Alexander
proved to be a force to be feared during his reign as the King of Macedonia and
commander in chief. He experienced his first victory at the age of 16. His phenomenal
and creative military tactics and strategies have been used and studied for
years after his untimely death. In the 15 years of conquests he never lost a
battle even when his armed forces were highly outnumbered. Alexander’s life began in 356 BC, born to a
wealthy family which included a mysterious mother and an ambitious father who
wanted to take over many countries and build a large empire. Alexander filled
his father’s shoes after his death. During
his military career, he named more than 70 cities after himself and one city
was named after his beloved horse, Bucephalus. The king became the ruler of not
just Macedonia, but Greece, Asia Minor and Egypt during his military career.
Many historians and others claimed that Alexander was a god considering his
amazing abilities on the battlefield and his oratory skills. He was able to
manipulate anyone with his golden tongue. Towards the end of his young life he
also claimed to be a god and sought to be honored as such. Throughout much of
his life his mother told him his father was Zeus. Philip felt intimidated by
his son’s fighting abilities and did not want to give Alexander credit for some
of his successful campaigns. Philip and Alexander joined forces until Philip’s
untimely death and the fought together to enhance the already large kingdom.
Philip
and Olympias were married when she was barely 18. Olympias’ uncle and Olympias
were on an island far from their homeland when Philip appeared on the same
island. It was Olympias uncle’s intention for them to meet. He wanted the two
to wed to secure a good relationship between Espirus and Macedonia. Olympias
was from Espirus and Philip was the king of Macedonia. It was better to have a
working relationship with Philip and his kingdom then it was to be conquered by
Philip’s army. Philip found Olympias charming, intelligent, and beautiful and a
possible mate who would produce a son that would be worthy of taking over his
throne.
They
wed soon after they met. After the wedding she was escorted from the reception
ceremony to the bed chambers with Philip to carry out her most important duty.
As they were being intimate, there was a chorus of maidens outside their door.
Myths circulated about the wedding
night. After they were asleep, thunder roared in the sky and a bolt of
lightning came through the window and touched her womb without hurting her.
Olympias swore that Zeus caused this to occur and Zeus ended up being the
father of her unborn child.
Philip wanted to be intimate with
his wife. He opened the door to her bed chamber and crept up to the bed she was
sleeping on. He pulled the cover back and jumped back startled by what he saw.
Olympias was sleeping with a large snake. The snake’s head rested on his wife’s
back. He covered the snake and her up again. He felt the situation was
extremely eerie. He planned to never visit her room again. Alexander lay in his
bassinet. A sweet little smile was on his face and he was cooing in his sleep.
Philip patted the baby’s belly. He left the room, saddened and disturbed by
what he discovered.
Alexander did not grow up as a
spoiled and pampered prince. Philip worked diligently to increase the size of
his kingdom on the battlefield. From the day Alexander could walk, Philip began
his training in the tenets of war. Philip’s highly skilled soldiers taught him
archery, sword play and the handling and riding of horses. Almost every day
Alexander would mount one of his favorite horses and ride across the Macedonian
plains.
Alexander’s first tutor,
Leonidas, did not cut him any slack. He would make Alexander march through the
night and then Alexander was given a light breakfast. Leonidas would search
through Alexander’s belongings to make sure his mother did not give him any
luxuries. When Alexander placed a large handful of incense of a ceremonial
fire, he was chided for being so wasteful. When Alexander took over most of the
Near East, his aged tutor was sent a shipment of frankincense and myrrh with a
note informing his tutor that he did not have to be so miserly to the gods.
Alexander actually cared deeply for his first tutor and considered him a
father.
Another tutor was Aristotle.
Aristotle broadened Alexander’s mind in many areas from science to medicine.
Alexander practiced medicine on various occasions. He showed him the wonders of
the universe. Aristotle’s attire and appearance were somewhat eccentric coupled
with his audible lisp, his flashy rings and strange clothing. Alexander knew he
was in the presence of a genius. Aristotle preached about the importance of
forming close intimate relationships with men and informed Alexander that women
could not be trusted. During Alexander’s and Philip’s lifetime in the Greek
culture, homosexuality was widely accepted and encouraged. Philip and Alexander
had many male lovers. Some of their lovers became jealous if they were intimate
with others.
