The Library of History, compiled by Diodorus Siculus, includes several accounts of the funeral pyre, of which there were seven levels each level more lavishly decorated than the last. Alexander the Great real name was Alexander III of Macedon. In the space of just a few years, Philip transformed his state from a small, peripheral kingdom in northern Greece into an unstoppable war machine. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! A year or two after Alexanders demise, his body was sent back to Macedonia only to be intercepted and sent to Egypt by Ptolemy I, one of his former generals. Aslo, where is Alexander the Great buried, and has his tomb actually been found? and dying 32 years later, he only reigned for 13 years the vast majority of which he spent outside of his home state of Macedon. All, however, soon became part of an empire of unprecedented scope covering over two million square miles, it linked East with West for the first time in history. A few months after Alexanders death, Roxanne gave birth to the couples only son, Alexander IV. Alexander won his spurs fighting alongside his father, earning plaudits for his bravery at Chaeronea, but would himself soon have the opportunity to rule. Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III or Alexander of Macedonia, (born 356 bce, Pella, Macedonia [northwest of Thessalonki, Greece]died June 13, 323 bce, Babylon [near Al-illah, Iraq]), king of Macedonia (336323 bce), who overthrew the Persian empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms. According to legend, while still a prince in Greece, Alexander sought out the famed ascetic Diogenes the Cynic, who rejected social niceties and slept in a large clay jar. Darius flees the battlefield again. January 6, 2021. He was also bright enough to know that brute force alone would not keep the diverse collection of states under his power in check. It probably never occurred to him not to carry on where his father had been forced to leave off. The theorem of Pythagoras reached the Chinese within decades of Alexanders death, and its thought that the Terracotta Army may have been influenced by Greek models. The way now lay open for Alexander to press on eastwards and establish his own empire. The bust was unearthed in 1779 during an excavation at Tivoli, Italy, organised by Joseph Nicolas Azara (17301804), the Spanish ambassador to the Holy See (and, later, to France). Consultation of oracular shrines was a fixed part of Alexanders routine. According to the ancient resources, he had a special bond with the king. Alexander the Great had made his seat of government in Babylon, the capital of Babylonia (the alluvial plain between the Euphrates and Tigris), and he wanted to hold the funeral ceremony within the walls of the city. In fact, Alexander the Great is, by far, one of the best-attested individuals from the entire ancient world. Conqueror and king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great was born on July 20, 356 B.C., in Pella, in the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia. But there is no question but that he was indeed worshipped as a living god, by Greeks as well as by Orientals, and there is every likelihood that Alexander wanted to be so worshipped. Soon after, in a traditional wedding ceremony, the king sliced a loaf of bread in two with his sword and shared it with his new bride. Tetradrachm Coins of Alexander by General Lysimachus. Philip is said to have fought his wars by marriages, that is by concluding diplomatic marriage alliances as a way to secure a victory, or as an alternative to fighting in order to decide the issue of territorial control. In 324 he held a mass wedding in the Persian city of Susa, in which he forced 92 leading Macedonians to take Persian wives (Alexander himself married two, Stateira and Parysatis). Suspiciously soon, in fact its been suggested by some historians that Alexander might have been behind the assassination of Philip II in 336 BC, killed by one of his own bodyguards at a family wedding. This article is curated from content first published by HistoryExtra, BBC History Revealed and BBC History Magazine. Yes, inevitably. How we know what Alexander the Great looked like? Unsurprisingly, plots against him began to simmer. There he develops a fascination with the exploits of mythical Greek heroes such as Achilles. Alexander perhaps therefore became something of a mummys boy not in the sense that he was ever a timid, coddled wimp, but in the sense that his powerfully ambitious mother saw Alexander as a key weapon in her struggle with Philip, and the instrument whereby she could become not just another of Philips seven wives, but queen mother, mother of the heir apparent and eventually mother of the Macedonian king. By 326 BC, long years on the road and battle losses not to mention tropical diseases and venomous snakes had taken their toll on his troops. These tetradrachms were minted by Lysimachus, o ne of Alexander's successor Generals, and feature Alexander's portrait wearing the horn of Ammon. So moved was Alexander by his loss that he actually named one of his new city foundations after him, in the Indus valley. After release, while it performed well in Europe, the American critical It was not just his military victories against the odds that defy belief, but also his achievements in overcoming daunting geographical obstacles from vast African deserts to the precipitous mountain trails of the Hindu Kush in the western Himalaya in a journey that would eventually cover about 20,000 miles over the course of 11 years. In addition, he was too impetuous, too prone to believe alleged conspiracies against his life and too trusting in subordinates who let him down. One thing is very striking about all these various images. A man of violent temper and ferocious ambition, Philip fell out with Alexanders mother Olympias (a Greek princess) quite early on. He survived for now but his reign was effectively finished, as was the once-great Persian empire, which had stretched from Libya in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. The Greeks were a suspicious and religious bunch, so Alexander made a point of consulting oracles which would inevitably confirm that his actions enjoyed divine approval; he even undertook a perilous eight-day trek across the desert to the oracle at Siwa in Egypt. No one but a megalomaniac could possibly have conceived, let alone pulled off, his greatest feats. Those scholars who see Alexander as little but a natural-born killer might bear in mind the words of the American poet Robert Lowell, in his poem The Death of Alexander: No one was like him. You can unsubscribe at any time. Alexander who has since come under suspicion for ordering the killing becomes king of Macedon in his fathers stead. Was he a megalomaniac? After six years of ever-deeper incursions into the Persian empire, in 330 A.D. Alexander conquered Persepolis, the longtime center of Persian culture. After defeating the Persians, Alexander started dressing like them. His father was King Phillip II of Macedon and his mother was Olympias, the daughter of the king of Epirus. However, in reality the soldiers in a phalanx would actually not require much armour coordinated, fast movement was what made the phalanx so effective. Alexanders father, Phillip II, Alexanders favourite military tactic was the phalanx. 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. What follows is the decisive battle in Alexanders conquest of Persia. However, Plutarchs reliability as a biographer is questionable. He was born on July, 356 B.C at Pella, Greece. Alexander commemorated his conquests by founding dozens of cities (usually built up around previous military forts), which he invariably named Alexandria. He is born in the Macedonian capital of Pella. In Macedon there were two tests of manhood: killing a wild boar and killing a man in battle. To that end, he employed tactics designed to convince all around him of his credentials. Plutarchs Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, written 400 years after Alexanders death, reports that a most agreeable odor exuded from Alexanders skin, and that his breath and body all over was so fragrant as to perfume the clothes which he wore. The olfactory detail was part of a tradition, begun during Alexanders lifetime, of ascribing godlike attributes to the conquering king. Certainly, he was religious, even superstitious, a trait he seems to have inherited or at any rate could easily have learned from his mother. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Alexander travels to the Temple of the Nymphs in Mieza to be educated by the celebrated Greek philosopher Aristotle. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires in ancient history, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. In 490 BC and 480 BC, the Greeks, who had been fighting among themselves, had joined forces to repel invasions by the Persians under Darius I and Xerxes I. Of course everyone wanted to claim a piece of the credit and lay claim to the real parenthood of Alexander: Soon after Alexander the Great's godhood was confirmed by the Libyan Sibyl of Zeus Ammon at the Siwa Oasis, a rumor was begun that Nectanebo II, following defeat in his last battle, did not travel to Nubia but instead to the court of Philip II of Macedon in the guise of an Egyptian magician. Apart from his parents, there were two great influences on his life from boyhood. In modern times, medical experts have speculated that malaria, lung infection, liver failure or typhoid fever may have done Alexander in.