8 little-known and controversial facts about Alexander the great, who conquered half the world

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The name of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian ruler, is probably known to everyone without exception. This ambitious young man once conquered half the world. In his native Macedonia, a monument was erected to Alexander, and in Asia he is called only a bloody conqueror. This historical figure is surrounded by an endless romantic halo and is not at all as unambiguous as it seems at first glance. It is not always possible to separate fact from fiction in the stories about Alexander passed from mouth to mouth for centuries. Eight important controversial facts from the life of the great king are further in the review.

1. Aristotle was his teacher, the king also liked to communicate with other philosophers

Alexander's father, Philip II of Macedon, hired Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers in human history, to train the 13-year-old prince. Little is known about the three-year tutelage of Alexander, his wise teacher, but Aristotle's apparently intelligent worldly attitudes took root in the boy's heart. There is a legend about how, while still a Greek prince, Alexander sought out the famous ascetic Diogenes the Cynic. This philosopher rejected all social subtleties and slept in a large earthen vessel. The future king approached the thinker in a public square and asked if he could do something for him with his enormous wealth. "Yes," - answered Diogenes, - "Step aside, you are blocking my sun." Alexander was so fascinated by Diogenes' refusal that he declared: "If I had not been Alexander, I would have been Diogenes."

Years later, in India, Alexander suspended his military conquests in order to hold lengthy discussions with the gymnosophists, the "naked philosophers" of the Hindu or Jain religions, who avoided the human vanity that was associated with the wearing of clothing.

2. Alexander the Great for all fifteen years of conquest has managed not to lose a single battle

Military tactics and strategy of Alexander the Great are still the subject of study in military academies. Since his first victory at the age of eighteen, Alexander has earned a reputation as a leader among his people. The Macedonian was able to carry out the battle at an incredibly impressive speed. His men, with relatively small forces, quickly reached enemy positions and broke their defenses before they could understand anything and prepare. After strengthening his kingdom in Greece in 334 BC, Alexander went to Asia. There, on the territory of modern Turkey, he won a series of battles with the Persians under Darius III. The central element of the fighting forces of Alexander the Great was the 15,000-strong Macedonian phalanx. Her units held back the sword-armed Persians with six-meter pikes called sarissa.

3. Macedonian named seven dozen cities after himself, and one even after his horse

Alexander certainly suffered from delusions of grandeur, but in all honesty, he had every right to do so. He was a genius who considered himself a god. The Macedonian liked to name the conquered cities in honor of his beloved. This is how many Alexandria was formed, the most famous of which was founded at the mouth of the Nile in 331 BC. Today it is the second largest city in Egypt. In other Alexandria, you can trace the route of his troops through the territory of modern Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. Not far from the battle of the Hydasp River, the most expensive victory of his Indian campaign, Alexander founded the city of Bucephala. The city was named by the king after his beloved horse, who was mortally wounded in that battle.

4. Alexander fell in love with Roxanne, one of his wives, at first sight

After the capture in 327 BC of the Sogdian Rock, an impregnable mountain fortress, 28-year-old Alexander examined his captives. The general's attention was attracted by Roxanne, the teenage daughter of a Bactrian nobleman. Shortly thereafter, during a traditional wedding ceremony, the king cut a loaf of bread in half with his sword and shared it with his new bride. A few months after the death of Alexander, Roxanne gave birth to the only son of Alexander IV.

5. Alexander is godlike

Plutarch's Life of the Noble Greeks and Romans was written 400 years after Alexander's death. There, the historian says that "a pleasant smell" emanated from Alexander's skin, and that "his breath and his whole body were so fragrant that they gave off a scent to the clothes he wore." These olfactory depictions were part of a tradition, begun during Alexander's lifetime, of attributing godlike attributes to the conquering tsar. Alexander himself openly referred to himself as the Son of Zeus during a visit to Siwa in 331 BC.

6. After defeating the Persians, Alexander began to dress like them

After six years of conquering the Persian Empire, in 330 BC, Alexander conquered Persepolis, a longtime center of Persian culture. The king understood that the best way to maintain control over the Persians was to become like them. He began wearing a Persian striped tunic, belt and tiara. The Macedonian purists were terrified! In 324, Alexander organized a mass wedding in the Persian city of Susa. There he forced 92 noble Macedonians to marry Persians. This example was followed by the king himself, marrying two at once (Statira and Parysatida).

7. The cause of Alexander's death still remains one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world

In 323 BC, Alexander the Great fell ill after drinking a cup of wine at a feast. Two weeks later, the 32-year-old ruler passed away. Given that Alexander's father was killed by his own bodyguard, suspicion fell on those around Alexander. First of all, they suspected the military leader Antipater and his son Cassander (who ultimately ordered the murder of the widow and son of Alexander). Some ancient biographers even suggested that Aristotle, who had connections with the Antipater family, could even be involved in this. Nowadays, medical experts suggest that Alexander could have been killed either by commonplace malaria, or a lung infection, or liver failure, or typhoid fever.

8. Alexander's body was kept in a vat of honey

Plutarch reports that the Macedonian body was embalmed by the Egyptians in Babylon. Leading Victorian Egyptologist A. Wallis Budge suggests that the king's remains were immersed in honey to prevent decay. A couple of years after Alexander's death, his body was sent back to Macedonia. There, according to the historian, he was intercepted and sent to Egypt by Ptolemy I, one of the former generals of Macedon. Possession of the body of Alexander, according to Ptolemy, made him the legal successor to the throne of the great empire.

Like many great conquerors in history, Alexander simply could not get enough of power. His goal was neither more nor less - world domination. The Macedonian was merciful if the cities were subdued without a fight. If they resisted, the king could show simply incredible cruelty. One can argue about his personality for a long time. It is undeniable that he truly was a hero. Alexander always fought in the forefront, not hiding behind the backs of his soldiers. This incredible ambition often pushed him into inappropriate actions and forced him to be merciless even to close people.

If you are interested in interesting details from the lives of the greatest historical figures, read our article on why Cleopatra became the wife of two of her brothers at once and other extraordinary facts about the queen of Egypt.