Life And Times Of Alexander The Great

Essay, Research Paper

Life and Times of Alexander the Great

Introduction

Alexander the great made an impact on world history that few individuals

can profess to have done. He ruled all of the known world, and one of the

largest empires ever. His men were the first westerners to encounter tales of

the Yeti. They even discovered and classified new types of flora and fauna,

such as the red mold that grew on their bread while they were in Asia, and made

it appear as if it were bleeding. He expanded the Hellenist sphere of influence

to the farthest reaches of the globe.

When the king of Greece visited the British colony of India around the

turn of the century, the colonial government had some native Indian dances

displayed for him. He was shocked when he immediately recognized the dances as

the same harvest dances that his fellow Greeks performed near Thessalonika.

This was the breadth of Alexander’s influence on hundreds of different cultures

around the world. Throughout the whole of Europe, Asia, and North Africa,

stories of this great man have been handed down from generation to generation

throughout the centuries. In many cases Alexander has even taken on a

superhuman aura, and many unbelievable legends have been based on his life.

When Julius Caesar visited Alexandria, he asked to see the body of the

greatest warrior of all time-Alexander the Great. Such was Alexander’s

reputation, able to impress even the powerful Caesar. He was, without a doubt,

one of the most remarkable men that ever walked the face of this Earth. And

this is the story of his life.

The Life and Times of Alexander the Great

The story of Alexander the Great is one of courage, genius, and great

accomplishment; but it is also somewhat of a bittersweet one, ending with his

tragic death during the prime of his life, at thirty-two.

Alexander was born to Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, his principal

wife, in 356 BCE, mpic Games. Just three years earlier, Philip had ascended to

the throne after the death of his older brother, Perdikkas1, and named the city

of Philipi after himself. Shortly thereafter, at the age of twenty, he met

Olympias at a religious ceremony on the island of Samothrace.

Olympias was of the Mystery Religions, and was initiated at an early age.

She spent her time at wild orgies during which snakes were wrapped around the

worshippers limbs. She kept this custom of sleeping with snakes throughout her

marriage to Philip. In addition, she sacrificed thousand of animals to her

particular god or goddess each year. Interestingly enough, she had a cruel

streak normally common only to the Greek men of her time. Throughout her career

she was no slower than her male rivals to kill off enemies who seemed to

threaten her.

Olympias, believing that she was descended from Achilles, and being of

royal Epeirosian blood herself, thought that she was rightly entitled to respect

from Philip as his queen. For this reason Olympias was constantly upset at

Philip’s long stays away from home. This anger was especially directed towards

his torrid affairs with the nearest nubile waif.

At the time of Alexander’s birth, Philip was involved in a campaign to

defeat the Illyrian provinces in battle and incorporate them into the Greek

empire that he was building for himself. In that month, Philip received three

messages bearing good in quick succession: his victory over the Illyrians,

Alexander’s birth, and Macedonian victory in the Olympic races.

Alexander resembled his mother more than his father. It was in memory

of Macedonia’s greatest king, Alexander I, that Alexander was named. Philip,

currently engaged in a plan for the conquest of Greece and eventually parts of

Asia, had high hopes for his firstborn son to eventually continue in his

footsteps. In the following year Alexander’s only sibling, a sister named

Cleopatra, was born.

Alexander probably had no recollection of his father having both of his

eyes, because Philip lost his eye storming an Athenian fortress. During

Alexander’s early years, he was watched over by a man named Leonidas2. Leonidas

saw to all of Alexander’s education and tutelage in many varied subjects

including: writing, geometry, reading, arithmetic, music, archery, horseback

riding, javelin, and other types of athletics.

Alexander’s nursemaid was an endearing gentleman whose name was

Lysimachos, who won Alexander’s heart at an early age by playing imagination

games with Alexander and his playmates: Ptolemy, Harpalos, Nearchos, Hephaistion,

and Erigyios.

When Alexander reached the ripe old age of thirteen, Philip decided it

was time for Alexander to receive a higher education better befitting his young

heir. Searching throughout his empire, Philip was lucky enough to find a

student of Plato who was at the time unemployed, a young ge

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