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And a fearless warrior. But was it true that Alexander the Great was small in height, and did he himself have a frail physique?
short biography
The future king was born in 356 BC. e. in the Argead family. Alexander the Great spent his years of life in his native Macedonia, leaving it only for the duration of his studies. Ancient legends say that the beginning of this dynasty was laid by Hercules himself. In addition to him, there was another child in the family - Philip, who was recognized as weak-minded and was not allowed to the throne. Their mother was Olympias, and their father was the famous Macedonian king Philip II.
Childhood and teachers
Alexander spent his childhood under the influence of an imperious mother. She set him up against his father as best she could, so the relationship between him and the parent was ambiguous: on the one hand, he admired the warlike father, on the other, he despised him for his act. Philip II divorced his mother to marry Cleopatra. The parents threw all their strength into the upbringing and education of their only normal son and future ruler. His teachers were such personalities as Leonid - he taught the boy how to survive in the harsh time of the war. Lysimachus taught the young heir rhetoric and ethics. But the main influence was undoubtedly Aristotle. The philosopher invested his knowledge of politics, medicine, literature, poetics. It was his influence that played a role in the formation of the future commander and conqueror. Aristotle himself gave an excellent description of Alexander the Great - his most famous student. A comprehensively developed young ruler received a good education, which greatly helped him in future conquests.
Characteristics of Alexander the Great
The future tsar took over the strong-willed and imperious character from his father. The growth of Alexander the Great was only 150 cm. This did not prevent him from becoming a great conqueror. You can judge personal qualities by one historical fact. Somehow his father was brought to show the horse. It was possible to buy such a stately horse for 13 talents. At the time, that was a lot of money. Not a single person managed to curb this horse - he was simply uncontrollable and did not allow a single rider to approach him. Alexander easily jumped on the horse and sped off on it as if nothing had happened. At that time, the boy was only 10 years old. Since then, he became a faithful companion of the young king and went down in history under the name of Bucephalus. In honor of him, the great commander even named the city.
The violent temper of Alexander could not always be endured by his so-called companions. So he called the students with whom he comprehended sciences in his younger years. Perhaps because of his height, Alexander the Great did not like knightly tournaments, preferring to hold free time at the feasts. Another reason could be his illness - epilepsy. Regular seizures brought a lot of trouble to both the king himself and his entourage. In relation to women, he was located less severely than his teacher Aristotle. He did not consider the beautiful half of humanity to be secondary to men. And it should be noted that, despite his height, Alexander the Great was a success with women. In his harem, there were about 360 concubines. Also, the great commander had three official wives.
Personal life
The first wife of Alexander was the beautiful Roxana, who at that time was only 14 years old. When the Macedonian army crushed the fortress in Bactria, the girl was captured by the Macedonian king. Despite the fact that she was a legitimate prey and the owner could take her by force, her fate was different. Blinded by the beauty of Roxana, the commander takes her as his legal wife, and soon she gives birth to his son Alexander. One of the concubines also gave him an heir - Hercules. Both did not even live to their adulthood. Three years later, Tsar Alexander the Great marries two more women. Both of them were daughters of rulers, and these marriages were beneficial from a political point of view. But the jealous Roxana still could not come to terms with her rivals and killed one of them after the death of her husband.
Unconfirmed data
The opinion about Alexander's bisexuality still haunts historians. It is believed that he was in a sexual relationship with Hephaestion, his closest friend. In those days, it was and relatives did not worry about it. The problem could arise if the future ruler refused to marry and have offspring. Alexander in this regard, everything turned out well, and his inclinations remain only guesses.
conquests
About what was Alexander the Great, can be judged by his deeds. Despite the fact that more than two thousand years have passed since his death, no one has managed to achieve even part of his conquests. Until now, military academies use it tactical schemes in the classroom. All historians of the world recognize his right to be considered the greatest conqueror in the history of mankind.
Ascension to the throne
Young Alexander became ruler much earlier than he expected. His father was killed during a wedding celebration. The young king first uncovered the plot and executed all those responsible for the death of his parent. When rumors of Philip's death reached neighboring states, enemies immediately tried to take advantage of the situation. They naively believed that young Alexander would not be able to manage military power of his state as famously as his father. The new ruler quickly took matters into his own hands and restored order in Athens and Thebes. He does not intend to lose the lands that his father obtained with such difficulty for the empire. He was going to multiply them and make his country a great and invincible power.
