How Alexander The Great StartedAlexander III of Macedon, known as Alexander The Great went on the conquer most of the known world of his day back in ancient times. He is well known as 'The Great' both for his military genius brain that he had and excellent diplomatic skills in handling the various populaces of the regions he conquered. He is well known and remembered for spreading the Greek culture and language and fought from Greece throughout Asia Minor, Egypt, Mesopotamia to India initiating the era of the "Hellenistic World".
Alexander's military courage was first noted at the battle of Charonea in 338 BC. At the time he was only 18 years old and helped turn the tide of the battle in the decisive Macedonian victory which defeated the Greek allied city-states. His father Phillip II was assassinated in 336 BC, Alexander assumed the throne. His father had planned to conquest the mighty Persian Empire. With an army of 32,000 infantry and 5,100 cavalry, Alexander crossed over to the Asia Minor in 334 BC and took the city of Baalbek and renamed it to Heliopolis. Then he had freed the Greek city of Ephesos from the Persian rule had had offered to rebuild the Temple Of Artemis which had been destroyed by Arson on the night of his birth. Then later on Alexander and his troops defeated the larger force of King Darius III of Persia in the battle with Issos. Darius fled the field, leaving his family behind. Alexander went on to sack the Phoenician City of Sidon and then to conquer Aleppo. In 332 BC he conquered Syria and then Egypt in 331 BC where he founded the city of Alexandria. Alexander proclaimed himself the King Of Asia and continued on to the march on the great city of Susa which had surrendered unconditionally without any resistance. From Susa Alexander marched on the city of Persepolis and he started a fire which destroyed the main palace and most of the city as revenge for burning the Acropolis in Xerxes.
|
Alexander was a very brave and strong minded ruler. With the Persians then being under his control and newly married to the Bactrian noblewoman Roxana, Alexander had then turned his attention to India. The Indian King Omphis of Taxila did not want to fight but Alexander subdued these tribes, finally meeting the king Porus of Paurava and Porus changed Alexander's forces with elephants and fought so bravely with his troops. After defeating Porus, Alexander installed him as ruler of a larger region that he had previously held. Alexander's horse Bucephalus was killed in this battle, and Alexander named one of the two cities he founded after the battle "Bucephala" after him. Alexander was unbelievable from how much strength he had he was the strongest of them all and a good thing for Greece.
|