[302], Alexander the Great's accomplishments and legacy have been depicted in many cultures. [170], While Alexander's funeral cortege was on its way to Macedon, Ptolemy seized it and took it temporarily to Memphis. [279][281][282] The Yavanajataka (lit. GERIN Dominique, GRANDJEAN Catherine, AMANDRY Michel, DE CALLATAY Franois, La monnaie grecque, "L'Antiquit: une histoire", Ellipse, 2001. p117-119. [198] The ancient historian Aelian (c.175 c.235 AD), in his Varia Historia (12.14), describes Alexander's hair color as "", that could mean yellowish, reddish or brownish. [53], Alexander stopped at Thermopylae, where he was recognized as the leader of the Amphictyonic League before heading south to Corinth. Ernst Badian argued that they were exaggerated by Perdiccas in order to ensure that the Macedonian troops voted not to carry them out. This so irritated Alexander, that throwing one of the cups at his head, "You villain," said he, "what, am I then a bastard?" [101] However, as basic forms of community life and the general structure of government were maintained and resuscitated by Alexander under his own rule, he, in the words of the Iranologist Pierre Briant "may therefore be considered to have acted in many ways as the last of the Achaemenids. [17] The Greek cities on the western coast of Anatolia revolted until the news arrived that Philip had been murdered and had been succeeded by his young son Alexander. While there, he encountered a statue of Alexander the Great, and realised with dissatisfaction that he was now at an age when Alexander had the world at his feet, while he had achieved comparatively little. Alexander and his exploits were admired by many Romans, especially generals, who wanted to associate themselves with his achievements. Ancient Greek Macedonian Symbol. [17], The conquest by Philip II of Pangaeum and then of the island of Thasos between 356 and 342 BC brought rich gold and silver mines under Macedonian control. The common soldiers, anxious about his health, were granted the right to file past him as he silently waved at them. While he was sleeping, the goddess appeared and told him to found a city there and move into it the Smyrnaeans from the "old" city. [75], When Alexander destroyed Tyre, most of the towns on the route to Egypt quickly capitulated. They went on to occupy the city of Elatea, only a few days' march from both Athens and Thebes. [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. During his stay in Egypt, he founded Alexandria, which would become the prosperous capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom after his death. "[263] This inscription is one of the few independent archaeological discoveries confirming an episode from Alexander's life. [citation needed] Perhaps taking his summons to Babylon as a death sentence[153] and having seen the fate of Parmenion and Philotas,[154] Antipater purportedly arranged for Alexander to be poisoned by his son Iollas, who was Alexander's wine-pourer. Concerned that other Greek states might intervene, Alexander made it look as though he was preparing to attack Illyria instead. With the Athenians lost, the Thebans were surrounded. Why was Alexander the Great called "the Great"? 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 [130], East of Porus's kingdom, near the Ganges River, was the Nanda Empire of Magadha, and further east, the Gangaridai Empire of Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III or Alexander of Macedonia, (born 356 bce, Pella, Macedonia [northwest of Thessalonki, Greece]died June 13, 323 bce, Babylon [near Al-illah, Iraq]), king of Macedonia (336-323 bce ), who overthrew the Persian empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic [197] During his lifetime, Alexander carefully curated his image by commissioning works from famous and great artists of the time. . [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. Alexander died a mysterious death at the age of 32 in Babylon in 323 BC. Throughout time, art objects related to Alexander were being created. Thus, in Bactria and Sogdiana, Alexander successfully used his javelin throwers and archers to prevent outflanking movements, while massing his cavalry at the center. [20], Mieza was like a boarding school for Alexander and the children of Macedonian nobles, such as Ptolemy, Hephaistion, and Cassander. However, the infantry, under the command of Meleager, rejected this arrangement since they had been excluded from the discussion. [2] He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. Alexander responded quickly and drove them from their territory. [139], Meanwhile, upon his return to Persia, Alexander learned that guards of the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae had desecrated it, and swiftly executed them. [107][260] However, a century or so after Alexander's death, many of the Alexandrias were thriving, with elaborate public buildings and substantial populations that included both Greek and local peoples. On entering Persepolis, Alexander allowed his troops to loot the city for several days. Their very number, however, and the large array of monograms and symbols used to identify the mints where the coins were struck and the mint officials who supervised the work, make this one of the most . [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 Philip heard of this, he stopped the negotiations and scolded Alexander for wishing to marry the daughter of a Carian, explaining that he wanted a better bride for him. Alexander had a close emotional attachment to his companion, cavalry commander ( hipparchus) and childhood friend, Hephaestion. 