The victories followed one after another. First of all, he went to Thebes, where a rebellion was already brewing, supported by rumors about the death of the young commander. The Greeks did not support their neighbors, and the city was taken by storm. In order to avoid the fate of the Thebans and escape from captivity, they themselves surrendered politicians to Alexander, who openly expressed dissatisfaction with his power. Having established order in Greece and Athens, the king returns home, where he prepares for a new campaign.
Great Conqueror
This time his eyes turned to Syria, Egypt and Asia Minor. These lands had strategic importance. In two months he managed to conquer Egypt. The inhabitants of the cities greeted the new king with cries of joy - they had a hard time living under the rule of despotic Darius. The latter tried several times to appease Alexander and offered him a peace treaty. But the young commander turned down the offer twice.
Syria and Asia Minor were conquered within a year, and Persia, Central Asia and India were next on the list. Alexander the Great spent almost all the years of his life on the battlefield. The countries he planned to conquer surrendered under the onslaught of the might of his army. Not a single military leader of that time could unravel his tactics. He knew how to masterfully outwit the enemy and lure him into a trap. No one has managed to surpass him in military affairs so far.
Alexander the Great biography briefly of the king of Macedonia and the majestic commander is set out in this article.
Alexander the Great short biography
Macedonian was born in June 323 BC. in the city of Pella in the family of the Macedonian king Philip II. He was the second child, but his brother Philip III was weak-minded.
He studied with his relatives in Miez, according to the then established tradition. When he was 13 years old, Aristotle became his teacher. Alexander was taught ethics, politics, philosophy, literature, medicine, and poetics.
At the age of 16, his father entrusted him with the reins of government for the first time. Philip II went at this time to conquer Byzantium. Thracian tribes rebelled in their homeland. But the young Macedonian managed to suppress him, proving himself a successful commander. After 2 years, he already commanded an army in the battle of Chaeronea. King Philip II was assassinated in 336 BC. and Alexander was proclaimed king.
Campaigns of Macedonian
Immediately after coming to power, the ruler destroys the enemies of his father, cancels taxes, suppresses the Thracian barbarian tribes, and restores power in Greece.
Alexander the Great made his first great campaign against Persia. In 334 BC. he established his power in almost all of Asia Minor and glorified himself as the greatest conqueror and commander. Phoenicia, Syria, Caria and the countries of the Middle East surrendered to him almost without a fight. During a trip to Egypt locals accepted Macedonian as a new Deity. The king founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt in his honor.
The second campaign against Persia was marked by the conquest of Susa, Persepolis and Babylon, which became new capital powerful united power. Alexander the Great became the King of Asia.
In 326 BC. ruler made a campaign against India. He managed to conquer the territory of modern Pakistan and capture the tribes he met on the way. When the army crossed the Indus River, they went on strike, refusing to move on. Macedonian was forced, after a 10-year triumphal advance deep into the continent, to turn back.
When the period of wars in the life of Macedon ended, he took up the management of the conquered lands. He introduced several reforms, mostly military ones.
Back in 323 BC. the ruler planned a campaign on the Arabian Peninsula with the aim of conquering Carthage. A couple of months before the start of the campaign, Alexander the Great fell ill with malaria (according to another version, he was poisoned). He did not get out of bed for several months, staying at home in Babylon. In June, he lost his speech and developed a fever. 10 days later, on June 10, 323 BC. the commander and great king Alexander the Great died at the age of 32.
Name: Alexander III of Macedon (Alexander Magnus)
Date of Birth: 356 BC uh
Date of death: 323 BC e.
Age: 33 years
Place of Birth: Pella, Ancient Macedonia
A place of death: Babylon, Ancient Macedonia
Activity: king, commander
Family status: was married
Macedonian Alexander - Biography
The surname of the great commander is associated with the place of his birth. He was born in Ancient Macedonia. There are many glorious pages in history dedicated to his exploits.
Childhood years, the family of Alexander the Great
By origin, the Macedonian clan dates back to the beginning of the hero Hercules. Father - the king of Macedonia Philip II, mother - the daughter of the king of Empyria Olympias. With such a pedigree in the biography, it was impossible to be a mediocre person. Alexander grew up, feeling sincere admiration for the exploits of his father. But he did not feel filial feelings for him, because he spent most of his time with his mother, who did not like Philip II. The boy studied away from his home. Relatives were obliged to educate the child. One of the teachers taught rhetoric and ethics, and the other taught the Spartan way of life.
At the age of thirteen there was a change of teachers-mentors. The great Aristotle replaced the former teachers. He taught politics, philosophy, medicine, literature and poetics. The boy grew up ambitious, stubborn and purposeful. Alexander was small in stature, he was absolutely not interested in physical improvement. Didn't care for girls. When the boy was sixteen years old, his father left him to govern the state, and he went to conquer other lands.
