Alexander the Great: The Boy That Became a Legend

~Aritra Biswas

The Birth of A Prince

In 356 BCE, in the Macedon kingdom, a child was born who would later transform the world Alexander who was the son of King Philip II and Queen Olympias. He was thought to be great ever since his early years of life. His mother took the stories of Greek heroes, particularly Achilles, into his head and Alexander was brought up believing that he would get his glory.

Lessons From a Genius
His father did not want Alexander to be simply a warrior and therefore he selected one of the greatest thinkers of all time Aristotle to tutor him. Alexander studied philosophy, science, poetry, medicine and politics under the tutelage of Aristotle. These teachings made his mind sharp and helped him on how to rule and not to conquer people. But his soul was with the men of the past, and he had a copy of the Iliad of Homer by his side wherever he went.

There was one event, which marked his youth, and that was the taming of Bucephalus, a fierce black horse, which not even the most expert horsemen could have mounted. Alexander knew that the horse feared its shadow. Facing the sun he calmed and then rode his back.

A Young King Rises

Alexander had been at a tender age of twenty, when he had to change his life forever due to the assassination of his father. The little prince suddenly was the king of Macedon. Most people did not believe but Alexander did not hesitate and crushed rebellions, gathered loyalty, and consolidated the Greek city-states. His desire was obvious: he wanted to complete the dream of his father to conquer great Persian Empire.

Into The Heart of Persia

In 334 BCE Alexander crossed Hellespont with his army and began his legendary campaign into Asia. His initial great battle at the River Granicus gave evidence to his unparalleled courage; rather than wait till the fight began, he made a full rush forward into it. Success after success came and the Battle of Issus made him well known. Alexander dealt a tremendous blow to Persian ranks by employing an exceptional strategy against King Darius III who commanded an army that was significantly larger than his. Darius escaped leaving behind his mother, wife and daughters whom Alexander treated with dignity and depicted the world that he was not only a conqueror but a man of honour.

A Godlike Ruler in Egypt

Alexander then marched southwards into Egypt, where people received him as a liberator of the Persian rule. They made him Pharaoh and he established the city of Alexandria that would become a great learning centre. He also went to the Oracle of Siwa in the desert that was purported to affirm his divine calling. Myth or truth, Alexander came back to the desert even more confident as he was sure that something extraordinary he was selected to.

The Fall of an Empire

Persia eventually met a final defeat at the Gaugamela in 331 BCE. Outnumbered, Alexander commanded his men with unsurpassed accuracy and boldness. Darius escaped again and after that, the Persian Empire collapsed. Alexander conquered the great cities of Babylon, Susa and Persepolis as new masters. However, rather than destroying the Persian culture, he adopted it. He wore Persian attires and ways and advised his soldiers to get married to the locals. Alexander was determined to do not just conquer, but unite as well, blending Greek and Eastern cultures into a single large empire.

To the End of the Earth

Alexander was ambition-filled and thus led an army to India. The most difficult battle he fought was at the Hydaspes River where he encountered King Porus and his war elephants. The battle was fierce and the strategy used by Alexander saw him emerge victorious. Alexander was impressed by the courage that was displayed by Porus and he was even generous enough to grant him his kingdom which was a show of respect and honour towards strength and honour.

But this was as far as his journey would take him. The soldiers of Alexander were tired of waning campaigns, and they were not willing to move further into the uncharted territories. Now, he had to submit to no one, but to his own party faithful to him. Turning back, he went away with a heavy heart.

An abrupt Conclusion to an Infinite Life

Alexander had new campaigns to make and had even more dreams on expansion of his empire when he went back to Babylon. However, in 323 BCE aged only thirty-two, he mysteriously got ill. He fell into fever, and in a few days the most conqueror of all times was dead. On being questioned who would succeed him, he said, To the strongest.

His was also too large an empire to be administered by a single person and it later divided. But the influence of Alexander never decreased.

The Legacy of a Conqueror

Alexander the great is not remembered because of the lands he conquered but the world he created. His conquests disseminated the Greek culture to Asia leading to the Hellenistic Age, which saw a tremendous scientific and artistic development. He transformed the manner in which armies were fought, the manner in which rulers were to rule and also the interaction of cultures.

It is the tale of a man of courage, aspirations, geniuses and misfortunes of a man who felt that he could make a difference in the world and did so, at least once in history.