Alexander the Great was apparently fascinated with everything that could be seen as a symbol of power. Instead of untangling it laboriously as expected, he . [200] Despite those caveats, Lysippos's sculpture, famous for its naturalism, as opposed to a stiffer, more static pose, is thought to be the most faithful depiction.[201]. During his brief months in Egypt, he reformed the taxation system on the Greek models and organized the military occupation of the country, but, early in 331 BC, he left for Asia in pursuit of the Persians. [15] Such legends may have emerged when Alexander was king, and possibly at his instigation, to show that he was superhuman and destined for greatness from conception. In 326 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the northern territory of India. The trilogy "Alexander the Great" by Valerio Massimo Manfredi consisting of "The son of the dream", "The sand of Amon", and "The ends of the world". The Dating of the Coinage of Alexander the Great - Brown University It takes a visionary mindset to make the greatest army of the world to follow you for ten years to the end of the world. Fearing the prospect of facing other large armies and exhausted by years of campaigning, Alexander's army mutinied at the Hyphasis River (Beas), refusing to march farther east. Philip deliberately commanded his troops to retreat, counting on the untested Athenian hoplites to follow, thus breaking their line. [192], In his first battle in Asia, at Granicus, Alexander used only a small part of his forces, perhaps 13,000 infantry with 5,000 cavalry, against a much larger Persian force of 40,000. Throughout time, art objects related to Alexander were being created. [11] Although Philip had seven or eight wives, Olympias was his principal wife for some time, likely because she gave birth to Alexander. Gaugamela would be the final and decisive encounter between the two. [224] He had great charisma and force of personality, characteristics which made him a great leader. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture led to the overwhelming dominance of Hellenistic civilization and influence as far east as the Indian subcontinent. [202], Both Curtius and Diodorus report a story that when Darius III's mother, Sisygambis, first met Alexander and Hephaestion, she assumed that the latter was Alexander because he was the taller and more handsome of the two.[203]. Born in 356 BC, Alexander was a successor to his father Philip II of Macedon. [115], Alexander appears to have introduced a new coinage in Cilicia in Tarsus, after the Battle of Issus in 333 BC, which went on to become the main coinage of the empire. [125][126] Choosing a local helped him control these lands so distant from Greece. Aristotle of Stagira (l. 384-322 BCE) was a Greek philosopher who pioneered systematic, scientific examination in literally every area of human knowledge and was known, in his time, as "the man who knew everything" and later simply as "The Philosopher", needing no further qualification as his fame was so widespread. Concerned that other Greek states might intervene, Alexander made it look as though he was preparing to attack Illyria instead. Some of the most pronounced effects of Hellenization can be seen in Afghanistan and India, in the region of the relatively late-rising Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (250125 BC) (in modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan) and the Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC 10 AD) in modern Afghanistan and India. According to the ancient sources, the two sides fought bitterly for some time. [246] This episode is also told by Plutarch, probably based on the same source. [149] Another theory is that his successors wilfully or erroneously misheard "ti Krateri""to Craterus", the general leading his Macedonian troops home and newly entrusted with the regency of Macedonia. Reputedly, whoever could untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. [303] The colloquial form of his name in modern Greek ("O Megalexandros") is a household name, and he is the only ancient hero to appear in the Karagiozis shadow play. The horns of Ammon were curling ram horns, used as a symbol of the Egyptian deity Ammon (also spelled Amun or Amon). "[123] A similar slaughter followed at Ora. [44], In the following year, the Persian satrap (governor) of Caria, Pixodarus, offered his eldest daughter to Alexander's half-brother, Philip Arrhidaeus. [30], Upon Philip's return, Alexander was dispatched with a small force to subdue the revolts in southern Thrace. [252], According to Diodorus Siculus, Alexander accumulated a harem in the style of Persian kings, but he used it rather sparingly, "not wishing to offend the Macedonians",[253] showing great self-control in "pleasures of the body". [284] Polybius began his Histories by reminding Romans of Alexander's achievements, and thereafter Roman leaders saw him as a role model. [114] However, Alexander's constant demands for troops and the migration of Macedonians throughout his empire depleted Macedon's strength, greatly weakening it in the years after Alexander, and ultimately led to its subjugation by Rome after the Third Macedonian War (171168 BC). Was it Veratrum album? Alexander is a male given