This was especially true of his ‘Successors.’Alexander the Great’s demise unleashed chaos onto his empire as various ambitious generals waged wars to become his true successor.
Read on to find out exactly what made the name of this young warrior, from a small town in Greece, go down in history. He took Babylon and Persepolis, the Persian capital. He began dressing like a Persian and adopted the practice of proskynesis, a Persian court custom that involved bowing down and kissing the hand of others, depending on their rank.The Macedonians were less than thrilled with the changes in Alexander and his attempt to be viewed as a deity. Fed up with Alexander’s new Persian-like persona, a drunk Cleitus continually insulted Alexander and minimized his achievements.Pushed too far, Alexander killed Cleitus with a spear, a spontaneous act of violence that anguished him. (Though a number of causes, including poisoning, have been suggested.) to its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.—ancient Egypt was the preeminent civilization in the Mediterranean world. Alexander the Great is one of history’s most influential figures.
This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience.This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. In the wake of Oliver Stone's epic movie about the Macedonian conqueror's life we at How many of history's great leaders can claim to have had one of the greatest philosophers of all time as their personal tutor?Out of all the intellectuals at the prestigious Academy in Athens, Alexander's father, Philip, chose Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) Though Alexander the Great died before realizing his dream of uniting a new realm, his influence on Greek and Asian culture was so profound that it inspired a new historical epoch—the Hellenistic Period.Philip II was an impressive military man in his own right. "Bucephalus remained Alexander's faithful steed until it died in what is now present-day Pakistan, fighting elephant-mounted brigades.Alexander's father, Philip, was stabbed by one of his bodyguards in 336 B.C. After such an example, there were no significant uprisings in Greece during Alexander's 12-year Asia campaign.The most distinctive element of the Macedonian war machine was the phalanx.
At the Having conquered the Persians, Alexander was named King of Asia. At a banquet back in Babylon, he drank excessively -- as usual -- then fell ill of a fever, possibly due to malaria. Again and again, Tyrian forces thwarted Alexander’s clever attempts to gain entry, and he realized he needed a strong navy to penetrate their defenses.He amassed a large fleet, finally breached the city’s walls in July 332 B.C. Alexander assembled an allied Greek army of 5,000 cavalry and 32,000 infantry to avenge the Persian invasion of Greece in 490 B.C. At its height, Alexander’s empire stretched all the way from modern-day Italy to the Himalayas.
The horse became his battle companion for most of Alexander’s life.When Alexander was 13, Philip called on the great philosopher Alexander was just 16 when Philip went to battle the Alexander put his vigor and bravery on display, and his cavalry decimated the Sacred Band of Thebes.In 336 B.C., Alexander’s father Philip was assassinated by his bodyguard Pausanias. Even so, after a fierce battle in a raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated.One event took place at Hydaspes which devastated Alexander: the death of his beloved horse, Bucephalus. But Philip was easier to get along with. He took another approach and sliced through the knot with his sword, claiming triumph.In 333 B.C., Alexander and his men encountered a massive Persian army led by King Darius III near the town of Issus in southern Turkey. Some tribes surrendered peacefully; others did not.