Alexander
the Great ruled not only Macedonia, but Greece, Asia Minor and Egypt during his
military career. 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, Olympias, and an ambitious
father, Philip, 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. For centuries many people claimed Alexander was a god who had
godlike characteristics considering his amazing abilities on the battlefield
and his well-known oratory skills. He was able to manipulate anyone with his
golden tongue. Towards the end of his young life he also claimed he was a god
and sought to be honored as such. Throughout much of his life his mother told
him his father was Zeus. Philip’s ancestor was Hercules. However, 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 ended up
joining forces, until Philip’s assassination, to enhance the already large
kingdom.
Zeus was a god who was highly
regarded and worshipped by the Greek people. He was the king of the Olympian
gods and was also referred to as the “Father.” He was considered the god of
thunder and the “cloud-gatherer,” and believed to control the weather. Zeus
provided signs and omens and was known to uphold justice. He guaranteed order
concerning the gods and humanity as he sat on his seat on top of Mt. Olympus
(Cartwright, 2013).
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 her uncle’s intention
for them to meet. He wanted the two to wed to secure a relationship between the
two kingdoms of 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 than 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.
They were married for a couple of
years and Philip visited his wife’s bed chamber in hopes that they could be
intimate. 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 his 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. 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 the next
morning. 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 on 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 one of his fathers.
Another tutor was Aristotle.
Aristotle broadened Alexander’s mind in many areas from science to medicine. Alexander
practiced medicine on various occasions. Under Aristotle’s tutelage he was
shown the wonders of the universe. His 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.
As a child Philip 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.
One day 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 such a
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 about his fear of shadows 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, 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
observed that his men were paying more
attention to Alexander when he was 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,” 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 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 the night before. 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 that Philip was attending.
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 became very proud of and knew he was worthy of running
the kingdom when 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 who 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. Cleopatra was a
common name during that time period. She was not the “Cleopatra” of the Nile.
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 campaigns: 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 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 sneaking up behind them. 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 woke 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, Those 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 us in peace is 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.”
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 battle 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 the infantry to order and they marched in formation with sarissas and
attacked the Thebans. This was a turning point for the Thebans. They 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 after he was
insulted, distributing the lands surrounding the city to his allies, and the
Theban survivors were going to be sold into slavery.
In 334 BC, 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 were part of Alexander’s entourage. 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 he learned about while listening 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.
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 the
exception of 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 day by 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 he left some 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 and his interest in their
religious practices.
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. Ada welcomed Alexander and told him 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.
“Join me Alexander as I dine
tonight. I would love to hear about your travels,” said Ada.
Ada grew quite fond of Alexander.
“I am longing for a son. I lost my
son in battle years ago. Would you like to be my son?” asked Ada. He did not
respond to her previous request.
Alexander readily agreed. His newly
acquired mother, Ada, 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 to his tent daily.
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, who only had approximately 50,000 soldiers. Again, the Macedonian
army put their warfare abilities to good use insuring the defeat and inevitable
fall of the Persian Empire.
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 which stated that 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 his 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
they set sail for Tyre. Naval warfare
was 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. However,
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 finish building 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 trying 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 who were killed in various ways
by the Tyrians, 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 in 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 ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians. 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 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 during their
take over. The priests, in observance of Alexander’s respect and the giving of
gifts, recommended he be crowned as the pharaoh of Egypt. Statues of the king
of Egypt represented Alexander dressed as the lord of 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 the person who made 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.
Alexander was exploring the north shore
near Egypt. He came across what he thought was an oasis. An uncharted plot of
land was nestled along the Nile. The grass was green, the papyrus growing on
the water’s edge towered over him, and large banana trees were growing as far
as he could see. He picked a banana and sat on the sandy bank. He called one of
his men over to him to discuss plans for the area.
“I want to erect a city in this location,”
expressed Alexander.
“It does appear to be abundant with
resources. Look at all those banana trees,” replied Eumenes, one of Alexander’s
officers.
Alexander handed Eumenes a banana. He ate
the banana and replied, “The banana is delicious.”
“I want to name the city Alexandria,” said
Alexander.
Alexander 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 build 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 and his troops finally arrived
at 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.
The 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 BC 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. Alexander had
conquered the Mediterranean provinces and Mesopotamia and claimed these areas
as part of his empire. However, the heart of Persia and the provinces to the
east still laid unconquered.
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 other 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.
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. He
told his men that the Persians and Macedonians could 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 the 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 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 too 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 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 16
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 a successful warrior
in battle. 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.
