Alexander
3rd of Macedonia (known as Alexander The Great), is the first and only son of the king
Philip
2nd of Macedonia and Olympias. He was born in Pella,
356 BC. He was an excellent student who had great education. By wish of his
father, Aristotle came in Pella to teach Alexander. As the Greek philosopher came in
Pella, he was introduced to a young man with, his best friend the wine, but with
no one equal in the military tasks. Historical sources say his favorite book was
"Iliyada" from Homer. Having Aristotle as his teacher, we may mention:
"Alexander
The Great was the most tolerant conqueror in the world. As he was
conquering countries, he never ruined other buildings, he respected the
culture of the conquered and wanted from the authorities of every country
that he conquered, to pay him taxes."
His father well trained him in the political
and military stuff, as soon as he approached his 18th year. At the age of 20,
after the assassination of his father (in 336 BC), Phillip he
became king of the ancient Macedonian state. He ruled the ancient Macedonian
state for 13 years, since 336-323 BC. In the period of his authority Macedonia
became the most powerful country in the region and developed the well trained
ancient Macedonian army
Phalange.
During the period of his authority, some Greek city-states tried to establish
authority over Macedonia, but Alexander defeated them as his father did at
Chaeroneia in 338 BC. During this offensive, he totally ruined Thebes, the great
power in ancient Greece.
For
only two years being a king, in 334 BC he started a long and well planed war
route to Persia. During this period Persia was weak. Alexander, went to
attack the million Persian army with 30,000 people, 5,000 cavalry and only 160 boats.
Alexander during this journey for him "kept" a little personal secret.
In a mine called Alšar near
Kavadarcitoday, at the foothills of Kožuf mountain, he
discovered a mineral from the sun, that produced a strong sun light, even to
blind someone. The sun crystal, called Lorandith, was attached to the shields,
lances and helmets of the Macedonian soldiers, by direct order of Alexander. His
commanders-in-chief didn't know about this and advised Alexander to attack the
persians during the night. But he attacked them always during the day, and he
realized his wishes. He defeated the nearly 1,000,000 army of the persian king
Daruis, in the year of 334 BC in the battle near the river Granicus, with his
minor army of 30,000. The Lorandith produced a strong sunlight and caused a
temporary blindness to the persian soldiers and there was nothing else left but
to attack the practically blind soldiers. The next year of 333 BC, he defeated the Persian army again near the
town Issus in Asia Minor (Turkey today). The Persian King Darius escaped, but his
family was kidnapped by Alexander. By this great win of the ancient Macedonian
army, the way to the middle east was opened. During this conqueror routes,
Alexander was joined by the Paionian army, lead by Ariston. As he was
entering every town, he was welcomed by it's citizens. After
conquering of the towns Tyre and Giza in 332 BC, the way to Egypt's been
opened. Then the cities in Phoenicia, Palestine and Egypt with no fight opened
their doors and proclaimed his a their king. As excellent politician in Egypt he
visited the temple of the Egyptian god of the sun Amon Ra, so the Egyptian also
proclaimed him as son of Amon Ra and Pharaoh. In Egypt he established a new
city-town, called Alexandria. His army general told him to stop with the
war, but Alexander wanted to destroy the Persian state. So on the way the
Babylonia at Gavgamela in the year of 331 came to new battle, more bloody than
the others. The Persian king again wanted to escape but was brutally killed.
Quinnt Curatsius Ruff says:
"During
the battle, a macedonian soldier found the wounded Darius, who was
shouting for help on Greek, but poor him nobody understood what was he speaking.
But the soldier not understanding him was forced to look for a translator."
And by
the win the Persian empire was totally destroyed. The Macedonians
entered the biggest Persian cities, Babylon, Suza and Persepolis. The Babylonian
priests proclaimed for king and Alexander re-built the temple of the Persian god
Marduk. In the spring of 327 BC, Alexander and his army marched into India
invading
Punjab
as far as the river Hyphasis (modern Beas). At this point the Macedonians
rebelled and refused to go farther. The greatest of Alexander's battles in
India was against Porus, one of the most powerful Indian leaders, at the river Hydaspes.
On July 326 BC, Alexander's army crossed the heavily defended river in dramatic
fashion during a violent thunderstorm to meet Porus' forces. The Indians were
defeated in a fierce battle, even though they fought with elephants, which the
Macedonians had never before seen. Alexander captured Porus and, like the other
local rulers he had defeated, allowed him to continue to govern his territory.
Alexander even subdued an independent province and granted it to Porus as a
gift. In this battle Alexander's horse, Bucephalus, was wounded and died.
Alexander had ridden Bucephalus into every one of his battles in Greece and
Asia, so when it died, he was grief-stricken and founded a city in his horse's
name. Alexander's next goal was to reach the to travel south down the rivers
Hydaspes and Indus so that they might reach the Ocean on the southern edge of
the world. The army rode down the rivers on the rivers on rafts and stopped to
attack and subdue villages along the way. During this trip, Alexander sought out
the Indian philosophers, the Brahmins, who were famous for their wisdom, and
debated them on philosophical issues. He became legendary for centuries in India
for being both a wise philosopher and a fearless conqueror. One of the villages
in which the army stopped belonged to the Malli, who were said to be one of the
most warlike of the Indian tribes. Alexander was wounded several times in this
attack, most seriously when an arrow pierced his breastplate and his ribcage.
