505.38 NOK (20% off) Silver Coin Pendant - Alexander the Great - 925 Sterling Silver 336-323 BC. Was it Veratrum album? Details from the Alexander Sarcophagus show that he had a fair complexion with ruddy cheeks. The Greek cities on the western coast of Anatolia revolted until the news arrived that Philip had been murdered and had been succeeded by his young son Alexander. When Alexander asked Diogenes what he could do for him, the philosopher disdainfully asked Alexander to stand a little to the side, as he was blocking the sunlight. [102] Alexander wrote a letter in 332 BC to Darius III, wherein he argued that he was worthier than Darius "to succeed to the Achaemenid throne". Alexander the Great was born in the Greek month of Hekatombaion. GERIN Dominique, GRANDJEAN Catherine, AMANDRY Michel, DE CALLATAY Franois, La monnaie grecque, "L'Antiquit: une histoire", Ellipse, 2001. p117-119. The end of Thebes cowed Athens, leaving all of Greece temporarily at peace. [120] Ambhi hastened to relieve Alexander of his apprehension and met him with valuable presents, placing himself and all his forces at his disposal. His father, King Philip II was assassinated, leaving the throne for his son Alexander to take. [20], Mieza was like a boarding school for Alexander and the children of Macedonian nobles, such as Ptolemy, Hephaistion, and Cassander. [11] Although Philip had seven or eight wives, Olympias was his principal wife for some time, likely because she gave birth to Alexander. The so-called "Alexander Sarcophagus", discovered near Sidon and now in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, is so named not because it was thought to have contained Alexander's remains, but because its bas-reliefs depict Alexander and his companions fighting the Persians and hunting. [62] Antipater referred the Spartans' punishment to the League of Corinth, which then deferred to Alexander, who chose to pardon them. Alexander then marched for three days to the Danube, encountering the Getae tribe on the opposite shore. His military achievements and unprecedented enduring successes in battle made him the measure against which many later military leaders would compare themselves,[c] and his tactics remain a significant subject of study in military academies worldwide. [107], During the long rule of the Achaemenids, the elite positions in many segments of the empire including the central government, the army, and the many satrapies were specifically reserved for Iranians and to a major degree Persian noblemen. At which Alexander reproachfully insulted over him: "See there," said he, "the man who makes preparations to pass out of Europe into Asia, overturned in passing from one seat to another. [110], When Alexander set out for Asia, he left his general Antipater, an experienced military and political leader and part of Philip II's "Old Guard", in charge of Macedon. [161], Several natural causes (diseases) have been suggested, including malaria and typhoid fever. [305] In this tradition, he was a heroic figure who built a wall to defend against the nations of Gog and Magog. Alexander founded a series of new cities, all called Alexandria, including modern Kandahar in Afghanistan, and Alexandria Eschate ("The Furthest") in modern Tajikistan. When Alexander died at the age of 32, he ruled a territory that spanned three continents and covered nearly 2 million square miles. In addition to speech works, sculptures and paintings, in modern times Alexander is still the subject of musical and cinematic works. ", In 337 BC, Alexander fled Macedon with his mother, dropping her off with her brother, King Alexander I of Epirus in Dodona, capital of the Molossians. [17] Contemporaries who wrote accounts of his life included Alexander's campaign historian Callisthenes; Alexander's generals Ptolemy and Nearchus; Aristobulus, a junior officer on the campaigns; and Onesicritus, Alexander's chief helmsman. He had been holding a memorial feast to honour the death of a close personal friend when he was seized with intense pain and collapsed. Macedonian losses were negligible compared to those of the Persians. [26], Suda writes that Anaximenes of Lampsacus was one of Alexander's teachers, and that Anaximenes also accompanied Alexander on his campaigns. p. 75. [42] Accordingly, Alexander returned to Macedon after six months due to the efforts of a family friend, Demaratus, who mediated between the two parties. Concerned that other Greek states might intervene, Alexander made it look as though he was preparing to attack Illyria instead. Constantinople 1453: The End of Byzantium. According to Diodorus, Alexander's last plans called for military expansion into the southern and western Mediterranean, monumental constructions, and the intermixing of Eastern and Western populations. The Macedonians were a Greek tribe. Instead, they supported Alexander's half-brother Philip Arrhidaeus. [198] The ancient historian Aelian (c.175 c.235 AD), in his Varia Historia (12.14), describes Alexander's hair color as "", that could mean yellowish, reddish or brownish. Taking advantage of this power vacuum, Chandragupta Maurya (referred to in Greek sources as "Sandrokottos"), of relatively humble origin, took control of the Punjab, and with that power base proceeded to conquer the Nanda Empire. [295] Caligula, who could not swim,[296] then proceeded to ride his favourite horse Incitatus across, wearing the breastplate of Alexander the Great. On entering Persepolis, Alexander allowed his troops to loot the city for several days. When Alexander learned about this, he was furious. [223] Nevertheless, Plutarch described how Alexander was infatuated by Roxana while complimenting him on not forcing himself on her. [261], The city of Pella, in modern Jordan, was founded by veterans of Alexander's army, and named it after the city of Pella, in Greece, which was the birthplace of Alexander. In 333 bc, Alexander the Great, on his march through Anatolia, reached Gordium, the capital of Phrygia. [7], Alexander III was born in Pella, the capital of the Kingdom of Macedon,[8] on the sixth day of the ancient Greek month of Hekatombaion, which probably corresponds to 20 July 356 BC (although the exact date is uncertain). The successor states that emerged were, at least initially, dominant forces, and these 300years are often referred to as the Hellenistic period. [78] Alexander restored the temples neglected by the Persians and dedicated new monuments to the Egyptian gods. It appears that the Egyptian people did not find it disturbing that he was a foreigner - nor that he was absent for virtually his entire reign. He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia . [42] Philip exiled four of Alexander's friends, Harpalus, Nearchus, Ptolemy and Erigyius, and had the Corinthians bring Thessalus to him in chains. Ancient Greek Macedonian Symbol. Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Augustus, among others, are noted as having . [130], East of Porus's kingdom, near the Ganges River, was the Nanda Empire of Magadha, and further east, the Gangaridai Empire of Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. [35] At Corinth, Philip established a "Hellenic Alliance" (modelled on the old anti-Persian alliance of the Greco-Persian Wars), which included most Greek city-states except Sparta. Bucephalas carried Alexander as far as India. [177][178][179] In addition, Leosthenes, also, likened the anarchy between the generals, after Alexander's death, to the blinded Cyclops "who after he had lost his eye went feeling and groping about with his hands before him, not knowing where to lay them". ApieceOfGreece. 336-323 BC. [233] Thus, rather than megalomania, his behaviour may have been a practical attempt at strengthening his rule and keeping his empire together. [22], During his youth, Alexander was also acquainted with Persian exiles at the Macedonian court, who received the protection of Philip II for several years as they opposed Artaxerxes III. [195], At Issus in 333 BC, his first confrontation with Darius, he used the same deployment, and again the central phalanx pushed through. [291][292] He began openly mimicking Alexander in his personal style. Alexander the Great is central to identity in Greece and Macedonia, which are quarreling over Macedonia's name and bragging rights to the 4th century B.C. [183] Diodorus, Curtius and Justin offered the more plausible story that Alexander passed his signet ring to Perdiccas, a bodyguard and leader of the companion cavalry, in front of witnesses, thereby nominating him. [66] Alexander left the government of Caria to a member of the Hecatomnid dynasty, Ada, who adopted Alexander. [241][242], Alexander also had a close relationship with his friend, general, and bodyguard Hephaestion, the son of a Macedonian noble. In the temple of Luxor, near Karnak, he built a chapel for the sacred barge. [14], On the day Alexander was born, Philip was preparing a siege on the city of Potidea on the peninsula of Chalcidice. [153][162], Alexander's sexuality has been the subject of speculation and controversy in modern times. [167][169] His successor, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, transferred the sarcophagus to Alexandria, where it remained until at least late Antiquity. [63][64], Taking over the invasion project of Philip II, Alexander's army crossed the Hellespont in 334BC with approximately 48,100 soldiers, 6,100 cavalry and a fleet of 120 ships with crews numbering 38,000,[61] drawn from Macedon and various Greek city-states, mercenaries, and feudally raised soldiers from Thrace, Paionia, and Illyria. [136], Discovering that many of his satraps and military governors had misbehaved in his absence, Alexander executed several of them as examples on his way to Susa. However, the infantry, under the command of Meleager, rejected this arrangement since they had been excluded from the discussion. Goldsworthy, Adrian (2009). [216] Alexander's mother Olympia similarly had huge ambitions, and encouraged her son to believe it was his destiny to conquer the Persian Empire. He then stormed the pass of the Persian Gates (in the modern Zagros Mountains) which had been blocked by a Persian army under Ariobarzanes and then hurried to Persepolis before its garrison could loot the treasury.