Philip when he was a child was held
hostage by the Thebans. He had the good fortune of living in the household of a
general. While the other hostages feasted and tried to sway the girls in their
favor, Philip was observing and learning the techniques of warfare from the
Theban generals. The Thebans adopted the hoplite type of warfare. The soldiers
were equipped with breastplates, greaves to protect their legs, and an iron
tipped sword. Each soldier carried an
iron sword and a heavy shield which he carried in his left hand. Since the
soldier’s right side was unprotected, he had to rely on the person to his right
to protect him which created a strong sense of unity during battles. When a
hoplite line advanced on the enemy, it presented a wall of death, a formidable
force.
Philip, when he became the king of
Macedonia, decided he wanted a large army. Many of the men could not afford
breastplates and other forms of armor so Philip came up with another plan. He
decided to create longer spears. These spears were called sarissas and proved
to be successful in battle. The soldiers would line up in sarissa spear
formation which prevented the enemy from getting close to the Macedonian
soldiers. Alexander also used sarissas in battle. The spears and shields were
affordable which enhanced the size of the Macedonian army.
Not
only did Philip establish a new kind of infantry, he coordinated a different
kind of approach involving the foot soldiers and cavalry. He ordered the foot
soldiers brandishing the sarissas to approach the enemy first before the
cavalry to open up a gap in the front line of their opponents’ front line so
the cavalry could ride through that opening and attack the undefended rear.
Philip was the first in history to choreograph a team of highly trained
infantry and cavalry.
Philip
and Alexander were sitting in the stands watching the men corral and train the
horses. A large black stallion was bucking and rearing. The horse was neighing
loudly.
“I think that horse is going to have
to be released to the wild or put down. I don’t see how we can work with that
horse. What a shame, he is a handsome, strong stead,” said Philip.
Alexander left the stand where they
were sitting and he headed down to where the unruly horse was being held by
reigns. Alexander noticed that the horse was fearful of the shadows. Alexander
whispered in the horse’s ear and led him to a shaded area by large trees. He
climbed on the horse’s back and rode off onto the plains at a fast clip. The
onlookers including his father were amazed.
Alexander was taught at an early age
by his parents and tutors about how to manipulate others by amazing them with
phenomenal feats of bravery and mystery. His mother with her friendship with
large snakes, his father’s bravery during battles and sparing with others and
Aristotle with his talks of his adventures and the adventures of others. He
wanted to gain favor of his father and he managed to do so by his act of
bravery with the horse. He named his horse Bucephalus. Bucephalus accompanied
him when he fought against many of his adversaries in his effort to build one
of the largest empires.
“I am fed up with Alexander getting
so much attention. He speaks and everyone listens. I speak and I have witnessed
my men, I have to add again my men, with emphasis on mine, and they look
towards him for his approval of what I am saying. They must respect me more,”
stormed Philip. Philip also noticed that Alexander was getting noticed on the
battle field.
“I know he’s my son but I can’t
afford to have him around anymore. I am losing face with my men,” said Philip.”
“What do you want us to do?” asked
Aeolus, an army commander.
“I don’t want you to kill him or
that crazy mother of his,” replied Philip.
“Do you want them sent away?” asked
Aeolus.
“Yes, that would work out,” replied
Philip.
“I will tell them to leave. I will
take Keteus with me,” said Aeolus.
“I have a better plan. Let’s tell
them their lives are in danger and they have to leave immediately. We won’t go
into any details but will insist that they must leave at once,” said Philip.
“I like that idea. I will handle it
right away,” said Aeolus.
“Alexander, I need to meet with you
and your mother,” said Aeolus.
“What is this pertaining too?”
inquired Alexander.
“Your lives are in danger. One of
the kings that your father has tried to take down has threatened to cause you
and your mother harm. There may be a sneak attack. Your father thinks he may
not be able to protect you,” replied Aeolus.
“I will get my mother and we will
come up with a plan on where to go,” replied Alexander.
“Mother, Aeolus told me that our
lives may be in danger and we need to leave immediately,” said Alexander.
“I was told by Perdix, the
soothsayer, that your father wanted us to leave. He feels threatened by the
both of us. I believe it would be good for the both of us to leave him for a
while,” said Olympias. A small snake was curled around her neck. The snake’s
neck and head reached towards Alexander.
