Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III of Macedon was an ancient Greek King (basileus) of Macedon (336–323 BC). He was one of the most successful military commanders of all time and is presumed undefeated in battle. By the time of his death, he had conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, adding it to Macedon's European territories; according to some modern writers, this was most of the world as known to the ancient Greeks.
Alexander assumed the kingship of Macedon following the death of his father Philip II, who had unified most of the city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian hegemony in a federation called the League of Corinth. After reconfirming Macedonian rule by quashing a rebellion of southern Greek city-states and staging a short but bloody excursion against Macedon's northern neighbours, Alexander set out east against the Persian Empire, which he defeated and overthrew. His conquests included Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia, and he extended the boundaries of his own empire as far as Punjab, India.
Alexander had already made plans prior to his death for military and mercantile expansions into the Arabian peninsula, after which he was to turn his armies to the west (Carthage, Rome and the Iberian Peninsula). His original vision, however, had been to the east, to the ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea, as described by his boyhood tutor and mentor Aristotle.
Alexander integrated many foreigners into his army, leading some scholars to credit him with a "policy of fusion". He also encouraged marriages between his soldiers and foreigners, and he himself went on to marry two foreign princesses.
Alexander died after twelve years of constant military campaigning, possibly a result of malaria, poisoning, typhoid fever, viral encephalitis or the consequences of alcoholism. His legacy and conquests lived on long after him and ushered in centuries of Greek settlement and cultural influence over distant areas. This period is known as the Hellenistic period, which featured a combination of Greek, Middle Eastern, Egyptian and Indian culture. Alexander himself featured prominently in the history and myth of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. His exploits inspired a literary tradition in which he appeared as a legendary hero in the tradition of Achilles.
AntwortenLöschenMmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................the warrior! ;-)
Romy
I like a man who solves the problem, instead of thinking about the problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AntwortenLöschenAndreas, thanks for the wonderful gallery of images of Alexander in art. By coincidence, the kids and I have been listening to a taped lecture on Alexander-- he led by example. He always rode at the leading point of the flying wedge formation.-- the first to smash into the enemy lines. After conquering in battle, he delayed sitting down to banquet with his generals in favor of comforting and caring for the wounded among his soldiers. No wonder his men loved him. He won the hearts and minds of conquered people when instead of selling them into slavery, he left them to rule themselves under his kingship. Alexander was worshipped as a god during his life and until Christianity became the dominant religion in the Byzantine empire. He died at a young age, but such diverse characters as Julius Caesar, George Washington, Napoleon and Eisenhower have followed his example, in one way or another. His powers of observation and insight, demonstrated when at the age of 12 (or younger) he was the only one in a group of men whose lives depended upon the horse to notice that Beaucephalus was not crazy but merely spooking at his own shadow-- allowed him to choose companions who literally followed him to the ends of the Earth. As my daughter put it "What a character!" . . . Thanks again...mary
AntwortenLöschenAlexander caught my interest as well. I don't think that he was a god or was always loved, but he was definitely an outstanding leader and warrior.
AntwortenLöschen