name.The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Aleksander and Aleksandr.Related names and diminutives include Iskandar, Alec, Alek, Alex, Alexandre, Aleks, Aleksa and Sander; feminine forms include . Macedon is too small for you", and bought the horse for him. The song 'Alexander the Great' by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden is indicative. After his trip to Siwa, Alexander was crowned in the temple of Ptah at Memphis. A few years earlier, in 332 BC, Alexander invaded Bactria and Gandhara when this territory was under ramanic influence (perhaps Buddhist and Jain). [196] At the decisive encounter with Darius at Gaugamela, Darius equipped his chariots with scythes on the wheels to break up the phalanx and equipped his cavalry with pikes. [270] Alexander sought to insert Greek elements into Persian culture and to hybridize Greek and Persian culture, homogenizing the populations of Asia and Europe. When Alexander was ten years old, a trader from Thessaly brought Philip a horse, which he offered to sell for thirteen talents. How Rome Fell: death of a superpower. When Alexander reached age 13, Philip summoned Aristotle to the Macedonian court. Alexander then led the League of Corinth, and used his authority to launch the pan-Hellenic project envisaged by his father, assuming leadership over all Greeks in their conquest of Persia.[5][6]. [13] According to the ancient Greek biographer Plutarch, on the eve of the consummation of her marriage to Philip, Olympias dreamed that her womb was struck by a thunderbolt that caused a flame to spread "far and wide" before dying away. [269] Aspects of Hellenistic culture were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century.[274]. Alexander was the first to break the Theban lines, followed by Philip's generals. He ascended the throne around age twenty. The elephant had gold rings around its tusks and an inscription was on them written in Greek: "Alexander the son of Zeus dedicates Ajax to the Helios" ( ). It is also known as the Macedonian Star, Macedonian Sun, Sun of Vergina, and Star of Vegina, after Macedonian royal tombs. The gold series had the head of Athena on the obverse and a winged Nike (Victory) on the reverse. [citation needed], The strongest argument against the poison theory is the fact that twelve days passed between the start of his illness and his death; such long-acting poisons were probably not available. Although his successors explicitly rejected such policies, Hellenization occurred throughout the region, accompanied by a distinct and opposite 'Orientalization' of the successor states. The famous encounter between Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic occurred during Alexander's stay in Corinth. Alexander was the first king to wear the royal diadem, a band of cloth tied around the hair that was to become the symbol of Hellenistic kingship. Philip II had waged war against the Thracians to the north, which left Alexander in charge as regent and heir apparent. . ApieceOfGreece. [146] There are two different versions of Alexander's death, differing slightly in details. [295], The diffusion of Greek culture and language cemented by Alexander's conquests in West Asia and North Africa served as a "precondition" for the later Roman expansion into these territories and entire basis for the Byzantine Empire, according to Errington. [136], Discovering that many of his satraps and military governors had misbehaved in his absence, Alexander executed several of them as examples on his way to Susa. Alexander arranged a double phalanx, with the center advancing at an angle, parting when the chariots bore down and then reforming. [78] He was pronounced son of the deity Amun at the Oracle of Siwa Oasis in the Libyan desert. . [b] After the fall of Persia, the Macedonian Empire held a vast swath of territory between the Adriatic Sea and the Indus River. [187] Craterus started to carry out Alexander's commands, but the successors chose not to further implement them, on the grounds they were impractical and extravagant. [293] As a consequence, the Phalangarii of Legio II Parthica may not have been pikemen, but rather standard battle line troops or possibly Triarii. The Alexander Romance, in particular, has had a significant impact on portrayals of Alexander in later cultures, from Persian to medieval European to modern Greek. [167][168] According to Aelian, a seer called Aristander foretold that the land where Alexander was laid to rest "would be happy and unvanquishable forever". [108], Later, in the Central Asian campaign, a second plot against his life was revealed, this one instigated by his own royal pages. [144] Back in Babylon, Alexander planned a series of new campaigns, beginning with an invasion of Arabia, but he would not have a chance to realize them, as he died shortly after Hephaestion. Alexander responded quickly and drove them from their territory. [85], Babylonian astronomical diaries say that "the king of the world, Alexander" sent his scouts with a message to the people of Babylon before entering the city: "I shall not enter your houses". His father, King Philip II was assassinated, leaving the throne for his son Alexander to take. [162] Another recent analysis suggested pyogenic (infectious) spondylitis or meningitis. But this mania for Alexander, strange as it was, was overshadowed by subsequent events in Alexandria. Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC. He appointed Porus as satrap, and added to Porus's territory land that he did not previously own, towards the south-east, up to the Hyphasis (Beas). [231] Alexander adopted elements of Persian dress and customs at court, notably proskynesis, which was one aspect of Alexander's broad strategy aimed at securing the aid and support of the Iranian upper classes;[102] however the practise of proskynesis was disapproved by the Macedonians, and they were unwilling to perform it. Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in UK Locale Picker United Kingdom 0 Basket Back to School Jewellery & Accessories [311], In Hindi and Urdu, the name "Sikandar", derived from the Persian name for Alexander, denotes a rising young talent, and the Delhi Sultanate ruler Aladdin Khalji stylized himself as "Sikandar-i-Sani" (the Second Alexander the Great). [47][48][49], Alexander began his reign by eliminating potential rivals to the throne. GreekMythos. Alexander immediately headed south. [20], Mieza was like a boarding school for Alexander and the children of Macedonian nobles, such as Ptolemy, Hephaistion, and Cassander. Greek-speaking communities in central Anatolia and in far-eastern Anatolia survived until the Greek genocide and GreekTurkish population exchanges of the early 20th century AD. Most infamously, Alexander personally killed the man who had saved his life at Granicus, Cleitus the Black, during a violent drunken altercation at Maracanda (modern day Samarkand in Uzbekistan), in which Cleitus accused Alexander of several judgmental mistakes and most especially, of having forgotten the Macedonian ways in favour of a corrupt oriental lifestyle. [181], During his final years, and especially after the death of Hephaestion, Alexander began to exhibit signs of megalomania and paranoia. [83] Darius once more fled the field, and Alexander chased him as far as Arbela. ", Peter Turchin, Thomas D. Hall and Jonathan M. Adams, ", Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, pp 158. Alexander the Great Symbol - Etsy Norway Below is a coin with the face of Alexander the Great, depicting the king with the lion's scalp on his head. "[102], Alexander viewed Bessus as a usurper and set out to defeat him. Details from the Alexander Sarcophagus show that he had a fair complexion with ruddy cheeks. [194] Alexander placed the phalanx at the center and cavalry and archers on the wings, so that his line matched the length of the Persian cavalry line, about 3km (1.86mi). [62], After his victory at the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC), Philip II began the work of establishing himself as hgemn (Greek: ) of a league which according to Diodorus was to wage a campaign against the Persians for the sundry grievances Greece suffered in 480 and free the Greek cities of the western coast and islands from Achaemenid rule. He then continued south towards the Peloponnese. 74. [118] There are both Greek and non-Greek aspects to this design. [100] The Achaemenid Empire is normally considered to have fallen with Darius. ", "Alexander the Great poisoned by the River Styx", "Alexander the Great and West Nile Virus Encephalitis", "Why Alexander the Great May Have Been Declared Dead Prematurely (It's Pretty Gruesome)", "The Location of the Tomb: Facts and Speculation", "The Aftermath: The Burial of Alexander the Great", "Greeks captivated by Alexander-era tomb at Amphipolis", "Archaeologist claims opulent grave in Greece honored Alexander the Great's best friend", "Hephaestion's Monogram Found at Amphipolis Tomb", "Plutarch, Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata, ", "Plutarch, De Alexandri magni fortuna aut virtute, chapter 2, section 4", "CNG: eAuction 430. [251] Two of these pregnancies Stateira's and Barsine's are of dubious legitimacy. After this, details on the fate of the tomb are hazy.[171]. [9][10] He was the son of the erstwhile king of Macedon, Philip II, and his fourth wife, Olympias (daughter of Neoptolemus I, king of Epirus). After the death of Spitamenes and his marriage to Roxana (Raoxshna in Old Iranian) to cement relations with his new satrapies, Alexander turned to the Indian subcontinent. Reconstruction of the real face of Alexander the Great - GHD When the animal died (because of old age, according to Plutarch, at age thirty), Alexander named a city after him, Bucephala. It appears that the Egyptian people did not find it disturbing that he was a foreigner - nor that he was absent for virtually his entire reign. Among Alexander's family, "the king or ruler who ended up dying in his bed was rare," says Philip Freeman, a biographer of Alexander the Great and a classical historian at Luther College in . With his death marking the start of the Hellenistic period, Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion and syncretism that his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism and Hellenistic Judaism. [117] The silver coinage had a beardless head of Heracles wearing a lionskin headdress on the obverse and Zeus aetophoros ('eagle bearer') enthroned with a scepter in his left hand, on the reverse. [132], As for the Macedonians, however, their