The Macedonian officers rescued him in a narrow escape from the village.
Alexander and his army reached the mouth of the Indus in July 325 BC and turned
westward for home.
In the spring of 324,
Alexander held a great victory celebration at Susa. He and 80 close associates
married Iranian noblewomen. In addition, he legitimized previous so-called
marriages between soldiers and native women and gave them rich wedding gifts, no
doubt to encourage such unions. When he discharged the disabled Macedonian
veterans a little later, after defeating a mutiny by the estranged and
exasperated Macedonian army, they had to leave their wives and children with
him. Because national prejudices had prevented the unification of his empire,
his aim was apparently to prepare a long-term solution (he was only 32) by
breeding a new body of high nobles of mixed blood and also creating the core of
a royal army attached only to himself. After his death, nearly all the noble
Susa marriages were dissolved. He established training programs to teach
Persians about Greek and Macedonian culture, and he married
Roxanne, a Persian princess.
"Relief
presentation of the battle by the river of Granicus (334 BC) against the
Persians, led by Alexander The Great (The Archeological Museum - Istanbul,
Turkey)"
We will probably never
know the truth, of Alexander's mysterious death, even though new theories are
still coming out. Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king and the great
conqueror, died at the age of 33, on June 10, 323 BC. Three days earlier, on the
7th of June, 323 BC, the Macedonians were allowed to file past their leader for
the last time before he finally succumbed to the illness. Alexander died without
designating a successor. His death, marked the end of the great ancient
Macedonian empire, that carried on in the hands of Philip 3rd
Arrydeus and his child Alexander 4th. Alexander The Great died
as a god and as a legend, he had 32 years and created an empire, like nobody
before and after him, did. As years were passing after his death, he was
becoming more and more actual.
"Alexander
The Great was not just a Macedonian king, but was a Macedonian and was
speaking Macedonian."
The first Macaveian
book in the Bible starts like this:
1. Alexander of
Macedonia, the son of Philip 2nd, came out of the land Hetean and defeated
Daruis, the persian and indian tzar and strengthened himself in Ellada
(Greece), instead of Daruis. 2. He lead many
wars, conquered many places and defeated many rulers.
Alexander
3rd of Macedonia (known as Alexander The Great), is the first and only son of the king
His father well trained him in the political
and military stuff, as soon as he approached his 18th year. At the age of 20,
after the assassination of his father (in 336 BC), Phillip he
became king of the ancient Macedonian state. He ruled the ancient Macedonian
state for 13 years, since 336-323 BC. In the period of his authority Macedonia
became the most powerful country in the region and developed the well trained
ancient Macedonian army
For
only two years being a king, in 334 BC he started a long and well planed war
route to Persia. During this period Persia was weak. Alexander, went to
attack the million Persian army with 30,000 people, 5,000 cavalry and only 160 boats.
Alexander during this journey for him "kept" a little personal secret.
In a mine called Alšar near
Punjab
as far as the river Hyphasis (modern Beas). At this point the Macedonians
rebelled and refused to go farther. The greatest of Alexander's battles in
India was against Porus, one of the most powerful Indian leaders, at the river Hydaspes.
On July 326 BC, Alexander's army crossed the heavily defended river in dramatic
fashion during a violent thunderstorm to meet Porus' forces. The Indians were
defeated in a fierce battle, even though they fought with elephants, which the
Macedonians had never before seen. Alexander captured Porus and, like the other
local rulers he had defeated, allowed him to continue to govern his territory.
Alexander even subdued an independent province and granted it to Porus as a
gift. In this battle Alexander's horse, Bucephalus, was wounded and died.
Alexander had ridden Bucephalus into every one of his battles in Greece and
Asia, so when it died, he was grief-stricken and founded a city in his horse's
name. Alexander's next goal was to reach the to travel south down the rivers
Hydaspes and Indus so that they might reach the Ocean on the southern edge of
the world. The army rode down the rivers on the rivers on rafts and stopped to
attack and subdue villages along the way. During this trip, Alexander sought out
the Indian philosophers, the Brahmins, who were famous for their wisdom, and
debated them on philosophical issues. He became legendary for centuries in India
for being both a wise philosopher and a fearless conqueror. One of the villages
in which the army stopped belonged to the Malli, who were said to be one of the
most warlike of the Indian tribes. Alexander was wounded several times in this
attack, most seriously when an arrow pierced his breastplate and his ribcage.
The Macedonian officers rescued him in a narrow escape from the village.
Alexander and his army reached the mouth of the Indus in July 325 BC and turned
westward for home.
"Relief
presentation of the battle by the river of Granicus (334 BC) against the
Persians, led by Alexander The Great (The Archeological Museum - Istanbul,
Turkey)"