Battles and battles of Macedonian
The Thracian tribes decided that there was no hard hand over them, and rose in revolt. The young prince managed to calm the rebels. After the assassination of the king, Alexander took the place of his father, he began his reign by destroying everyone who was hostile to his father and was guilty of his death. Successfully dealt with the Thracians, who were distinguished by rare barbarism, conquered Greece. He managed to unite Hellas and fulfill his father's dream. All his life, Philip bore a campaign against Persia.
Alexander showed himself in these battles as a talented commander. Thus, for his biographical notes, he earned the glory of a military leader capable of many great feats. Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine, Egypt and many other cities and countries fell under the rule of Alexander. In the conquered territories, new cities appear in his honor. For ten years, the king of Macedonia was advancing through Asia.
Ruler's Wisdom
Alexander did not acquire wisdom over the years, he seemed to be immediately a person who knew how to behave. The commander never tried to change the traditions and faith of those he conquered. Very often the former kings remained on the thrones. With such a policy, the territories that submitted to Alexander did not arouse indignation in any way.
They accepted his conditions, completely obeyed their conqueror, and themselves, of their own free will, glorified the king of Macedonia. The ruler of Macedonia had his own views on many things. For example, his teacher always maintained that the role of a woman is secondary. And Alexander respectfully treated the opposite sex and even equated them with men.
Alexander the Great - biography of personal life
At that time, every ruler relied on a harem. The health of the kings was a very important component. Alexander the Great had 360 concubines in his harem. For two years he favored Campaspe, she was young and full of energy. And an experienced concubine with a difference of seven years Barsina gave birth to Alexander's son Hercules. The king of Macedonia did not look like a powerful military leader, but he was strong in love, therefore, his connections with Thalestris, who was the queen of the Amazons, and Cleophis, the princess of India, did not surprise the inner circle.
Concubines, connections on the side and legal wives - a mandatory set for the kings of the era of Alexander the Great. And it was very easy to write a biography of the Macedonian king: none of these three pages was empty. Noble persons became the spouses of the king.
The first was Roxanne. She became Alexander's wife from the age of fourteen. The Bactrian princess gave birth to the wife of a son. Three years passed, and the king decided to marry the daughter of the Persian king, Stateira, and the daughter of another king, Parisatis. Politics demanded this act, but the ruler's wives lived their own lives. And Roxana, very jealous of everyone who shared the legality of the marital bed with her, killed Stateira as soon as Alexander passed away into another world.
The last years of the life of Alexander the Great
The king of Macedonia planned to make a campaign, the purpose of which would be the conquest of Carthage. Everything was ready, but a week before leaving for the battle, Alexander fell ill. There is no exact information about the cause of his illness: there are two versions. According to one of them, malaria served as the cause of death, according to another, Alexander was poisoned. A month was not enough for the king to celebrate his 33rd birthday.
Babylon was in mourning when the king fell ill, and all the days of his struggle with death, he was worried about the state of his ruler. He never managed to get out of bed. At first he stopped talking, then he fought in a terrible ten-day fever. In this battle, the great commander Alexander the Great was defeated for the first time in his life.
Alexander the Great - Documentary
Alexander the Great was born in the autumn of 356 BC. e. in the capital of ancient Macedonia - the city of Pella. From childhood, in the biography of Macedonian, he was trained in politics, diplomacy, and military skills. He studied with the best minds of that time - Lysimachus, Aristotle. He was fond of philosophy, literature, did not attach himself to physical joys. Already at the age of 16, he tried on the role of a king, and later - a commander.
Rise to power
After the assassination of the king of Macedonia in 336 BC. e. Alexander was proclaimed ruler. The first actions of Macedonian in such a high state post were the abolition of taxes, the reprisal against the enemies of his father, the confirmation of the union with Greece. After the suppression of the uprising in Greece, Alexander the Great began to consider a war with Persia.
Then, if we consider short biography Alexander the Great, military operations followed in alliance with the Greeks, the Franks against the Persians. In the battle near Troy, many settlements opened their gates to the great commander. Soon, almost all of Asia Minor submitted to him, and then Egypt. There Macedonian founded Alexandria.
King of Asia
In 331 BC. e. the next major battle with the Persians took place at Gaugamela, during which the Persians were defeated. Alexander conquered Babylon, Susa, Persepolis.
In 329 BC. BC, when King Darius was killed, Alexander became the ruler of the Persian Empire. Becoming the king of Asia, he was subjected to repeated conspiracies. In 329-327 BC. e. fought in Central Asia- Sogdeans, Bactria. Alexander in those years defeated the Scythians, married the Bactrian princess Roxana and set off on a campaign in India.
