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Alexander the Great: The Legendary Warrior
03-02-2013 10:57Alexander the Great, was the finest battlefield commander of the ancient world, and till his death he had carved out the largest empire the world had ever seen, stretching from the Adriatic Sea to the Hindus River.
Alexander the Great was the son of Philip II, King of Macedonia and his wife Olympias, a princess from Epirus, born in Pella in 356 B.C. There are various legends concerning his origin, as one of then has him being son of Zeus, probably a naïve explanation of the future greatness he was destined to experience. Alexander’s tutor was Aristotle, who inspired his interest in science, medicine, philosophy and literature.
His successful military career started early, as at the age of sixteen Alexander served as regent for his father and two years after he led the cavalry at the Battle of Chaeronea. After King Philip was assassinated, Alexander was acclaimed as king of Macedonia. His forceful actions enabled him to succeed his father as a leader. He secured the borders of his kingdom and then set off for the ambitious invasion of the Persian Empire.
Alexander started the invasion with a force of more than 37,000 men and his first great victory came at the Granicus River. After that, the Asia was ready to be claimed and Alexander succeeded in a series of decisive and victorious battles, at Issus and Gaugamela. Alexander kept marching deep in Asia, occupying Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis, ending up in establishing himself as Persian king.
In 327 b.c.e., Alexander invaded India (modern Pakistan) but troops refused to cross the Hyphasis (Beas) River and he campaigned southward until he reached the Arabian Sea. Alexander returned to Babylon in 323 B.C. and died there at the age of thirty-three from either fever or excessive drinking.
Alexander’s military genius and boundless ambition produced a huge empire and his ideas about governing had a great impact on civilization, and a great contribution to the diffusion of Greek culture. Although he has also been depicted as a ruthless despot and narcissist, Alexander and his deeds are still under debate more than twenty-three centuries after his death. He definitely achieved the everlasting fame he sought.
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