“He likes you. Don’t act afraid of
him. He wants to get to know you,” said Olympias.
Alexander extended his arm and the
snake wrapped around his arm. Olympias smiled when he petted the snake.
He
looked into his mother’s eyes and felt mesmerized. He stared for a while at her
eyes and thought he saw snake eyes. He blinked and looked again and her eyes
looked like human eyes. She was smiling at him with a somewhat wicked grin.
Alexander
and Olympias fled to Epirus for a year and then Alexander moved to Illyria for
a while before he was invited back to Macedonia by his father. After
approximately two years Philip requested Alexander and Olympias to return to
Macedonia.
Philip
had a lover named Pausanias. He was a young man in his teens who served as
Philip’s royal page. His adolescence was giving way to manhood and Philip was
losing interest in Pausanias. Philip turned his attention to a younger teen
also named Pausanias. The first Pausanias was furious and his jealousy ran
rampant. The first lover started nasty rumors about Philip’s new lover. He told
others that he was a hermaphrodite and a slut who has slept with countless men
and women. His new lover could not bear to hear such slander. The second
Pausanias went to battle with Philip and served on the front lines against the
Illyrians. He threw himself in the heart of the battle and in harms way. It
cost him his life but he died a hero.
Meanwhile
to get back at the first Pausanias, Philip had Attalus, one of his generals,
play a nasty prank on the first Pausanias. At a feast, Attalus gave Pausanias a
large amount of wine that was not watered down like the rest was for the others
at the ceremony. Pausanias became very drunk. Attalus had many men including
himself rape Pausanias. The next day when Pausanias came to, he heard the nasty
talk about what happened to him when he was drunk. He was humiliated and
furious.
He
knew he could not get back at Attalus because he was favored by Philip. Pausanias
met with Alexander of Epirus and Philip’s daughter Cleopatra along with three
friends who were also the king’s bodyguards to plan Philip’s assassination. Olympias
promised Pausanias that a horse would be waiting for him so he could escape
after he stabbed Philip.
Pausanias
had hopes of being famous for killing the awful king and hated enemy of many.
Perhaps statues would be erected in his honor. He was elated that he would
carry out what many people only dreamed of doing.
The
time finally arrived. Pausanias was a royal bodyguard and the court was
familiar with him so they didn’t think anything of him being at the wedding ceremony.
Philip
was elated. He entered the theater for the marriage ceremony of his daughter
Cleopatra to Alexander of Epirus. The marriage was an arrangement set up to
seamlessly secure a relationship between the two kingdoms, Macedonia and
Epirus. Philip was wearing an elegant white robe. The crowd was cheering and
calling out his name. Alexander was walking alongside him. A son he knew was
worthy of taking over Macedonia after he was gone. Things were going very well.
And then a sharp blade pierced through his skin and into his heart. Philip fell
to the floor. Alexander was shocked as he stood over his father.
Pausanias
ran out of the theater and towards the wooded area where the horse was supposed
to be waiting for him. Things went incredibly wrong. He was attacked by the
same guardsmen that said they would support him. He was stabbed to death.
Olympias
and the crowd in attendance at the wedding hailed Alexander as the new king.
Alexander was dumbfounded. At the age of 19, he became the king of the largest
empire in the world.
It was rumored that Olympias
arranged the horse for Pausanias and encouraged him to fulfil his plan to kill
Philip. She placed a golden crown on his head when he was on the cross. After
he was brought down from the cross, she had a tomb erected for him next to
Philip’s. Olympias struck her enemies like a viper. Months after Philip’s death
and Alexander was away, she forced Cleopatra to commit suicide after she watched
her infant daughter roasted to death in front of her. When Alexander found out
what his mother did, he was shocked but she was not punished for her evil
actions.
Serious
trouble was afoot. Attalus wanted to oust Alexander from the throne. Attalus
had recently married Parmenion’s daughter. Parmenion thought a son-in-law could
be easily replaced. His future laid in supporting Alexander. Attalus was soon
dead which came at a cost to Parmenion. That made Parmenion second in command
in the campaign against Persia. Parmenion’s kinsmen filled every key post in
Alexander’s army. Alexander wanted to be free of his dad’s old cronies but it
looked like he was going to be stuck with Parmenion. He actually realized he
needed Parmenion.