The commander returned home only in the summer of 325 BC. The period of wars ended, the king took up the management of the conquered lands. He introduced several reforms, mostly military ones.
Death
From February 323 BC. e. Alexander stopped in Babylon and began planning new military campaigns against the Arab tribes, and then to Carthage. He raised troops, prepared a fleet, and built canals.
But a few days before the campaign, Alexander fell ill, and on June 10, 323 BC. e. died in Babylon from a severe fever.
Historians have not yet established the exact cause of the death of the great commander. Some consider his death natural, others put forward versions of malaria or cancer, and still others - about poisoning with a poisonous medication.
After the death of Alexander, his great empire fell apart, wars for power began among his generals (Diadochi).
Alexander, king of Macedonia, is one of the most legendary representatives of antiquity. Despite his very short life, the young king was able to enslave the impregnable Persian empire in just 12 years of his reign. And until now, there are many legends and myths about the great commander. The biography of Alexander the Great still contains many white spots. So who is this great person who amazed everyone with his art of war?
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The formation of a great commander
The Greek king, the great commander Alexander the Third is one of the brightest personalities in history. He was also called the Great and at the same time they noted the cruelty and ruthlessness of this ambitious conqueror, who changed the whole course of history, the fate of not only his own, but also many other peoples of the world. The growth of Alexander the Great by today's standards was low - 150 cm, but for that time it was considered average.
The birthplace of the great conqueror is the city of Pella, year - 356 BC. The father was the Macedonian king Philip II, who laid the foundation for future great conquests. Without this man, the future huge empire simply would not exist.
The exam may require information about the name of Alexander's mother. Her name was Olympias, in character she fully corresponded to him, she was an unusual, reasonable, stately and strong woman.
The future ruler and conqueror was especially attached to the Olympics and relied on her in everything. Mother played an important role in the life of Alexander the Great.
Important! Mostly they pay more attention to Philip II, but thanks to the mother of Alexander the Great, she helped her son reach unprecedented heights.
Olympias, a priestess of Dionysus, a snake tamer, contributed to the suicide of Philip's seventh wife and children. It was she who became the regent of her son. While he was in the East, she was an adviser and assistant in all matters. The intellectual development of the future commander was handled by the Greek philosopher Aristotle.
This is a Macedonian teacher in the field of politics and methods of government. Father Philip II participated in numerous military campaigns, so he was practically not at home. The upbringing of the boy was carried out by Aristotle, who paid Special attention the study of politics, ethics, as well as medicine, literature and philosophy. We can say that in his youth the future conqueror received a classical Greek education of that era.
Having become the king of Macedonia at the age of twenty, in the first years of his reign he proved himself to be a great strategist and conqueror, capable of creating a huge empire, the territory of which reached the borders of India itself. A life oversaturated with military campaigns ended too early - in 323 BC, Alexander was only 33 years old. courage and activities of the young king have become an integral part of the culture and history of the whole world.
The exploits of the great commander are reflected in the work of writers, artists and filmmakers, among them the following can be noted:
- works of famous authors of antiquity: Diodorus, Siculo and Plutarch. Diodorus Siculus, historian of antiquity, wrote a biography of the great commander, which was included in the historical collections "Library of History". Sikulo dedicated a number of poems and songs to the Macedonian king, which are among the first documents in Latin;
- the Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote about Alexander in the 12th song of the 3rd part "" under the title "Hell", where the narration was dedicated to tyrants;
- the figure of the conqueror still inspires many directors. A striking example is the film of the same name with Colin Farrell in leading role, released on screens in 2004.
A life full of conquest
At the age of only 16, he was forced to temporarily replace his father on the throne of Macedonia, who went on a military campaign to conquer.
Two years later, the young ruler had to defend the interests of his state and endure first military test- the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. The Macedonian army defeated the Greek army. In 336 BC, after Philip II was killed by the head of the imperial guard, his son took the throne of Macedonia.
The ascent of the young king to the throne was not easy. The death of his father created problems in the government and revived the hope of the Greeks for independence from Macedonia. It also halted preparations for an invasion of Macedonian troops into Asia with the aim of subjugating the Persian Empire. After destroying the enemies within the government, dealing with conspirators and enlisting the support of the Macedonian army, the king decided first of all to strengthen the position of Macedonia in Greece. what territories were conquered by the army of Alexander the Great during his reign.
