Who was Alexander the Great? || PT 1

Posted on December 5, 2022February 12, 2023 by Theo Chiang

INVESTIGATION INTO WORLD CONQUERORS + NOTABLE FIGURES ACROSS WORLD + TIME PERIODS

Providing Historical Background as well as Archaeology and their Physical Remnants

Part 1 - Who was Alexander the Great?

The civilization of Macedon was considered rustic, barbaric, and uncivilized before the reign of King Phillip II. Phillip was very capable, and helped transform the image of Macedon into a robust, developed society. Author Chris Scarre mentioned that he “persuaded subjects to settle in cities and to stop wearing sheepskins”(Scarre 500). He was very well rounded, being a renowned politician in Southern Greece and a participant in panhellenic sports games. On the day he won the chariot races at the Olympic games, his son, Alexander III was born.

In historical recordings, The assassination of King Phillip II is very obscure. The consensus is that he was assassinated in the theater of Pella, the capital of Macedonia, in 336 BC possibly by political rivals. According to ancient Greek Historian Dioderous, Other members of the family were assassinated at roughly the same time period, indicating a possible rivalry or conspiracy. Others suggest that the murder was Instigated by Persian King Darius III to hinder Phillip’s allied powers — The League of Corinth — from enacting their plans of liberating Greek city states in Asia Minor from the Achaemenid Dynasty. King Phillip was buried in the big tomb, the Macedonian Royal funerary, in Vergina, Modern day Greece.

Alexander of Macedonia was brought up with influence from many mentors — all wildly significant figures of the Hellenistic World. He was constantly exposed to military science and leadership skills taught by his father. He also mastered combat under Leonidas I, a king of Sparta, and became well versed in history, philosophy, religion, logic, and general sciences by Aristotle. At the time of Phillip II’s death, Alexander was just 20, but evidently well fit to rule. Once he assumed power, he immediately began a 12 year period of conquest across Eurasia.

The first leg of his conquests involved securing the Greek City states. The Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE marked the completion of this feat, when he defeated a coalition of Greek City States which included Athens and Thebes. After decisively ending Hellenistic Freedom, Alexander worked to bring the Mediterranean and near East closer to the Hellenistic World. During this time, he built up his repertoire through numerous military feats such as the tactical victory of Granicus River and Issus, Besieging the Phoenician city Tyre, Defeating Darius III and the massive Achaemenid Dynasty, and taking Egypt, who happily surrendered to him.

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