336-323 BC. [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. That is the stuff that emotional leaders are made of. [188] Other scholars have proposed that they were invented by later authors within the tradition of the Alexander Romance. [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. Alexander the Great was apparently fascinated with everything that could be seen as a symbol of power. Nicolle, David (2000). [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. [68] At the ancient Phrygian capital of Gordium, Alexander "undid" the hitherto unsolvable Gordian Knot, a feat said to await the future "king of Asia". [220] He had great self-restraint in "pleasures of the body", in contrast with his lack of self-control with alcohol. [212][213] Reconstruction of the original polychromy of the relief with Alexander on the sarcophagus shows him with brown eyes and chestnut brown hair. Osprey Publishing. [57] The Macedonians marched into the country of the Triballi, and defeated their army near the Lyginus river[58] (a tributary of the Danube). [135] Alexander reached Susa in 324 BC, but not before losing many men to the harsh desert. p. 75. Aristotle taught Alexander and his companions about medicine, philosophy, morals, religion, logic, and art. [219][222] However, he had little interest in sports or the Olympic Games (unlike his father), seeking only the Homeric ideals of honour (tim) and glory (kudos). 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). )", East-West Orientation of Historical Empires, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, Pella (Khirbet Fahil) Jordan", "The Narratives of "the Companions of the Cave," Moses and His Servant, and Dh 'l-Qarnayn in Srat al-Kahf", "The Mughal Sikander: Influence of the Romance of Alexander on Mughal Manuscript Painting", "Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander the Great", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_the_Great&oldid=1152458164, Construction of 1,000 ships larger than triremes, along with harbours and a road running along the African coast all the way to the, Amalgamation of small settlements into larger cities (", Construction of a monumental tomb for his father Philip, "to match the greatest of the, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 10:27. He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia . [81] The Greeks interpreted this message - one that the gods addressed to all pharaohs - as a prophecy.[78]. Due to the demand of his homesick troops, he eventually turned back at the Beas River and later died in 323 BC in Babylon, the city of Mesopotamia that he had planned to establish as his empire's capital. Alexander was born in 356 B.C.E. Several examples of capitals displaying Ionic influences can be seen as far as Patna, especially with the Pataliputra capital, dated to the 3rd century BC. Geoff W. Adams, The Roman Emperor Gaius "Caligula" and His Hellenistic Aspirations, pp 46. [303] One well-known fable among Greek seamen involves a solitary mermaid who would grasp a ship's prow during a storm and ask the captain "Is King Alexander alive?" [180], Alexander's death was so sudden that when reports of his death reached Greece, they were not immediately believed. [109] It remains unclear if Callisthenes was actually involved in the plot, for prior to his accusation he had fallen out of favour by leading the opposition to the attempt to introduce proskynesis. According to Diodorus, Alexander's last plans called for military expansion into the southern and western Mediterranean, monumental constructions, and the intermixing of Eastern and Western populations. [86], From Babylon, Alexander went to Susa, one of the Achaemenid capitals, and captured its treasury. The Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great was an imperial cult in ancient Egypt in the Hellenistic period (323-31 BC), promoted by the Ptolemaic dynasty.The core of the cult was the worship of the deified conqueror-king Alexander the Great, which eventually formed the basis for the ruler cult of the Ptolemies themselves. Macedon is too small for you", and bought the horse for him. [73][74] The men of military age were massacred and the women and children sold into slavery. Though outmanoeuvered by Darius's significantly larger army, he marched back to Cilicia, where he defeated Darius at Issus. Irish playwright Aubrey Thomas de Vere wrote Alexander the Great, a Dramatic Poem. The Great Macedonian King on the Buddhist Trail. A considerable accession of power was granted him after the death of Philip, son of Machatas; and he was allowed to retain his authority at the death of Alexander himself (323 BC), as well as in the subsequent partition of the provinces at Triparadisus, 321 BC. The first refers merely to the Roman battle line and does not specifically mean that the men were armed with pikes, and the second bears similarity to the 'Marian Mules' of the late Roman Republic who carried their equipment suspended from a long pole, which were