To make the situation more
favorable, he called upon some of his long-time friends who were exiled by
Philip to help him with his future plans, Ptolemy, Nearchus, Harpalus and
Erigyius. He knew they would be loyal to him in his war against Persia.
Alexander often found himself in
tough situations and he used his ingenuity to get himself out of these fixes.
When he was deep in Illyrian territory, he found the Macedonian army surrounded
by the enemy soldiers in the valley behind them and the army of Glacias
fortifying the city of Pellium to the front of them. If they stormed the walls
of the city, they would be attacked from behind. He could not attack the city
or defend himself against the encroaching enemy. His escape was thwarted and
their food was running out. Alexander demonstrated his unconventional warfare.
He knew he was outnumbered and had no chance for escape. He decided to put on a
parade.
The Illyrians in the hills behind
him saw the king order his infantry to form a tight formation over a l00 lines
deep. Each Macedonian foot soldier held his eighteen-foot sarissa before him.
They were in complete silence awaiting orders. On signal they raised their
spears to the sky without a sound. With concise choreography from endless
practice, they swung their sarissas to the front as one unit, then to the right
and then to the left. Alexander commanded them to march straight ahead without
a word, then turned to each side in perfect formation.
They continued to march toward the
Illyrians. The Illyrians mesmerized by the show almost applauded Alexander in his
command of his troops. The Illyrians were used to going into combat without
structure or order. At Alexander’s signal the troops banged their spears
against their shields and shouted a battle cry that would have waken the dead.
The Illyrians were surprised and caught off guard. They ran away in terror
which cleared the way for Alexander and his troops to escape.
The Thebans earned a reputation of
being ruthless murderers who razed and pillaged various communities. Stories
passed down from one generation to the next involved towns being burned to the
ground and the women violated by the Theban soldiers. Alexander wanted peace
but his allies had something else in mind, revenge. Some of his allies came
from Pataea, Orchomenus, and Thespieae and their communities were ravaged by
the Thebans in the past.
Alexander waited outside the city
gates for the Thebans to surrender. However, he was taken by surprise when some
of the Theban soldiers bolted from the city gates and attacked his army. Some
of his men lost their lives before the Thebans ran back inside the walls of
Thebes.
Alexander shouted, “Anyone who would
like to surrender and join him in peace was more than welcomed to do so. I
forgive you for the deaths of my soldiers.”
A shout was returned, “Anyone who
would like to escape Alexander’s tyranny is welcomed to enter the city.”
Alexander, out of frustration and
anger, decided to destroy the entire city.
Perdiccas beat Alexander to the
punch. He was stationed by the southeast side of the city. Perdiccas saw an
opportunity and charged into the city with his soldiers and another Macedonian
battalion was close behind him. Alexander had no choice but to command his army
to assault the city.
The war was brutal. Perdiccus rushed
deep into the city and ended up being severely harmed. His troops saved him and
brought him to one of the Macedonian doctors who saved his life. Theban
soldiers hidden amongst the townspeople, sprung an attack on Alexander and his
soldiers. Confused regarding their surroundings, they were taken off guard.
Seventy of Alexander’s archers were slain immediately.
Alexander had to think fast. He
called to order the infantry and they marched in formation with sarissas and
attacked the Thebans. This was a turning point for the Thebans. There were so
horrified that they ran back into the city and in their unorganized rush they
forgot to latch the gates. The Macedonian soldiers burst into the city and it
was utter carnage. Every visible citizen of the city was killed maliciously.
They went from house to house to conduct the extermination of Thebans. Some of
the Macedonian soldiers rescued the soldiers that were held hostage in Cadmeia.
Over six thousand Thebans died that day.
Alexander pretended to be concerned
when he addressed the League of Corinth regarding what would be done with the
ruins of Thebes. He had every intention of razing the city, distributing the
lands surrounding the city to his allies, and the Theban survivors were going
to be sold into slavery.
In 334, Alexander began his war
against Persia. He did not have enough money to pay his troops. The Macedonians
did not want to contribute to what they felt was a huge mistake for Alexander.
The Macedonian army numbered 50,000 men. Parmenion was waiting for Alexander in
Asia with a few thousand soldiers. The Persians had far more men available at
their disposal.