struggle with Porus blunted their courage and stayed their further advance into India. [51], Attalus was at that time corresponding with Demosthenes, regarding the possibility of defecting to Athens. [e] As Pausanias tried to escape, he tripped over a vine and was killed by his pursuers, including two of Alexander's companions, Perdiccas and Leonnatus. The advance was successful and broke Darius's center, causing the latter to flee once again. [78] Alexander restored the temples neglected by the Persians and dedicated new monuments to the Egyptian gods. [77], Egypt was only one of a large number of territories taken by Alexander from the Persians. He had a great desire for knowledge, a love for philosophy, and was an avid reader. [284] Julius Caesar dedicated a Lysippean equestrian bronze statue but replaced Alexander's head with his own, while Octavian visited Alexander's tomb in Alexandria and temporarily changed his seal from a sphinx to Alexander's profile. [84] Darius fled over the mountains to Ecbatana (modern Hamadan) while Alexander captured Babylon. While Philip was occupied in Thrace, Alexander was ordered to muster an army for a campaign in southern Greece. [173][174], Pompey, Julius Caesar and Augustus all visited the tomb in Alexandria, where Augustus, allegedly, accidentally knocked the nose off. Legends say that two boys from Bactria, Tapassu and Bahallika, visited . [14], On the day Alexander was born, Philip was preparing a siege on the city of Potidea on the peninsula of Chalcidice. By the time of his death, he had conquered the entire. Behind Tomb Connected to Alexander the Great, Intrigue Worthy of "Game Both Athens and Philip sent embassies to win Thebes's favour, but Athens won the contest. At Termessos, Alexander humbled but did not storm the Pisidian city. This so irritated Alexander, that throwing one of the cups at his head, "You villain," said he, "what, am I then a bastard?" [62] Alexander's sacking of Thebes ensured that Greece remained quiet during his absence. [69] According to the story, Alexander proclaimed that it did not matter how the knot was undone and hacked it apart with his sword. [105], During this time, Alexander adopted some elements of Persian dress and customs at his court, notably the custom of proskynesis, either a symbolic kissing of the hand, or prostration on the ground, that Persians showed to their social superiors. The correct answer is "He is alive and well and rules the world!" [34], After the victory at Chaeronea, Philip and Alexander marched unopposed into the Peloponnese, welcomed by all cities; however, when they reached Sparta, they were refused, but did not resort to war. This is cited as a reason for sparing Jerusalem. Alexander was emboldened to divide his forces, and Ambhi assisted Hephaestion and Perdiccas in constructing a bridge over the Indus where it bends at Hund,[121] supplied their troops with provisions, and received Alexander himself, and his whole army, in his capital city of Taxila, with every demonstration of friendship and the most liberal hospitality. BRIANT Pierre, Alexandre Le Grand, "Que sais-je? Taking advantage of this power vacuum, Chandragupta Maurya (referred to in Greek sources as "Sandrokottos"), of relatively humble origin, took control of the Punjab, and with that power base proceeded to conquer the Nanda Empire. Alexander also ordered the murder of Attalus,[50] who was in command of the advance guard of the army in Asia Minor and Cleopatra's uncle. Ancient commentators were divided about whether the ambitious Olympias promulgated the story of Alexander's divine parentage, variously claiming that she had told Alexander, or that she dismissed the suggestion as impious. Attalus also had severely insulted Alexander, and following Cleopatra's murder, Alexander may have considered him too dangerous to be left alive. [98] Alexander buried Darius's remains next to his Achaemenid predecessors in a regal funeral. [308] Later Persian writers associate him with philosophy, portraying him at a symposium with figures such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, in search of immortality. [107] The cities' locations reflected trade routes as well as defensive positions. [116] The reverse design of Alexander's tetradrachms is closely modelled on the depiction of the god Baaltars (Baal of Tarsus), on the silver staters minted at Tarsus by the Persian satrap Mazaeus before Alexander's conquest. [102] Against Bessus (Artaxerxes V) however, Briant adds, Alexander reasserted "his claim to legitimacy as the avenger of Darius III". [153] His extraordinary achievements, coupled with his own ineffable sense of destiny and the flattery of his companions, may have combined to produce this effect. The end of Thebes cowed Athens, leaving all of Greece temporarily at peace. Earlier portraits of Alexander, in heroic style, look more mature than the portraits made after his death, such as this example. Many of these students would become his friends and future generals, and are often known as the "Companions". He was one of the ancient rulers who gave out his best or worse to the world. [13], In his early years, Alexander was raised by a nurse, Lanike, sister of Alexander's future general Cleitus the Black. [180], Alexander's death was so sudden that