Corinth
In 336 BC. Alexander was appointed commander-in-chief of the military League of Corinth. In the city he met with the famous philosopher Diogenes. The extravagant philosopher lived in a barrel, and greatly surprised the young ruler with such a lifestyle. That's why the king agreed to any desire of the philosopher. He invited the ruler to move away, as he covered the sun. Surprised by the answer, the young warrior said: "If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes."
Thebes
In 335 BC. The rebel city of Thebes was destroyed and all its people were enslaved. Having established a firm position in Greece, he decided to complete the plans of his father Philip and free the Greeks who were in slavery of the Persian Empire.
Conquest of Asia
In 334 BC. The Macedonian army arrived in Asia at the same time as a huge fleet with the aim of attacking the Persians. There is evidence that before Alexander went to Troy to pay tribute to the great Greek warrior Achilles.
In the same year, the Gordian knot was broken. According to legend, the person who managed to do this soon became the ruler of all of Asia. Legend was brought to life.
In 333 BC the great military leader won the battle with the troops of the Persian king Darius the Third and freed all the Greek cities, whose inhabitants welcomed him as a liberator.
Finally, the Greek cities were free, but D aria managed to escape. It was necessary not only to strengthen the position of Macedonia among the Greeks, but also to seize the lands of the barbarians and Persians completely, thus creating the Macedonian Empire. It was these two desires that prompted Alexander to make a number of military decisions:
- during the hostilities of the period 332-325. BC, the Persian empire was completely enslaved.
- 332 BC Phoenicia, Syria and Egypt were conquered, the inhabitants of their conqueror called the son of Amun. Only representatives of the family dynasty of the pharaoh received a similar title.
- 331 BC Again, a victory was won over the army of Darius, after which the conquest of the capitals of the Persian Empire began: Babylon, Susa, Persepolis and Pasargada. After the death of Darius at the hands of Besso, the conquest of the Persian Empire in 327 BC. has been completed.
The death of the great conqueror
At the age of 33, the victorious king was at the peak of his glory, but misfortunes were not long in coming. Numerous spending on military action led the people and the government into intolerance towards the new regime.
To avoid problems, the great conqueror built military fortified cities in all strategic points of the territory of the empire, appointing their rulers to their closest military leaders. All cities were called Alexandria. All attempts to revolt against his rule were nipped in the bud.
Attention! The capital of the Macedonian Empire was moved to Babylon, which at that time was located in the very center of the conquered territory.
In the hope of putting an end to the strife between his empire, the Greeks and Persia, Alexander the Great married Statera, the eldest daughter of the Persian king Darius, and many of his close associates married Persian women.
On the eve of a new trip to Saudi Arabia, June 10, 323 BC., Alexander died suddenly. The death is believed to have been caused by malaria. Although this information is not confirmed by ancient documents and may be erroneous.
Other reasons could be: liver cirrhosis or poisoning. During a noisy feast, secret enemies brought a goblet of poisoned wine to the emperor. The true circumstances of the death of the Macedonian ruler are still unknown.
It is worth noting and interesting fact relating to heritage throne after death Macedonian king. Despite the fact that he had two sons, none of them took the throne of his father. As predicted in the Bible centuries before Alexander's reign, his empire was divided among the four generals of his army.
conqueror of women's hearts
Not only the wars of Alexander the Great ended with triumphant victories and brought him fame, but his personal life was no less eventful.
His ability to win women's hearts has become one of the favorite topics of many poets and writers of our day. There were many women, but those who deserve special attention were able to win the heart young emperor.
The first wife of Alexander the Great, Roxana, was considered one of the most beautiful women Asia. Perhaps the choice was due to this very reason, as you know, the Conqueror was distinguished by special vanity. The second wife of the emperor was Stateira, eldest daughter Persian king Darius. The third wife was Parisatis, daughter of Artaxerxes III, King of Persia. In addition to official wives, there were a large number of mistresses.
Unshakable character
FROM early years Alexander began to study the art of war and diplomacy. Thanks to his stubborn and unshakable character, he firmly knew what he wanted and could independently make serious decisions regarding both strategic decisions and transformations in all other areas of life.
The king limited himself to food no problem and for a long time remained completely indifferent to the opposite sex. He had other important goals. But if his leadership was not recognized by others, he was ready to sacrifice everything to be in the spotlight. Many ancient historians speak of him as a proud, self-centered person.
The great military leader had a special charisma, therefore he enjoyed authority among his soldiers, was distinguished by great courage, fought on the front line shoulder to shoulder with ordinary soldiers.
Biography of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, biography
Conclusion
Alexander the Great is a very interesting person and unique in its own way.. commander serves as an example for many. Studying the biography of the great conqueror will be a very useful thing, it will leave a bright imprint in the mind and heart of any person.