To top off the large numbers of men
that needed to be paid, a significant number of engineers, a staff of
secretaries to handle the king’s correspondence, physicians, map makers,
scientists and in addition, a nephew of Aristotle, Callisthenes, was the chief
historian for the expedition. Alexander had a lot of mouths to feed.
At the town of Elaeus, Alexander
offered a sacrifice at the tomb of the hero Protesilaus. He prayed to the gods
to guide and show favor during his stay in Asia. Alexander took his spear and
stabbed the earth when he landed on the shore in Asia. Alexander was meticulous
with his religious ceremonies. He sacrificed to Zeus, the patron of safe travels,
and to Athena and his own ancestor Hercules. He was finally surrounded by the
mythological landscape in Asia that was portrayed to him during childhood
stories.
The
Macedonians won the first battle at the Granicus River in Asia Minor in the
spring of 334 BC. When the battle was over, Alexander now controlled all of the
Asia Minor states at the loss of only 110 of his men. He advanced along the
coastal road to Perga passing by the cliffs of Mount Climax.
At
Gordium in Phrygia he cut the Gordium knot which meant he was the man to rule
Asia. It was a complicated knot used by Gordius, the founder of the City of
Gordium, to secure his chariot. At his young age of 23, Alexander greatly
enhanced the size of his empire and had a goal making a conquest of the entire
known world. The Macedonians and local people were watching him try to undo the
knot. He became frustrated and sliced the knot in two with his sword. He was on
his way to becoming “The Great.”
During Alexander’s down time, he
would spend time organizing military affairs, responding to correspondence, or
if there was time he would hunt with his friends. He loved to read from Greek
works by Herodotus and Xenophon, Sophocles and Euripides or poets, with
exception for Homer.
He was usually trying to enhance his
skills in many areas such as archery and mounting and dismounting from moving
chariots. He would finish his days with bathing the Greek way with anointing
oils afterwards. He was fond of drinking wine in abundance. He loved flattery
and would sometimes boast about some of his exploits.
Alexander finally lined his pockets
with the gold he needed to pay his army when he took over the city of Sardis
which included a treasury full of Lyndian gold. The money would not last
forever, but it allowed him to pay his men so they could continue on with
additional campaigns. The acquisition of Sardis came easy for Alexander.
Methrines, the ruler of Sardis, met with Alexander alone on the field outside
of the city and turned over the city to Alexander, free and clear.
Alexander entered the city as the
new ruler and climbed to the top of the citadel. The view was spectacular. He
could see the valley of Hermus. He thanked the gods that he did not have to
fight against such a towering fortress. He ordered a temple to be built to
honor Zeus.
He
appointed various people to stay behind to manage the conquered cities.
Sometimes the appointments would work out and sometimes they did not. He would
assign a satrap (governor), commander of the citadel, someone to collect taxes
and leave troops to maintain order. Sometimes he would appoint the rulers who
were in place before the siege to continue their reign. He did not interfere in
a region’s religious practices. Sometimes he would embrace their practices. He
gained a lot of respect from some of the conquered cities because of his
leniency.
The Macedonians approached the
border of Caria. The former queen, Ada, an older woman, met Alexander on the
road. She had a proposition for him. Alexander never had an affinity for women
his age, but he did for older women at the time. Ada welcomed Alexander and
told Alexander that she could adopt him and make him her son. She would support
him and he could allow her to return to the throne. The adoption would give
legitimacy to the Carians. Alexander readily agreed. His mother was restored to
the throne as their queen which was her rightful place. Representatives from
other towns throughout the kingdom were arriving at Alexander’s camp bearing
golden crowns and promises of their allegiance to Alexander. Ada spoiled her
new son by sending delicacies from her own kitchen.
The Persians and Macedonians came to
blows in the battle of Issus. Despite the enemy’s advantage in numbers,
Alexander’s creative and efficient battle formations and tactics sent the
Persians running away and Darius had to flee from the battlefield. The two then
faced off in the battle of Gaugamela
where around 200,000 infantry and 34,000 cavalry led by Darius went against the
Macedonians. Again, the Macedonian army put their warfare abilities to good use
insuring the defeat and inevitable fall of the Persian Empire. Darius left his
family in Alexander’s hands. He treated the women with care and respect.
