Who was Alexander the Great? He was considered a
military genius. As a matter of fact, he inspired many later conquerors such as Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte.
It all started in the small kingdom in northern Greece called Macedonia. The kingdom began to grow when King Philip II overthrew Persian rule in 359 BC. Under the direction of Philip II, the Macedonian army flourished using the latest weapons and tactics. These tactics were used to defeat the Athenian and Theban armies, and unify all of the Greek territories. In 356 BC, Philip’s son Alexander was born in Pella, creating a magnificent legacy.
Early Life
In the early part of his life, Alexander rarely saw his father. That is to say, King Philip I spent most of his time away from the family engaged in battles. However, he was also known to be involved in extramarital affairs. Aristotle, a philosopher, was engaged by King Philip to instruct Alexander for three years in 343 BC. In that time, Alexander learned about science, politics, the art, poetry, and philosophy. After completing his education, Alexander ruled Macedonia in the interim as his father was away in battle. Meanwhile, he was only sixteen years old. Despite his young age, Alexander proved to be a capable and intelligent ruler.
Death of Philip II
King Philip II embarked on his great military pursuits in an effort to conquer the Persian empire. However, he was not killed in battle. Instead, King Philip II was assassinated when his daughter was getting married. Alexander had to assumed the throne and carrying out the conquest of Persia. Once he became king, Alexander ordered the execution of anyone he considered a domestic enemy. Most importantly, his military quickly established dominance and control over the territories that wanted to assert their independence. In addition, the entire population of Thebes was either slaughtered or sold off as slaves by the Macedonians after they tried to gain their independence.
Early Campaigns
The
Macedonian army crossed over the Asian Minor in 334 BC, and sacked the city of Baalbek, then liberated the Greek city of Ephistos from the Persians. Over the next few years, Alexander’s army conquered Syria and Egypt. In Egypt, an oracle declared Alexander as the son of Zeus, which transcended his mortal status.
Alexander Never Experienced Defeat
During his
15-year military onslaught, Alexander the Great
never lost. Known for both their tremendous speed as well as their great size, his army consisted of 15,000 soldiers. Other secrets to their military success were sarissas, which were 20-foot-long pikes that could hold off the swords of the Persians.
His Death Remains A Mystery
At a feast in 323 BC, Alexander the Great drank a bowl of wine, which caused him to become worse and eventually die two weeks later. With many enemies, some people believed that he was poisoned. Others speculate that he died from malaria, infection, typhoid, or liver failure (he was a very heavy drinker).
With such a great legacy, many people study the
military strategies of Alexander. During his rule, he issued many coins in his image. Check out our Alexander ancient silver coins. Many historic gold coins from Egypt, Greece, and Rome are also on display at our store.