[87]. [88] Alexander stayed in Persepolis for five months. [180], Alexander's death was so sudden that when reports of his death reached Greece, they were not immediately believed. [162], Alexander's body was laid in a gold anthropoid sarcophagus that was filled with honey, which was in turn placed in a gold casket. Also, the New Testament was written in the Koine Greek language. [104] However, when, at some point later, Alexander was on the Jaxartes dealing with an incursion by a horse nomad army, Spitamenes raised Sogdiana in revolt. [231] He began to identify himself as the son of Zeus-Ammon. Several fictitious letters, some perhaps based on actual letters, made their way into the Romance tradition. Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mould of Achilles, featuring prominently in the historical and mythical traditions of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. Stories about his interest in animals are well known too. There is a tradition that they would only start serious drinking, after everyone was done with their meals. In 336 he sent Parmenion, with Amyntas, Andromenes and Attalus, and an army of 10,000 men into Anatolia to make preparations for an invasion. [313] In medieval Europe, Alexander the Great was revered as a member of the Nine Worthies, a group of heroes whose lives were believed to encapsulate all the ideal qualities of chivalry. [107], The foundation of the "new" Smyrna was also associated with Alexander. )", East-West Orientation of Historical Empires, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, Pella (Khirbet Fahil) Jordan", "The Narratives of "the Companions of the Cave," Moses and His Servant, and Dh 'l-Qarnayn in Srat al-Kahf", "The Mughal Sikander: Influence of the Romance of Alexander on Mughal Manuscript Painting", "Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander the Great", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_the_Great&oldid=1152458164, Construction of 1,000 ships larger than triremes, along with harbours and a road running along the African coast all the way to the, Amalgamation of small settlements into larger cities (", Construction of a monumental tomb for his father Philip, "to match the greatest of the, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 10:27. [69] According to the story, Alexander proclaimed that it did not matter how the knot was undone and hacked it apart with his sword. Moreover, that a very pleasant odour exhaled from his skin and that there was a fragrance about his mouth and all his flesh, so that his garments were filled with it, this we have read in the Memoirs of Aristoxenus. In the spring of 335BC, he advanced to suppress several revolts. [36][37], When Philip returned to Pella, he fell in love with and married Cleopatra Eurydice in 338 BC,[38] the niece of his general Attalus. The first refers merely to the Roman battle line and does not specifically mean that the men were armed with pikes, and the second bears similarity to the 'Marian Mules' of the late Roman Republic who carried their equipment suspended from a long pole, which were in use until at least the 2nd century AD. Etsy Search for items or shops Close search Skip to Content Sign in UK Locale Picker United Kingdom 0 Basket Back to School Jewellery & Accessories [256] His campaigns greatly increased contacts and trade between East and West, and vast areas to the east were significantly exposed to Greek civilization and influence. After the assassination of Perdiccas in 321BC, Macedonian unity collapsed, and 40years of war between "The Successors" (Diadochi) ensued before the Hellenistic world settled into three stable power blocs: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Syria and East, and Antigonid Macedonia. [202], Both Curtius and Diodorus report a story that when Darius III's mother, Sisygambis, first met Alexander and Hephaestion, she assumed that the latter was Alexander because he was the taller and more handsome of the two.