The plains of Cilicia, steaming with
overwhelming heat, hit the Macedonians like an oven. Alexander stripped off his
clothes and jumped in the Cydnus River. The river was fed by melting snow.
Alexander’s arms and legs began to cramp and the cold penetrated into his
bones. His friends carried him from the water. He became very sick, possibly
afflicted with bronchial infection or malaria. It was touch and go for the next
few days. Philip from the land of Acarnania in Greece was his physician since
he was a boy. Philip suggested a potion that would cause Alexander to go
through a purge, making him sicker before it made him better.
Greek medicine was based on balance
of the body’s fluids: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. If a person
had too much of any of these fluids the person would be off balance. The king
knew he had to become well quickly, the Macedonians were counting on him. He
received a note from Parmenion warning him of Philip and stated the Darius paid
him to kill Alexander. The old general would be the next choice as the army
leader and possibly the next king. Philip was unaware of Parmenion’s message so
he approached Alexander again to seek his permission to provide the potion. He
took the cup from Philip and began drinking the potion while at the same time
handing the note from Parmenion to Philip. Philip’s face did not change which
answered Alexander’s question. In three days Alexander walked out of the tent
healed from his ailment. He was met with cheers from the Macedonian army.
Because
of the defeat at Issus, Alexander had plenty of gold in his pockets. Alexander
had no trouble recruiting troops from Greece. The king loaded all his troops on
board his fleet of ships and set sail for Tyre.
Naval warfare was a new to Alexander, but he took to it like a pro. The
Tyrians were given word about their approach but did not fear the arrival of
the Macedonians. They did not expect 200 warships approaching their city. The
Tyrian fleet retreated into a protected harbor. The Tyrians blocked the harbor
with three of their ships. Alexander could not break through the barrier as
much as he tried.
Part
of Alexander’s crew worked diligently to build a causeway. When they got close
the island, the Tyrians sent a ship that was on fire towards the causeway and
much of the causeway was destroyed. Instead of feeling beaten, they built
protective towers and began repairing the damage and continued to build the
causeway. The Tyrians, good at battle and defense, shot flaming arrows and
heated shields filled with sand that they sent down on the Macedonians. The hot
sand worked its way through the breastplates of the soldiers. They had to stop
wearing their armor which made them targets for the Tyrian archers. Some threw
down fishing nets to trap Alexander’s men. Divers were sent to cut the ropes of
the ships. Alexander ordered metal chains to be used. They were busy night and
day to thwart the Macedonian army. It’s been almost six months and with no
success with the Tyrian forces.
Finally
reaching his limit, Alexander instructed his army to attack various spots on
the walls of the Tyrian fortress. The Tyrians would not know where to protect
their fortress. A battering ram finally broke a hole in the wall. The assault
squad was led into the opening. Admetus, an officer, was the first to enter and
he was murdered immediately. The men continued to pour into the hole. The harbors were unblocked which led to the heart
of the city. Alexander was the first to be on top of the walls of the city. The
rest of the army moved down the causeway and entered the city. The massacre was
horrendous. After seven months of trying to take over the town and their
frustration of losing their friends while they were killed in various ways,
they were fed up. Thousands of Tyrians lost their lives. The city was taken and
funerals were conducted for the many Macedonians who died during the siege.
Alexander walked to the center of the city and offered a sacrifice at the
temple of Hercules.
Mazaces
was the ruler of Egypt. His predecessor, Sabaces, had fought at Issus the
previous year and most of the army had died during the battle. Mazaces had no
means of protecting and fighting against Alexander’s army so he quietly turned
over the entire province of Egypt to Alexander without a fight. Alexander
decided his best approach to winning over the Egyptians was to accept and honor
their gods and respect their religious practices. He began his journey of
exploration along the Nile River. Part of his fleet was sent up the Nile while
he marched through the endless plains of the Nile delta. They marched on the
right of the delta and the barren desert was on the left. The delta was filled
with wheat and barley fields, fig trees, cattle and fishermen. There were vast
stands of papyrus that was used to make so many things from writing materials
to boats. Alexander marveled at the pyramids and temples. He visited the
Saqqara pyramid at Memphis and learned that this was one of the first built in
Egypt.