in use until at least the 2nd century AD. Literally translated, with a commentary, from the Greek of Arrian, the Nicomedian", "Philostratus the Athenian, Vita Apollonii, book 2, chapter 12", "NZ scientist's detective work may reveal how Alexander died", "Was the death of Alexander the Great due to poisoning? [190], Alexander perhaps earned the epithet "the Great" due to his unparalleled success as a military commander; he never lost a battle, despite typically being outnumbered. Following Alexander's death in Babylon, his body was initially buried in Memphis by one of his generals, Ptolemy I Soter, before being transferred to Alexandria, where it was reburied. [285], On the other hand, some Roman writers, particularly Republican figures, used Alexander as a cautionary tale of how autocratic tendencies can be kept in check by republican values. [91] Curtius claims that Alexander did not regret his decision until the next morning. [17] Of these, Arrian is generally considered the most reliable, given that he used Ptolemy and Aristobulus as his sources, closely followed by Diodorus. Some of the first and most influential figurative portrayals of the Buddha appeared at this time, perhaps modelled on Greek statues of Apollo in the Greco-Buddhist style. His son and successor, Caracalla, a great admirer, visited the tomb during his own reign. [59], News then reached Alexander that the Illyrian chieftain Cleitus and King Glaukias of the Taulantii were in open revolt against his authority. [284] The Macriani, a Roman family that in the person of Macrinus briefly ascended to the imperial throne, kept images of Alexander on their persons, either on jewellery, or embroidered into their clothes. The wine that was served could have had higher alcoholic content compared with vintages today. [106] This was one aspect of Alexander's broad strategy aimed at securing the aid and support of the Iranian upper classes. This is cited as a reason for sparing Jerusalem. He had been holding a memorial feast to honour the death of a close personal friend when he was seized with intense pain and collapsed. [304] In Islamic Persia, under the influence of the Alexander Romance (in Persian: Iskandarnamah), a more positive portrayal of Alexander emerges. Around AD 200, Emperor Septimius Severus closed Alexander's tomb to the public. Whereas he was of a fair colour, as they say, and his fairness passed into ruddiness on his breast particularly, and in his face. His father, King Philip II was assassinated, leaving the throne for his son Alexander to take. When Alexander was ten years old, a trader from Thessaly brought Philip a horse, which he offered to sell for thirteen talents. He had a great desire for knowledge, a love for philosophy, and was an avid reader. [56], Before crossing to Asia, Alexander wanted to safeguard his northern borders. [71] He offered a peace treaty that included the lands he had already lost, and a ransom of 10,000 talents for his family. [60], While Alexander campaigned north, the Thebans and Athenians rebelled once again. He lost another child when Roxana miscarried at Babylon. [107][260] The first, and greatest, was Alexandria in Egypt, which would become one of the leading Mediterranean cities. [216], Alexander's legacy extended beyond his military conquests, and his reign marked a turning point in European and Asian history. In the spring of 335BC, he advanced to suppress several revolts. ", "Was Alexander The Great Poisoned By Toxic Wine? 74. [145], On the evening of May 29, Alexander organized a banquet for his army to celebrate the end of the campaign of India and the onset of the invasion of the Arabian Peninsula. After the assassination of Perdiccas in 321BC, Macedonian unity collapsed, and 40years of war between "The Successors" (Diadochi) ensued before the Hellenistic world settled into three stable power blocs: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Syria and East, and Antigonid Macedonia. [99] He claimed that, while dying, Darius had named him as his successor to the Achaemenid throne. (721) 404.30 NOK. Alexander the Great appears in Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism. [96] The Persian king no longer controlled his own destiny, and was taken prisoner by Bessus, his Bactrian satrap and kinsman. [97] As Alexander approached, Bessus had his men fatally stab the Great King and then declared himself Darius's successor as Artaxerxes V, before retreating into Central Asia to launch a guerrilla campaign against Alexander. In the end, Philip chose Aristotle and provided the Temple of the Nymphs at Mieza as a classroom. [61] While the other cities again hesitated, Thebes decided to fight. The gold series had the head of Athena on the obverse and a winged Nike (Victory) on the reverse. This campaign, initially against Bessus, turned into a grand tour of central Asia. He was taken to his bedchamber where, after days of agony, he fell into a coma and died. The Macedonians were a Greek tribe. After the defeat, Spitamenes was killed by his own men, who then sued for peace. Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek: , romanized: Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC - 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. 