We explain who Alexander the Great was and the history of his conquests. We also explain his characteristics and death.
At only 30 years of age, Alexander the Great united East with West.
Who was Alexander the Great?
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), also known as Alexander III of Macedonia or Alexander “The Great”, was a Macedonian king who conquered the Greek worldthe Persian Empire, Egypt and India and formed the largest empire of Antiquity.
Born in Pella, Macedonia, Greeceson of King Philip II of Macedonia and Olympias of Epirus. His father trained him militarily, entrusted his education to Aristotle and associated him with the Macedonian throne from a very young age.
When Philip II died in 336 BC. C., Alexander succeeded him as king of Macedonia. During his government, He spread Greek culture in the conquered territories and gave rise to what is known as Hellenistic culture.
See also: Hellenistic Period
The consolidation of power of Alexander the Great
Alexander’s father, Philip II, held the throne of Macedonia between 359 and 336 BC.. During his rule he turned Macedonia into a strong centralized monarchy and introduced a series of military reforms that made it the leading warring power in the region. With successive military victories, he built an army that controlled the territories stretching from the Danube (in the north) to Thessaly (in the south). Furthermore, he prevailed over the Greek polis and created the League of Corinth, and obtained his support to begin the conquest of the East.
During his father’s reign, Alexander was in charge of the cavalry of the Macedonian troops at the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC), which marked the definitive victory of Macedonia over the Greek polis.
In 336 BC, Philip II was assassinated by a member of his court.for unclear reasons. Upon assuming the Macedonian throne, Alexander set out to consolidate and extend the empire that his father had built. To do so, he had to suppress the Greek poleis that had taken advantage of his father’s death to rebel.
Then, in 334 BC. C., faced the Persian Empire, which had again advanced on the Greek polisand defeated its king, Darius III, at the Battle of Granicus. From then on, he dedicated himself to the expansion of the kingdom. With this victory, Alexander began to be called “Magnus”, which means “the Great”.
The conquests of Alexander the Great
Between 334 and 323 BC. C., Alexander built the largest empire of ancient times.
In 334 BC, The army led by Alexander entered Asia Minor and defeated the Persian troops of Darius III.. Then, two years later, he conquered Egypt and began a series of campaigns that allowed him to prevail in the Levant, Babylon, and each of the satrapies (provinces) that had been part of the Persian Empire.
In 326 BC, Alexander began his campaign to India, in which he suffered important defeats. Although he managed to extend the eastern limit of his empire to the Indus River, the soldiers of his army refused to continue fighting in the increasingly remote territories, in the face of a hostile relief and climate.
The Alexandrias of Alexander the Great
Of the 70 cities founded by Alexander the Great, 50 were named after him.
During his military campaigns, Alexander founded dozens of cities. He gave most of them his own name: Alexandria. The different cities were located at strategic points throughout the empire and were situated at the confluence of the different trade routes that linked East and West.
The best known of the cities founded by Alexander was the Alexandria Nile River Delta, EgyptThis city became one of the most prestigious urban centres in the region, due to its wealth and culture. It came to have more than half a million inhabitants, mostly Greeks, Egyptians and Jews.
Military knowledge
Like his father, Alexander the Great maintained a professional army for his conquests.
Alexander He received all the necessary war teaching from his father Philip II.At a young age, he managed to establish himself and become a skilled military commander who earned the respect and trust of his soldiers.
A characteristic military tactic of the Macedonian army was the so-called “Macedonian phalanx”.which involved a combat formation made up of trained professional soldiers with heavy weapons and cavalry.
These military tactics required great training and discipline, and were a key element in the victory of enemy armies.
Religion in the empire of Alexander the Great
Macedonian religion and culture belonged to the Greek world. The Greeks believed in many gods, to whom they attributed human form.. The gods, despite being immortal, had the same virtues and defects as humans: they felt love, fear, jealousy, hatred, etc. The most important gods in the Greek pantheon were the twelve gods who lived on Mount Olympus, where they monitored the behavior of humans and intervened when they wished.
To worship the gods, the Greeks They built statues that were located inside large stone templesHowever, religious ceremonies were not held in Greek temples, as they were considered to be exclusive spaces for the deities. Instead, they gathered at open-air altars and held ceremonies led by priests dedicated to each particular god.
On the other hand, with the expansion of the empire, Alexander allowed the conquered peoples to keep their godsits culture and its traditions.
Politics of Alexander the Great’s empire
Magno tried to generate marital alliances between winners and losers.
The Alexandrian Empire was a centralized monarchy. Under the influence of the political style of the East, Alexander deified his figure as emperor. He called himself “son of Amun-Zeus” and proclaimed himself a descendant of Heracles and Achilles, mythical heroes of Greek culture.
For the administration of the government, Alexander made different decisions, depending on the political structure of each conquered region. In general, maintained local governmentsboth in the Greek polis and in Egypt and the Persian satrapies, and appointed Macedonian military leaders to supervise them.
He also included in his entourage and among his trusted collaborators various governors and military leaders of the conquered states. In addition, He encouraged the union of Macedonian officials with local elitesin order to establish a network of power that would allow it to maintain control of so many territories.
Culture and society of Alexander the Great
With military conquests, Alexander the Great created an empire that integrated very different regions from each other and that included various beliefs and social customs. While he encouraged the spread of Greek culture, he respected local customs and ceremonies.
With the creation of its empire, Hellenistic culture originated, which includes the integration and syncretism of Greek culture with Eastern culturesHowever, Alexander did not live long enough to organize the society and customs of the empire he had created, and Hellenistic culture developed during the reigns of his descendants.
The death of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. C., at 32 years of age due to an illnessAlthough there are versions that maintain that the emperor was poisoned, most accounts indicate that it was an illness contracted during his last military campaign.
Upon his death, the Macedonian, Greek and Persian military generals who had formed his inner circle fought over the succession and The Alexandrian Empire broke up into different kingdoms..
Continue with: Classic Era
References
- “Introduction in “The Mediterranean world in ancient times: Hellenism and the rise of Rome” (pp. 3-20). Grimal, P. (1992). Twenty-first Century Editors.
- “Alexander the Great in The Ancient Greece. Political, social and cultural history” (pp. 410-451). Criticism. Burstein, S. M., Donlan, W., & Pomeroy, S. B. (2003).
- “Alexander the Great” Mercer, C. (2015). New Word City.