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 . [107][260] However, a century or so after Alexander's death, many of the Alexandrias were thriving, with elaborate public buildings and substantial populations that included both Greek and local peoples. When the Thessalians awoke the next day, they found Alexander in their rear and promptly surrendered, adding their cavalry to Alexander's force. Struck under Balakros or Menes, circa 333-327 BC", "Images of Authority II: The Greek Example", Alexander: Selected Texts from Arrian, Curtius and Plutarch, The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature, "World map according to Eratosthenes (194 B.C. When news of the revolts reached Alexander, he responded quickly. [116] The reverse design of Alexander's tetradrachms is closely modelled on the depiction of the god Baaltars (Baal of Tarsus), on the silver staters minted at Tarsus by the Persian satrap Mazaeus before Alexander's conquest. All three of these people had motive to have Philip murdered. [57] The Macedonians marched into the country of the Triballi, and defeated their army near the Lyginus river[58] (a tributary of the Danube). [309] His defeat of Darius was depicted as Egypt's salvation, "proving" Egypt was still ruled by an Egyptian. 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. 14K Gold Alexander The Great Greek Macedonian King Thin Pendant . [269] Aspects of Hellenistic culture were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century.[274]. [144][216][243] Hephaestion's death devastated Alexander. 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. ApieceOfGreece. Then Philip, taking Attalus's part, rose up and would have run his son through; but by good fortune for them both, either his over-hasty rage, or the wine he had drunk, made his foot slip, so that he fell down on the floor. Earlier portraits of Alexander, in heroic style, look more mature than the portraits made after his death, such as this example. 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. A 1998 article in the New England Journal of Medicine attributed his death to typhoid fever complicated by bowel perforation and ascending paralysis. [11] Although Philip had seven or eight wives, Olympias was his principal wife for some time, likely because she gave birth to Alexander. In 333 bc, Alexander the Great, on his march through Anatolia, reached Gordium, the capital of Phrygia. His image, name, and legendary power remained resonantand politically visiblelong after his death. By N. G. L. Hammond, F. W. Walbank, G. LE RIDER, Alexandre le Grand: Monnaie, finances et politique, Chapitre V, "Histoire", PUF, 2003, p153-214, REBUFFAT Franoise, La monnaie dans l'Antiquit, Picard, 1996 .p204. [9][10] He was the son of the erstwhile king of Macedon, Philip II, and his fourth wife, Olympias (daughter of Neoptolemus I, king of Epirus). "[55] At Corinth, Alexander took the title of Hegemon ("leader") and, like Philip, was appointed commander for the coming war against Persia. [275] Several Buddhist traditions may have been influenced by the ancient Greek religion: the concept of Boddhisatvas is reminiscent of Greek divine heroes,[278] and some Mahayana ceremonial practices (burning incense, gifts of flowers, and food placed on altars) are similar to those practised by the ancient Greeks; however, similar practices were also observed amongst the native Indic culture. [124] Alexander was impressed by Porus's bravery, and made him an ally. For other uses, see. Ancient commentators were divided about whether the ambitious Olympias promulgated the story of Alexander's divine parentage, variously claiming that she had told Alexander, or that she dismissed the suggestion as impious. [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. Aristotle taught Alexander and his companions about medicine, philosophy, morals, religion, logic, and art. [91] Curtius claims that Alexander did not regret his decision until the next morning. Leycester Coltman, The Real Fidel Castro, p 220. [99] He claimed that, while dying, Darius had named him as his successor to the Achaemenid throne. None of Alexander's contemporaries, however, are known to have explicitly described Alexander's relationship with Hephaestion as sexual, though the pair was often compared to Achilles and Patroclus, whom classical Greek culture painted as a couple. [citation needed], On either 10 or 11 June 323BC, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon, at age 32. On the subsequent advance of the Macedonian king, Taxiles accompanied him with a force of 5,000 men and took part in the Battle of the Hydaspes. [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. Apelles, however, in painting him as wielder of the thunder-bolt, did not reproduce his complexion, but made it too dark and swarthy. [291][292] He began openly mimicking Alexander in his personal style. [216], Alexander's legacy extended beyond his military conquests, and his reign marked a turning point in European and Asian history. [67] In the following year, 332BC, he was forced to attack Tyre, which he captured after a long and difficult siege. [61] Alexander then set out on his Asian campaign, leaving Antipater as regent. The tomb of Alexander the Great is attested in several historical accounts, but its current exact location remains an enduring mystery. [303] One well-known fable among Greek seamen involves a solitary mermaid who would grasp a ship's prow during a storm and ask the captain "Is King Alexander alive?" Reputedly, whoever could untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. In 333 BC Alexander was challenged to untie the knot. [33], As Philip marched south, his opponents blocked him near Chaeronea, Boeotia. causing the mermaid to vanish and the sea to calm. [299] His court historian Callisthenes portrayed the sea in Cilicia as drawing back from him in proskynesis. [197] During his lifetime, Alexander carefully curated his image by commissioning works from famous and great artists of the time. [141], Historical sources frequently give conflicting accounts of