Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great is often said to be the greatest conqueror and best military leader to ever walk the face of the earth. He conquered many territories, creating one of the largest empires in history. He was a very kind and generous man, and he also had a good sense of humor. All of his troops respected and liked him, and almost all of his captured territories served him willingly, because he was kind to them, and protected them from any attacks. Alexander was not a pushover, however. He massacred any opposition of his rule (usually with little loss of life on his side), and he brutally silenced anyone who refused to obey him. He was not a leader like Darius of Persia, who watched his army battle from miles away, or from the very back, Alexander rode right up in front with his army, and stayed with his soldiers even in the heaviest fighting. Sadly his power crumbled after his death, because he left no successor to his empire.

On July 20, 365 BC, Olympius, the wife of King Philip the Second of Macedonia, gave birth to a son and named him Alexander. This boy would eventually become the greatest military leader in history. On the day of his birth, it is said that the temple of Artemis burned down, thus indicating a good omen for Alexander's future greatness. The true date of his birth is unknown, but the most widely accepted one is July 20, because he centered many important events on or very near that date later in life. [1]

As a child, Alexander often became discouraged when he heard that his father had conquered another territory. He worried that nothing would be left for him. He spent much of his childhood around his father's army, so by the age of thirteen, he had become very mature. I think the story of how Alexander captured his prize horse, Bucephalus, at the age of thirteen demonstrates his maturity and bravery. Philip had bought an incredibly beautiful horse, but he was so fierce, no one could touch him. Just when the men were ready to give up, Alexander arrived and bet thirteen talents (a lot of money for a thirteen-year-old) that he could tame the horse. He calmly approached the horse and realized that it was afraid of its own shadow. By riding Bucephalus into the sun and slowly turning him around, he was able to ride the horse. This horse became his best friend and when he died, Alexander named a city after him. [2]

Alexander's mother, Olympias, was a princess of Epirus (a captured city) who after seeing her city fall, fell in love with Philip, and later married him. She was said to be brilliant, hot-tempered and extraordinarily beautiful. She taught Alexander that the great Achilles was his ancestor, and that he should strive to be like him. She had Alexander read the Iliad, the story of the feats of Achilles, and to his dying day he always kept a copy of this story with him. Achilles became Alexander's role model, and his ambition was to be as brave, kind, and mighty as Achilles. Alexander's Father, Philip, was king of Macedonia and ruler of many territories. He was said to have once been handsome until the effects of war took their toll, scarring him horribly. He was an incredible military commander, very ambitious, and a good speaker and leader. Alexander was said to have his mother's good looks and cunning, and his father's ambition and military prowess. [3] [4]

Alexander's parents always wanted the best for their son. They hired some of the finest tutors around, including the brilliant Aristotle, who began to teach Alexander around the age of thirteen. Aristotle taught Alexander the ways of the Greeks, which he incorporated into his life thereafter. Alexander found interest in philosophy, ethics, other countries, politics, plants animals, military, and a wide range of other subjects. After Aristotle, his parents employed Alexander's uncle, Leonidas. Alexander hated Leonidas because he was very strict, so this tutor did not last very long. Alexander's final tutor was a man named Lysimachus. He taught the young prince the cultural aspects of the world around him, and gave him an appreciation for fine arts such as music, poetry and drama. He also taught Alexander to play the lyre. By his late teens, Alexander had become very intelligent and well rounded young man. [5]

Alexander rose to power quickly, and at an early age. His father gave him many large responsibilities, even at the young age of sixteen. When King Philip went away he always left Alexander in charge, giving the young man a good chance to prove himself to his father. One time while Philip was away, one of the captured colonies revolted. Alexander quickly took control of the situation by assembling and marching troops to that area. Also by the age of sixteen, he had founded his first colony, Alexandropolis. [6]

Alexander's rise to full power came in June of 336 BC when his father was assassinated at the theater. Alexander was crowned king of Macedonia and all of its territories at the age of twenty, taking the title "Alexander the Great". His first task as king was to suppress the uprising in the large city of Thebes. He commanded his troops magnificently, destroying almost every building and taking almost 30,000 as slaves. This victory with almost no loss of life broke the spirit of rebellion in most of Greece, and many colonies and cities pledged their allegiance to Macedonia soon after. [7] [8]

The ambitious young king then turned his thoughts to Persia. His father had planned to take Persia, but he never got around to it before his death. Alexander knew he could never be dominant in his area as long as Darius, king of Persia, was alive. In the spring of 336, Alexander crossed the Hellespont with a force of 35,000, planning to have an easy victory over the Persians. He met the Persian army on the Banks of the Granicus River, easily decimating their infantry with his cavalry. This victory basically opened up all of Asia Minor to Alexander. [9] [10]

Darius, angry at his defeat on the banks of the Granicus, challenged Alexander to a battle on the banks of the Issus River (which he had already fortified.) He had also raised a larger army this time than his last encounter with the Macedonian king. He was expecting an easy victory, but Alexander's phalanx infantry strategy proved to be too powerful for the Persians, whose defenses buckled under Alexander's heavy infantry. Alexander captured Darius and his family, and just when they were expecting to die, he treated them like royalty in his court. This gallantry and kindness toward his archenemy greatly improved Alexander's standing in many people's eyes. Although he treated the Persian king nicely, Alexander knew that they could