[203]. [205][206][207], Many scholars and historians attribute heterochromia to him. BRIANT Pierre, Alexandre Le Grand, "Que sais-je? Sometime after the wedding, Philip is said to have seen himself, in a dream, securing his wife's womb with a seal engraved with a lion's image. [147] Alexander developed a fever, which worsened until he was unable to speak. Men's Coin Sterling Silver Ring, Star of Vergina Symbol of Alexander the Great Handmade Greek Signet Ring, Greek Jewelry, Men's Jewelry. [42] He continued to Illyria,[42] where he sought refuge with one or more Illyrian kings, perhaps with Glaukias, and was treated as a guest, despite having defeated them in battle a few years before. Alexander is a male given name.The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Aleksander and Aleksandr.Related names and diminutives include Iskandar, Alec, Alek, Alex, Alexandre, Aleks, Aleksa and Sander; feminine forms include . Government of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), encounter between Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic, Chronology of the expedition of Alexander the Great into Asia. [140], After three days, unable to persuade his men to back down, Alexander gave Persians command posts in the army and conferred Macedonian military titles upon Persian units. [295] This act was in defiance of a prediction by Tiberius's soothsayer Thrasyllus of Mendes that Caligula had "no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Bay of Baiae". Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek: , romanized:Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great,[a] was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He reportedly read this passage to his patron King Lysimachus, who had been one of Alexander's generals and who quipped, "I wonder where I was at the time. In 326 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the northern territory of India. [108], Later, in the Central Asian campaign, a second plot against his life was revealed, this one instigated by his own royal pages. The satrapies handed out by Perdiccas at the Partition of Babylon became power bases each general used to bid for power. This is in line with the description of him given by the Greek biographer Plutarch (c. 45 c.120AD): The outward appearance of Alexander is best represented by the statues of him which Lysippus made, and it was by this artist alone that Alexander himself thought it fit that he should be modelled. Starting from Amphipolis, he travelled east into the country of the "Independent Thracians"; and at Mount Haemus, the Macedonian army attacked and defeated the Thracian forces manning the heights. [45], In summer 336BC, while at Aegae attending the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra to Olympias's brother, Alexander I of Epirus, Philip was assassinated by the captain of his bodyguards, Pausanias. [305], The figure of Dhu al-Qarnayn (literally "the Two-Horned One") mentioned in the Quran is believed by scholars to be based on later legends of Alexander. Alexander the Great was apparently fascinated with everything that could be seen as a symbol of power. Alexander was proclaimed king on the spot by the nobles and army at the age of 20. [275] On the Silk Road trade routes, Hellenistic culture hybridized with Iranian and Buddhist cultures. Alexander himself took selected troops on the direct route to the city. [181][220] His unique abilities were further demonstrated by the inability of any of his generals to unite Macedonia and retain the Empire after his deathonly Alexander had the ability to do so. [262], In 334 BC, Alexander the Great donated funds for the completion of the new temple of Athena Polias in Priene, in modern-day western Turkey. [297], Alexander wrote and received numerous letters, but no originals survive. Throughout time, art objects related to Alexander were being created. [173][174], Pompey, Julius Caesar and Augustus all visited the tomb in Alexandria, where Augustus, allegedly, accidentally knocked the nose off. The pendant has a nicely formed shape. [102] As early as 334 BC he demonstrated awareness of this, when he challenged incumbent King Darius III "by appropriating the main elements of the Achaemenid monarchy's ideology, particularly the theme of the king who protects the lands and the peasants". This alternate route turned out to be . That is the stuff that emotional leaders are made of. Plutarch's account is that roughly 14 days before his death, Alexander entertained admiral Nearchus and spent the night and next day drinking with Medius of Larissa. [181] According to Diodorus, Alexander's companions asked him on his deathbed to whom he bequeathed his kingdom; his laconic reply was "ti kratisti""to the strongest". [citation needed], The strongest argument against the poison theory is the fact that twelve days passed between the start of his illness and his death; such long-acting poisons were probably not available. Fearing the prospect of facing other large armies and exhausted by years of campaigning, Alexander's army mutinied at the Hyphasis River (Beas), refusing to march farther east. This cost him the sympathies of many of his countrymen, and he eventually abandoned it. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. [145], On the evening of May 29, Alexander organized a banquet for his army to celebrate the end of the campaign of India and the onset of the invasion of the Arabian Peninsula. It was originally thought to have been the sarcophagus of Abdalonymus (died 311 BC), the king of Sidon appointed by Alexander immediately following the battle of Issus in 331. After the defeat, Spitamenes was killed by his own men, who then sued for peace. [153] Olympias always insisted to him that he was the son of Zeus,[230] a theory apparently confirmed to him by the oracle of Amun at Siwa. Alexander then led the League of Corinth, and used his authority to launch the pan-Hellenic project envisaged by his father, assuming leadership over all Greeks in their conquest of Persia.