Alexander's appearance, and the earliest sources are the most scant in their detail. There was. Osprey Publishing. [13] During Philip's absence, the Thracian tribe of Maedi revolted against Macedonia. [128] The other was Nicaea (Victory), thought to be located at the site of modern-day Mong, Punjab. [30], Upon Philip's return, Alexander was dispatched with a small force to subdue the revolts in southern Thrace. His father, King Philip II was assassinated, leaving the throne for his son Alexander to take. [107] Following Alexander's death, many Greeks who had settled there tried to return to Greece. Alexander endeavored to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea" and invaded India in 326 BC, achieving an important victory over Porus, an ancient Indian king of present-day Punjab, at the Battle of the Hydaspes. [112], In general, Greece enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity during Alexander's campaign in Asia. 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. [117] The silver coinage had a beardless head of Heracles wearing a lionskin headdress on the obverse and Zeus aetophoros ('eagle bearer') enthroned with a scepter in his left hand, on the reverse. [66] Alexander left the government of Caria to a member of the Hecatomnid dynasty, Ada, who adopted Alexander. Darius fled the battle, causing his army to collapse, and left behind his wife, his two daughters, his mother Sisygambis, and a fabulous treasure. There he was shown the chariot of the ancient founder of the city, Gordius, with its yoke lashed to the pole by means of an intricate knot with its end hidden. [102] This created a problem for Alexander as to whether he had to make use of the various segments and people that had given the empire its solidity and unity for a lengthy period of time. [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. military genius. However, the infantry, under the command of Meleager, rejected this arrangement since they had been excluded from the discussion. The pendant has a nicely formed shape. [167][169] His successor, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, transferred the sarcophagus to Alexandria, where it remained until at least late Antiquity. His troops misunderstood his intention and mutinied at the town of Opis. [153][162], Alexander's sexuality has been the subject of speculation and controversy in modern times. The head priest of the cult was the chief priest in the Ptolemaic . Along the way his army conquered the Malhi (in modern-day Multan) and other Indian tribes and Alexander sustained an injury during the siege. [216] However, Ogden calculates that Alexander, who impregnated his partners thrice in eight years, had a higher matrimonial record than his father at the same age. Gaugamela would be the final and decisive encounter between the two. Due to the demand of his homesick troops, he eventually turned back at the Beas River and later died in 323 BC in Babylon, the city of Mesopotamia that he had planned to establish as his empire's capital. [78] He was pronounced son of the deity Amun at the Oracle of Siwa Oasis in the Libyan desert. [73][74] The men of military age were massacred and the women and children sold into slavery. This was a sign of Caracalla's increasingly erratic behaviour. [56], Before crossing to Asia, Alexander wanted to safeguard his northern borders. For those peculiarities which many of his successors and friends afterwards tried to imitate, namely, the poise of the neck, which was bent slightly to the left, and the melting glance of his eyes, this artist has accurately observed. Their works are lost, but later works based on these original sources have survived. ", Peter Turchin, Thomas D. Hall and Jonathan M. Adams, ", Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne, Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, pp 158. [239][240] He apparently had two sons, Alexander IV of Macedon by Roxana and, possibly, Heracles of Macedon from his mistress Barsine. [198] Ancient authors recorded that Alexander was so pleased with portraits of himself created by Lysippos that he forbade other sculptors from crafting his image; scholars today, however, find the claim dubious. [2] He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. [305] Firdausi's Shahnameh ("The Book of Kings") includes Alexander in a line of legitimate Persian shahs, a mythical figure who explored the far reaches of the world in search of the Fountain of Youth. [275] The process of Hellenization also spurred trade between the east and west. [223], Alexander was erudite and patronized both arts and sciences. The Hellenistic period developed through the Roman Empire into modern Western culture; the Greek language became the lingua franca of the region and was the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire up until its collapse in the mid-15th century AD. [88] Alexander stayed in Persepolis for five months. He was the king of his native Macedonia, ruler of the Greeks, the king of Persia and even an Egyptian pharaoh. 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]. This campaign, initially against Bessus, turned into a grand tour of central Asia. Several examples of capitals displaying Ionic influences can be seen as far as Patna, especially with the Pataliputra capital, dated to the 3rd century BC. 