![]() ![]() The generals of his army were all Macedonians. It was in the springtime of 334 BC that Alexander the Great set out to conquer Persia with an army of soldiers from all Greek towns, except Sparta that denied taking part in this war. In Corinth, he met the Athenians who opted for peace and persuaded all the Greeks to make his father's dream true: to start the war against the Persians in order first to take revenge for the Persian Wars, about a century earlier, and then to minimize the risk of a new Persian attack. He first crushed the Thessalian forces making them surrender and went south to face other battles. Alexander got the news very quickly and he acted spontaneously. ![]() Soon regions of Thebes, Athens, Thessaly and the Thracian tribes revolted against Macedon to acquire their independence now that Phillip was dead. The result was that at the early age of 20, Alexander the great had to take his father's position on the throne. Others believed that the Persians had arranged everything to prevent a war against them, while Alexander himself was also suspect as he faced the danger not to become king, after the birth of Cleopatra's son. ![]() Some said that it was Olympias who had ordered the assassination of her husband from jealousy. Next day, the day of his wedding to Cleopatra, King Phillip was assassinated by Pausanias, his chief bodyguard, for unknown reasons. Such thoughts were even spoken aloud in the banquet ceremony before the wedding, which led to a heated exchange of words and actions between Alexander and his father. Their marriage bore doubts in the minds of many as because their offspring would be true Macedonian blood and a possible heir to the throne. When King Phillip II returned to his kingdom, he was charmed by a Macedonian noblewoman Cleopatra Eurydice, whom he married soon. There at Corinth, that Philip got the recognition of Supreme Commander of all Greeks in the war they wanted to launch against Persia. Together they occupied Central Greece and then marched to Peloponnese. Along with his father, he participated in the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC and defeated both Athenians and Thebans who had formed an alliance against Macedonia. His beard was scanty and it is reported that he had a short of spinal problem: his neck was twisted and some believe that he had a congenital spinal disorder.Īt 16, when he finished his education, he was constantly involved in fights against the tribe of the Illyrians, who threatened the Macedonian Empire. During this learning process, Alexander developed favoritism for Homer's literature, especially the epic of Iliad, and became a great fun of Achilles, whom he had as his exemplar.Īncient sources state Alexander to be short, much shorter than a normal Macedonian, but very tough. Aristotle taught some very important and interesting subjects to him and his courses covered topics on biology, philosophy, religion, logic and art. When Alexander was 13, he came under the tutelage of Aristotle, the famous philosopher. Since then, this horse which was named Bucephalus became his companion in all battles and wars. At the age of 10, to everyone's surprise, he managed to tame a very wild horse. Since he was a little boy, Alexander was taught by the best tutors and had shown special courage in fights. The myth says that the night Alexander was born, the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was burnt down as the goddess was not there to protect it, being busy to attend the birth of that boy who would later become a legend. The two of them had met in Samothraki island during some religious festivals and, although Phillip also had other wives, Olympias was thought as his primary wife and queen. His father was King Phillip II of Macedon and his mother was Olympias, the daughter of the king of Epirus. The First YearsĪlexander was born in 356 BC in Pella, the capital of the Macedon Kingdom. In his short life, he managed so many things as to become a legend. Tremendously successful in all military coups, Alexander the Great spread the Greek civilization all over the East, till the borders of India, and changed the course of history until he died at the age of 33. He is undoubtely the most famous figure of ancient Greece. Alexander the Great, as he is known today, is credited with conquering and annexing to his glorious empire nearly half of the world's population during his time. His military genius brought him tremendous success and managed to stretch the Empire of Macedon from Greece to India. Alexander was the third King of Macedon and can be regarded as one of the best military personnel the world has ever seen. ![]()
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