Alexander
visited the Giza plateau. Three of the greatest pyramids nestled on top of the
plateau served as a reminder of the grand scheme of the visitors of the planet
for Egypt. The inside of the pyramids was lined in granite, a great conductor
of sound. Tunnels where water could flow through were situated at the depths of
the bottom of the pyramids. The pyramids were in line with the stars and the
sky path to the planet of Nibiru. The tunnels, granite and alignment aided the
visitors to communicate with their home planet. The sphinx stood watch over the
kingdom for thousands of years. Antipater, his spiritual guide, filled
Alexander in on the purpose of the grand pyramids and sphinx. Alexander was in
his glory when he was exploring the magnificent mysterious wonders.
Alexander
approached the temple of Ptah and offered abundant sacrifices to the god. His
goal was to show up the Persian ruler when he did not show any respect for
their sacred monuments. The priests in observance of Alexander’s respect and
the giving of gifts recommended that he be crowned as the pharaoh of Egypt.
Statues of the king of Egypt represented Alexander dressed as the lord of the
Upper and Lower Egypt. The inscriptions on the statues refer to him as
celebrating and honoring Ra, son of Amun. To bring in his new status as the
king of Egypt, he organized a fanfare and called in the most famous athletes
and musicians from Greece to meet him in Memphis. A great party was held to
celebrate the new king. Egyptians and Macedonians feasted and drank. They
watched and cheered on races and wrestling contests, enjoyed comedies and
tragedies, and listened to fine music for three days. The Egyptians were happy
to have the Persians expelled from their country and Alexander was just the
person to make that happen. They were free now to run the country as they saw
fit with one loose end.
Hegelochus
delivered to Alexander the aristocrats who sided with Darius from Chios and
Lesbos. He quickly decided their fate. The aristocrats from Lesbos were sent
home to be judged. They were tortured and killed. The aristocrats from Chios
were condemned to live out their lives on the tiny island of Elephantine in the
middle of the Nile River at the southern border of Egypt. They were assigned
the job of observing the Nilometer and measuring the time the river rose and
fell every year for the rest of their lives.
In
Egypt, Alexander founded the city of Alexandria. He ordered a select group of
men from his army to stay in the area to build the city and populate it.
Alexander found the land where the new city was going to be erected a wonderful
location to begin a profitable harbor. The soil was rich and would support
agriculture. Lumber would have to be shipped in to build homes. Alexander had
fond recollections of the neighboring villages and thought the villagers would
be more than happy to move to such a grand location.
Alexander
hauled a portion of his troops through the deserts for miles. The travelers
thought they were going to starve or die from thirst between each oasis.
Alexander sought the luscious abode of Siwa. The drawing point of Siwa was the
“Spring of the Sun” described in the works of Herodotus. Alexander climbed the
citadel and entered the sanctuary of the great god Ammon. The high priest
awaited his arrival and welcomed him into the sanctuary. Alexander had
questions for the high priest. The first question encompassed the death of his
father and he wanted to know if all the people who were involved in his father’s
death met their deserved demise. The priest assured him that all guilty parties
answered for his father’s death. Another question comprised of his wondering
about who his actual father was, was it Philip or Zeus. The response was “Your
father is not human.” Alexander took that response as a yes, that Zeus was his
father. This meeting with the priest changed him profoundly. He believed he was
sired by the mighty god Zeus. Destined to rule the world, he needed to continue
his conquests (Freeman, 2011).
On his way to Babylon, not using a
direct route, Darius intercepted Alexander in a pivotal battle that was fought
on October 31, 331 in Gaugamela. Alexander’s forces defeated the Persians. The
Persians, who were chased for approximately 35 miles, ended up escaping with
Darius and his Bactrian cavalry and Greek mercenaries.
Alexander occupied Babylon. Mazaeus
surrendered the kingdom to Alexander. Mazaeus and a Macedonian commander were
placed in charge of the kingdom. The local priests were supported and respected
by Alexander which gained him a purse of 50,000 gold talents. Darius’ family
was placed in comfortable accommodations at Babylon. Alexander had conquered
the Mediterranean provinces and Mesopotamia for his empire. However, the heart
of Persia and the provinces to the east still laid unconquered.