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]. When Alexander took the throne he ordered for all of his rivals to the throne to be killed to ensure no-one would . [147] Alexander developed a fever, which worsened until he was unable to speak. "[300], In the first centuries after Alexander's death, probably in Alexandria, a quantity of the legendary material coalesced into a text known as the Alexander Romance, later falsely ascribed to Callisthenes and therefore known as Pseudo-Callisthenes. In 326 BC, Alexander the Great conquered the northern territory of India. [233] Thus, rather than megalomania, his behaviour may have been a practical attempt at strengthening his rule and keeping his empire together. With his death marking the start of the Hellenistic period, Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion and syncretism that his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism and Hellenistic Judaism. [196] At the decisive encounter with Darius at Gaugamela, Darius equipped his chariots with scythes on the wheels to break up the phalanx and equipped his cavalry with pikes. The Athenians, led by Demosthenes, voted to seek alliance with Thebes against Macedonia. After his trip to Siwa, Alexander was crowned in the temple of Ptah at Memphis. The Alexander Romance, in particular, has had a significant impact on portrayals of Alexander in later cultures, from Persian to medieval European to modern Greek. The correct answer is "He is alive and well and rules the world!" [180], Alexander's death was so sudden that when reports of his death reached Greece, they were not immediately believed. [3][4], Until the age of 16, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle. According to Curtius, "Not only did Alexander slaughter the entire population of Massaga, but also did he reduce its buildings to rubble. Alexander immediately headed south. Stories about his interest in animals are well known too. [187] Furthermore, Perdiccas had read the notebooks containing Alexander's last plans to the Macedonian troops in Babylon, who voted not to carry them out.[62]. There, his closest friend, Hephaestion, died of illness or poisoning. [271], The core of the Hellenistic culture promulgated by the conquests was essentially Athenian. In planning his invasion of the Parthian Empire, Caracalla decided to arrange 16,000 of his men in Macedonian-style phalanxes, despite the Roman army having made the phalanx an obsolete tactical formation. [270] Alexander sought to insert Greek elements into Persian culture and to hybridize Greek and Persian culture, homogenizing the populations of Asia and Europe. [284] The emperor Trajan also admired Alexander, as did Nero and Caracalla. [61] While the other cities again hesitated, Thebes decided to fight. Alexander not only returned Ambhi his title and the gifts but he also presented him with a wardrobe of "Persian robes, gold and silver ornaments, 30 horses and 1,000 talents in gold". [285], On the other hand, some Roman writers, particularly Republican figures, used Alexander as a cautionary tale of how autocratic tendencies can be kept in check by republican values. Also, the New Testament was written in the Koine Greek language. Macedonian losses were negligible compared to those of the Persians. 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. He had his cousin, the former Amyntas IV, executed. [169] Perhaps more likely, the successors may have seen possession of the body as a symbol of legitimacy, since burying the prior king was a royal prerogative. In the area of architecture, a few examples of the Ionic order can be found as far as Pakistan with the Jandial temple near Taxila. His chroniclers recorded valuable information about the areas through which he marched, while the Greeks themselves got a sense of belonging to a world beyond the Mediterranean. This also showed Alexander's eagerness to fight, in contrast to his father's preference for diplomacy. [276] The resulting syncretism known as Greco-Buddhism influenced the development of Buddhism[277] and created a culture of Greco-Buddhist art. There have been, since the time, many suspicions that Pausanias was actually hired to murder Philip. [20], Mieza was like a boarding school for Alexander and the children of Macedonian nobles, such as Ptolemy, Hephaistion, and Cassander. 505.38 NOK (20% off) Silver Coin Pendant - Alexander the Great - 925 Sterling Silver 336-323 BC. This cost him the sympathies of many of his countrymen, and he eventually abandoned it. He found the Thessalian army occupying the pass between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa, and ordered his men to ride over Mount Ossa. Aristotle of Stagira (l. 384-322 BCE) was a Greek philosopher who pioneered systematic, scientific examination in literally every area of human knowledge and was known, in his time, as "the man who knew everything" and later simply as "The Philosopher", needing no further qualification as his fame was so widespread. He overcame this by being personally involved in battle,[89] in the manner of a Macedonian king. The Macedonians quickly begged forgiveness, which Alexander accepted, and held a great banquet with several thousand of his men. Some of the most pronounced effects of Hellenization can be seen in Afghanistan and India, in the region of the relatively late-rising Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (250125 BC) (in modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan) and the Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC 10 AD) in modern Afghanistan and India. Alexander replied that since he was now king of Asia, it was he alone who decided territorial divisions. [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. At the time of his death, Alexander's empire covered some 5,200,000km2 (2,000,000sqmi),[257] and was the largest state of its time. (a symbol associated with Alexander), which is now in the . A ten-year journey to the edge of the known world, fighting barbarians and pursue eternal glory, and through all of this, Alexander was just 20 years old. Alexander also ordered the murder of Attalus,[50] who was in command of the advance guard of the army in Asia Minor and Cleopatra's uncle. p. 75. [302], Alexander the Great's accomplishments and legacy have been depicted in many cultures. [231] He began to identify himself as the son of Zeus-Ammon. [258] This process can be seen in such great Hellenistic cities as Alexandria, Antioch[269] and Seleucia (south of modern Baghdad). [306] In the Shahnameh, Alexander's first journey is to Mecca to pray at the Kaaba. [219][222] However, he had little interest in sports or the Olympic Games (unlike his father), seeking only the Homeric ideals of honour (tim) and glory (kudos).

Wyoming Road Closures, Nd High School Basketball Records, Lil Dotz Real Name, Articles A