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. The campaign took Alexander through Media, Parthia, Aria (West Afghanistan), Drangiana, Arachosia (South and Central Afghanistan), Bactria (North and Central Afghanistan), and Scythia. 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. [303], In pre-Islamic Middle Persian (Zoroastrian) literature, Alexander is referred to by the epithet gujastak, meaning "accursed", and is accused of destroying temples and burning the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism. Alexander was the first king to wear the all-important royal diadem, a band of cloth tied around the hair that was to become the symbol of Hellenistic kingship. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 17.15 g, 1h). [290], After Caracalla concluded his campaign against the Alamanni, it became evident that he was inordinately preoccupied with Alexander the Great. [198] Ancient authors recorded that Alexander was so pleased with portraits of himself created by Lysippos that he forbade other sculptors from crafting his image; scholars today, however, find the claim dubious. [162], Alexander's body was laid in a gold anthropoid sarcophagus that was filled with honey, which was in turn placed in a gold casket. He developed a life-long love of reading and music. Alexander personally defeated the Scythians at the Battle of Jaxartes and immediately launched a campaign against Spitamenes, defeating him in the Battle of Gabai. [264] An inscription from the temple, now housed in the British Museum, declares: "King Alexander dedicated [this temple] to Athena Polias. He had his cousin, the former Amyntas IV, executed. This cost him the sympathies of many of his countrymen, and he eventually abandoned it. He found the Thessalian army occupying the pass between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa, and ordered his men to ride over Mount Ossa. His father Philip was probably Alexander's most immediate and influential role model, as the young Alexander watched him campaign practically every year, winning victory after victory while ignoring severe wounds. [251] Two of these pregnancies Stateira's and Barsine's are of dubious legitimacy. [256] His campaigns greatly increased contacts and trade between East and West, and vast areas to the east were significantly exposed to Greek civilization and influence. This was a sign of Caracalla's increasingly erratic behaviour. [286], Emperor Julian in his satire called "The Caesars", describes a contest between the previous Roman emperors, with Alexander the Great called in as an extra contestant, in the presence of the assembled gods. Marching west into Illyria, Alexander defeated each in turn, forcing the two rulers to flee with their troops. [47][48][49], Alexander began his reign by eliminating potential rivals to the throne. [17], Alexander's most immediate legacy was the introduction of Macedonian rule to huge new swathes of Asia. pp. [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. [106] This behaviour cost him the sympathies of many of his countrymen. [61] Alexander then set out on his Asian campaign, leaving Antipater as regent. [299] His court historian Callisthenes portrayed the sea in Cilicia as drawing back from him in proskynesis. Later in his childhood, Alexander was tutored by the strict Leonidas, a relative of his mother, and by Lysimachus of Acarnania. In early medieval times, Christian women in southern Europe believed that a coin depicting Alexander would bring them happiness on their wedding day and in their marriage. [266][267], Suda wrote that Alexander built a big temple to Sarapis. Alexander the Great is central to identity in Greece and Macedonia, which are quarreling over Macedonia's name and bragging rights to the 4th century B.C. [35] At Corinth, Philip established a "Hellenic Alliance" (modelled on the old anti-Persian alliance of the Greco-Persian Wars), which included most Greek city-states except Sparta. The stronghold was heavily fortified and built on a hill, requiring a siege. [148] In the second account, Diodorus recounts that Alexander was struck with pain after downing a large bowl of unmixed wine in honour of Heracles followed by 11 days of weakness; he did not develop a fever, instead dying after some agony. [239][240] He apparently had two sons, Alexander IV of Macedon by Roxana and, possibly, Heracles of Macedon from his mistress Barsine. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated near Magnesia by the Achaemenids under the command of the mercenary Memnon of Rhodes. This included commissioning sculptures by Lysippos, paintings by Apelles and gem engravings by Pyrgoteles. [98] Alexander buried Darius's remains next to his Achaemenid predecessors in a regal funeral. Macedon was an Ancient Greek polity. Below is a coin with the face of Alexander the Great, depicting the king with the lion's scalp on his head. [62] Alexander's sacking of Thebes ensured that Greece remained quiet during his absence. Born in 356 BC, Alexander was a successor to his father Philip II of Macedon. Bucephalas carried Alexander as far as India. The death of the son necessitated the death of the father, and thus Parmenion, who had been charged with guarding the treasury at Ecbatana, was assassinated at Alexander's command, to prevent attempts at vengeance. [77], Egypt was only one of a large number of territories taken by