For
sport, while in the area, Alexander and some of his troops massacred the tribe
of the Ouxians. Alexander and his armed forces traveled over the treacherous
Zagros range and tried to enter the Persia city of Percepolis. He lost some men
and to save face he left the gate area and attacked various areas of the
fortress. Some of the men finally broke through one of the walls of the
fortress and entered the city. The city was ransacked and the residents were
massacred. Some of the Persian soldiers were hiding amongst the residents’
homes. The Macedonians were taken by surprise by the hidden soldiers and a carefully
orchestrated ambush by the Persians. The loss of Alexander’s men was nominal
compared to the losses the Persians suffered. Alexander, coerced into believing
the Xerxes temple needed to be destroyed, followed suit with doing so. However,
he regretted that decision later. Since the city was not his, he needed to
maintain a lot of the elaborate temples, palaces and monuments.
Meanwhile,
Alexander, while he stayed in the city of Percepolis, started dressing like the
Persians. He started entertaining the idea of joining the Persians and having a
joint rule of the land the Persians had ruled before the take over and the
Macedonian empire. The Persians and Macedonians would join forces and share the
rule of all the land that was taken over by the Macedonians. His followers
frowned and looked at him as if he was a crazed man. They started rebelling
against Alexander. A mutiny was forming. He decided to drop the idea and switch
to old Macedonian attire. His bizarre thoughts were soon forgotten when they
began their journey to Bactria.
Alexander discovered that Darius was
stabbed by Bessus. Bessus took on the
name of the Great King, replacing Darius. He also killed the two slaves and
mutilated the horses that were pulling the wagon that Darius was riding in. As
a result of these actions, Alexander realized the war was not over. He stood
over the horses and wondered how anyone could harm helpless animals. He was not
concerned about the deaths of the slaves and mourned the fact that Darius would
not be taken as captive by Alexander (Freeman, 2011).
Alexander continued his campaigns
against the Persian empire. He experienced a successful campaign against the
Scythian nomads by his use of catapults. He founded another city, Alexandria
Eschate. The Spitamenes had caused all Sogdiana to revolt against Alexander.
The Spitamenes also pulled into the mix people from the Shaka confederacy. It
took Alexander until the fall of 328 to beat some of the most fearsome
opponents he had ever encountered. During the same year, Alexander went after
the Oxyartes and the remaining moguls. Some of the captives who were held
during this campaign became loyal followers of Alexander or were killed. One of
the captives was the lovely Roxana, who Alexander fell in love with at first
sight. As a sign of good will, Alexander married her. She ended up being his
nemesis later on (Britannica, ND) .
Alexander continued east conquering
one city after the next. He ended back in Babylon, a place he called home. He
studied the various religions and was especially interested in the religion
that was practiced in India. He thought about becoming a Budha and then Hinduism
caught his eye. The Hindu’s told him that he was so busy conquering the world.
One day he would die and the only land he owned was the land in which his bones
rested.
In
May of 323 BC he returned to Baghdad after years of campaigning all over Asia. On
May 29, while making plans for his next conquests, he went to a dinner party
thrown by one of his close friends. After a long session of heavy drinking, he
started to feel unwell and went to bed with a fever.
His
condition further deteriorated after a few days as the fever took hold of his
body. Finally, on the 10th day after he fell sick, one of the most well-known conquerors
in human history died at such an early age of 32. His untimely death caused a
lot of suspicion. Antipater and Antipater’s son Cassander were viewed as
possible culprits. Some speculated that Aristotle might have poisoned Alexander.
The modern medical experts attribute his death to malarial infection or other
maladies that may have befallen Alexander during his many exploits.
His
first victory occurred at age of 18 while fighting under the command of his
father, which led to the historical victories against the mighty Persians and
many formidable Asian nations and settlements. Alexander made a name for
himself as a mighty conqueror, who ended up either being revered as a military
leader or hated by his many enemies. He never lost a battle during his numerous
campaigns which gives a testament to his military abilities. His empire stretched from the Mediterranean to the
Indian Ocean.
Alexander
the Great performed as a great tactician concerning his military abilities. His
creative and skillful approach to many difficult situations pulled him and his
army out of harms way and led him down a path of continuous successful
campaigns. His possible link to Zeus and Hercules may have given him the edge
he needed to be as successful in battle and in his relationships with the
various Persian rulers and priests. Alexander learned from the multiple
cultures he conquered and bits and pieces of the Hellinistic culture was spread
thoughout much of the Asian and Indian population.