[5][6]. [181] However, the power vacuum he left in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent directly gave rise to one of the most powerful Indian dynasties in history, the Maurya Empire. [306] In the Shahnameh, Alexander's first journey is to Mecca to pray at the Kaaba. [284] Polybius began his Histories by reminding Romans of Alexander's achievements, and thereafter Roman leaders saw him as a role model. When Alexander took the throne he ordered for all of his rivals to the throne to be killed to ensure no-one would . (a symbol associated with Alexander), which is now in the . [e] As Pausanias tried to escape, he tripped over a vine and was killed by his pursuers, including two of Alexander's companions, Perdiccas and Leonnatus. When the Thessalians awoke the next day, they found Alexander in their rear and promptly surrendered, adding their cavalry to Alexander's force. Persian coins continued to circulate in all the satrapies of the empire.[119]. Philip II had waged war against the Thracians to the north, which left Alexander in charge as regent and heir apparent. military genius. ", Peter Turchin, Thomas D. Hall and Jonathan M. Adams, ", Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, pp 158. [91] Curtius claims that Alexander did not regret his decision until the next morning. 14K Yellow Solid Gold. "[247] Some modern historians (e.g., Robin Lane Fox) believe not only that Alexander's youthful relationship with Hephaestion was sexual, but that their sexual contacts may have continued into adulthood, which went against the social norms of at least some Greek cities, such as Athens,[248][249] though some modern researchers have tentatively proposed that Macedonia (or at least the Macedonian court) may have been more tolerant of homosexuality between adults. [279] For example, Greek astronomical instruments dating to the 3rd century BC were found in the Greco-Bactrian city of Ai Khanoum in modern-day Afghanistan,[280] while the Greek concept of a spherical Earth surrounded by the spheres of planets eventually supplanted the long-standing Indian cosmological belief of a disc consisting of four continents grouped around a central mountain (Mount Meru) like the petals of a flower. in Pella, Macedonia, to King Philip II. [62] Alexander's sacking of Thebes ensured that Greece remained quiet during his absence. The advance was successful and broke Darius's center, causing the latter to flee once again. [3][4], Until the age of 16, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle. Their works are lost, but later works based on these original sources have survived. Philip was then named Hegemon (often translated as "Supreme Commander") of this league (known by modern scholars as the League of Corinth), and announced his plans to attack the Persian Empire. After his trip to Siwa, Alexander was crowned in the temple of Ptah at Memphis. [39] The marriage made Alexander's position as heir less secure, since any son of Cleopatra Eurydice would be a fully Macedonian heir, while Alexander was only half-Macedonian. Possible causes include a drunken accident or deliberate revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens during the Second Persian War by Xerxes;[90] Plutarch and Diodorus allege that Alexander's companion, the hetaera Thas, instigated and started the fire. Marble portrait head of Alexander the Great: the head was cut to fit into a separately made body. [32] Philip marched on Amphissa (ostensibly acting on the request of the Amphictyonic League), capturing the mercenaries sent there by Demosthenes and accepting the city's surrender. After that victory he was sent by Alexander in pursuit of Porus, to whom he was charged to offer favourable terms, but narrowly escaped losing his life at the hands of his old enemy. [107][260] The first, and greatest, was Alexandria in Egypt, which would become one of the leading Mediterranean cities. [2] He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. Alexander followed close behind and captured the strategic hill-fort after four bloody days. Athens sued for peace and Alexander pardoned the rebels. For other uses, see. [312] In medieval India, Turkic and Afghan sovereigns from the Iranian-cultured region of Central Asia brought positive cultural connotations of Alexander to the Indian subcontinent, resulting in the efflorescence of Sikandernameh (Alexander Romances) written by Indo-Persian poets such as Amir Khusrow and the prominence of Alexander the Great as a popular subject in Mughal-era Persian miniatures.
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