Alexander from the Persians. [102] This created a problem for Alexander as to whether he had to make use of the various segments and people that had given the empire its solidity and unity for a lengthy period of time. Alexander founded a series of new cities, all called Alexandria, including modern Kandahar in Afghanistan, and Alexandria Eschate ("The Furthest") in modern Tajikistan. These only occasionally quote the letters and it is an open question how reliable such quotations are. Government of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), encounter between Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic, Chronology of the expedition of Alexander the Great into Asia. [39], At the wedding of Cleopatra, whom Philip fell in love with and married, she being much too young for him, her uncle Attalus in his drink desired the Macedonians would implore the gods to give them a lawful successor to the kingdom by his niece. [147] Alexander developed a fever, which worsened until he was unable to speak. [279] For example, Greek astronomical instruments dating to the 3rd century BC were found in the Greco-Bactrian city of Ai Khanoum in modern-day Afghanistan,[280] while the Greek concept of a spherical Earth surrounded by the spheres of planets eventually supplanted the long-standing Indian cosmological belief of a disc consisting of four continents grouped around a central mountain (Mount Meru) like the petals of a flower. [273] Koine spread throughout the Hellenistic world, becoming the lingua franca of Hellenistic lands and eventually the ancestor of modern Greek. During his first 10 years in power, he established one of the largest kingdoms of the ancient world. [187] Furthermore, Perdiccas had read the notebooks containing Alexander's last plans to the Macedonian troops in Babylon, who voted not to carry them out.[62]. Alexander not only returned Ambhi his title and the gifts but he also presented him with a wardrobe of "Persian robes, gold and silver ornaments, 30 horses and 1,000 talents in gold". [120], After Aornos, Alexander crossed the Indus and fought and won an epic battle against King Porus, who ruled a region lying between the Hydaspes and the Acesines (Chenab), in what is now the Punjab, in the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326BC. The Decadent Emperors: Power and Depravity in Third-Century Rome. [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. [112], In general, Greece enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity during Alexander's campaign in Asia. [54] This reply apparently delighted Alexander, who is reported to have said "But verily, if I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes. [88] Alexander stayed in Persepolis for five months. [13] During Philip's absence, the Thracian tribe of Maedi revolted against Macedonia. [116], Alexander did not attempt to impose uniform imperial coinage throughout his new conquests. [152] Early sources indicated Aristotle was considered a potential assassination plotter for rumors had it that he had not forgiven Alexander for the fall of his grand-uncle, Callisthenes, hence he was the one who supplied the poison to Cassander, Antipater's son, who then handed it to his younger brother, Iolaus, the wine-pourer of Alexander. [108], Later, in the Central Asian campaign, a second plot against his life was revealed, this one instigated by his own royal pages. [275] Several Buddhist traditions may have been influenced by the ancient Greek religion: the concept of Boddhisatvas is reminiscent of Greek divine heroes,[278] and some Mahayana ceremonial practices (burning incense, gifts of flowers, and food placed on altars) are similar to those practised by the ancient Greeks; however, similar practices were also observed amongst the native Indic culture. Instead of untangling it laboriously as expected, he . It was also said that on this day, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, burnt down. [177][178][179] In addition, Leosthenes, also, likened the anarchy between the generals, after Alexander's death, to the blinded Cyclops "who after he had lost his eye went feeling and groping about with his hands before him, not knowing where to lay them". 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. [310], The Syriac version of the Alexander Romance portrays him as an ideal Christian world conqueror who prayed to "the one true God". [17], This article is about the ancient king of Macedonia. The Cutting of the Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend associated with Alexander the Great in Gordium in Phrygia, regarding a complex knot that tied an oxcart. In the winter of 327/326BC, Alexander personally led a campaign against the Aspasioi of the Kunar Valley, the Guraeans of the Guraeus Valley, and the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner Valleys. Alexander replied that since he was now king of Asia, it was he alone who decided territorial divisions. Some films that have been shot with the theme of Alexander are: There are also many references to other movies and TV series. [232] However, Alexander also was a pragmatic ruler who understood the difficulties of ruling culturally disparate peoples, many of whom lived in kingdoms where the king was divine.

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