when reports of his death reached Greece, they were not immediately believed. [102] The latter were in many cases additionally connected through marriage alliances with the royal Achaemenid family. Macedonia And Greece Fight For Rights To Name And Alexander The Great [134], Alexander sent much of his army to Carmania (modern southern Iran) with general Craterus, and commissioned a fleet to explore the Persian Gulf shore under his admiral Nearchus, while he led the rest back to Persia through the more difficult southern route along the Gedrosian Desert and Makran. [129] Philostratus the Elder in the Life of Apollonius of Tyana writes that in the army of Porus there was an elephant who fought brave against Alexander's army and Alexander dedicated it to the Helios (Sun) and named it Ajax, because he thought that a so great animal deserved a great name. Alexander the Great | Biography, Empire, Death, & Facts On June 10, 323 BC, Alexander the Great died of fever in Babylon after battling illness for several days. [312] In medieval India, Turkic and Afghan sovereigns from the Iranian-cultured region of Central Asia brought positive cultural connotations of Alexander to the Indian subcontinent, resulting in the efflorescence of Sikandernameh (Alexander Romances) written by Indo-Persian poets such as Amir Khusrow and the prominence of Alexander the Great as a popular subject in Mughal-era Persian miniatures. [161], Several natural causes (diseases) have been suggested, including malaria and typhoid fever. [231] He began to identify himself as the son of Zeus-Ammon. As a young boy, Alexander was taught to read, write, and play the lyre. [141] In an attempt to craft a lasting harmony between his Macedonian and Persian subjects, Alexander held a mass marriage of his senior officers to Persian and other noblewomen at Susa, but few of those marriages seem to have lasted much beyond a year. After the defeat, Spitamenes was killed by his own men, who then sued for peace. [223], Alexander was erudite and patronized both arts and sciences. [89] During his stay a fire broke out in the eastern palace of Xerxes I and spread to the rest of the city. [216] She instilled a sense of destiny in him,[218] and Plutarch tells how his ambition "kept his spirit serious and lofty in advance of his years". (107) $379.44 FREE shipping. When Alexander learned about this, he was furious. [181] However, the power vacuum he left in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent directly gave rise to one of the most powerful Indian dynasties in history, the Maurya Empire. One Greek king, Menander I, probably became Buddhist, and was immortalized in Buddhist literature as 'Milinda'. [124] Alexander was impressed by Porus's bravery, and made him an ally. Goldsworthy, Adrian (2009). This would fit with the intended destination of Alexander's funeral cortege. Alexander was proclaimed king on the spot by the nobles and army at the age of 20. Alexander left no clear successor, though he had a son, Heracles, and another child on the way by his Bactrian wife . Sometime after the wedding, Philip is said to have seen himself, in a dream, securing his wife's womb with a seal engraved with a lion's image. For those peculiarities which many of his successors and friends afterwards tried to imitate, namely, the poise of the neck, which was bent slightly to the left, and the melting glance of his eyes, this artist has accurately observed. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. Some films that have been shot with the theme of Alexander are: There are also many references to other movies and TV series. Outstanding Accomplishments of Alexander the Great [61], After an initial victory against Persian forces at the Battle of the Granicus, Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of Sardis; he then proceeded along the Ionian coast, granting autonomy and democracy to the cities. He had his cousin, the former Amyntas IV, executed. He was the king of his native Macedonia, ruler of the Greeks, the king of Persia and even an Egyptian pharaoh. [153] Olympias always insisted to him that he was the son of Zeus,[230] a theory apparently confirmed to him by the oracle of Amun at Siwa. [199][198] Nevertheless, Andrew Stewart highlights the fact that artistic portraits, not least because of who they are commissioned by, are always partisan, and that artistic portrayals of Alexander "seek to legitimize him (or, by extension, his Successors), to interpret him to their audiences, to answer their critiques, and to persuade them of his greatness", and thus should be considered within a framework of "praise and blame", in the same way sources such as praise poetry are. [42] Philip exiled four of Alexander's friends, Harpalus, Nearchus, Ptolemy and Erigyius, and had the Corinthians bring Thessalus to him in chains. Alexander the Great Facts, Information and Biography Greek Hero [42] He continued to Illyria,[42] where he sought refuge with one or more Illyrian kings, perhaps with Glaukias, and was treated as a guest, despite having defeated them in battle a few years before. The Athenians, led by Demosthenes, voted to seek alliance with Thebes against Macedonia. Miletus, held by Achaemenid forces, required a delicate siege operation, with Persian naval forces nearby.