The world after the conquest of Alexander the Great. Conquest of Central Asia

Sharp corners of history

Alexander the Great is one of the greatest conquerors in history. In just 11 years (334-323 BC) he changed the world. But only the charisma and talent of a commander would not be enough for this

How Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) managed to accomplish the impossible in a few years - create greatest empire ancient world? There are many answers to this question, and over time there are more and more hypotheses, assumptions and theories. The Munich Archaeological Collection dedicated the exhibition “Alexander the Great - Ruler of the World” to the personality of the ancient commander, examining the phenomenon of Alexander from a biographical point of view. The exhibition consists of ten parts and shows life path ruler and commander, starting from his youth at the Macedonian court in Pele and ending with the mythological image that developed after death - the image of an eternally young hero, a great leader, whom many were inclined to deify.

For this exhibition, the gallery in Rosenheim (Lokschuppen Rosenheim) brought together 450 objects from German and European collections that give an idea of ​​the conditions in which Alexander the Great and his army found themselves during their campaigns to the east. The exhibition catalog, in addition to describing the exhibits, gives brief overview points of view existing in modern scientific circles, from which we can identify ten reasons why Alexander became truly Great.

Origin

Alexander was the son of the Macedonian king Philip II and the daughter of the Epirus king Olympias. His father, who initially ascended the throne as the guardian of his young nephew, was a talented commander and cautious politician who managed to strengthen Macedonia and make it the center of Hellas. Alexander's mother, the power-hungry and despotic Olympias, had a great influence on his childhood. On both his paternal and maternal lines, Alexander was a descendant of Hercules and Perseus, greatest heroes ancient Greek myths. They became an example for him.

Upbringing

Despite the fact that, in addition to Olympias, Philip II had other wives, Alexander received an education worthy of an heir to the throne. Together with his friends from aristocratic families, he studied with Aristotle, who at that time was not as famous as he later became. In addition, Philip II took his son with him on campaigns. At the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC) against the combined army of the Greek city-states, Alexander commanded the cavalry, whose charge secured victory for the Macedonians.

Army

When Philip II was assassinated in 336, his troops were in Asia Minor to repel the Persian army. More than two decades of military campaigns of Philip II made his army an impressive force: six regiments of heavy infantry - 9,000 warriors armed with long spears; 3000 hypaspists, also with long spears, but more maneuverable; 6000 lightly armed soldiers; 1200 getairs (heavy cavalry), guards and 600 scouts. In addition, Philip II's army included 7,000 Greek hoplites, many mercenaries and several thousand horsemen.

Commander's Talent

Alexander was exactly the person who was able to properly dispose of this army. The huge, clumsy Persian army had no chance against the Macedonians. During the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander, discovering that the Persians had covered the battlefield with spikes against the cavalry, made a tactical maneuver that forced the enemy army to split, after which the Macedonian cavalry, having avoided the spikes, attacked the Persian king's position. In addition, Alexander could trust his generals and his army, which followed him to the ends of the earth.

Pragmatism

However, it was not the army that made Alexander the Great the ruler of the world, but, above all, his politics. His power was based not on dogma, but on a sober analysis of existing conditions and on the search for practical solutions. It was precisely for practical reasons that Alexander adopted much of the management system of the Persian Empire.

First of all, Alexander refused to turn Asia into a province of the Macedonian-Greek empire. Instead, he brought the local nobility closer to his court, for whom he secured places in the army and government. Unlike his predecessors, Alexander treated the inhabitants of the conquered lands not as a conqueror, but as the legitimate ruler of their state, respecting their traditions.

Ruthlessness

Whether Alexander was generous only out of calculation or not, he was merciless towards those who resisted him. When Thebes and Athens rebelled against him soon after his accession to the throne, Alexander not only destroyed the armies of these cities, but also wiped Thebes off the face of the earth. The Phoenician city of Tire, which was located on a rocky island and was considered impregnable, refused to submit, but after a seven-month siege it was taken and then destroyed.

The commander Parmenion and his son Philotas were executed. Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, who saved his life during the battle on the Granik River, with his own hands, because he opposed the borrowing of eastern customs. Some consider the return of the Macedonian army through the deserts of Gedrosia, which cost the lives of 45 thousand soldiers, as punishment for the riot on the banks of Hypasus.

City building

Alexander founded more than twenty cities in the territory from Egypt to India, they were inhabited by veterans and local residents. These cities were to become not only strongholds for the army, but also centers of Greek culture. Alexandria of Egypt was the most famous of them - one of the centers of trade and science of the ancient world. This and other cities founded by Alexander became a kind of connecting link between East and West.

Development of sciences

Like Napoleon two millennia after him, Alexander kept with him large staff scientists. Thus, his campaign also became a large-scale expedition, the goal of which was to reach the end of the world. In order to pave the route from the Indus to the Euphrates, entire flotillas were built. Scientists and philosophers explored and described Asia. The court chronicler Callisthenes, Aristotle's grandnephew, made sure that the world knew about the discoveries made during the campaign. However, Callisthenes ultimately fell out of favor because he resisted the introduction of Persian customs at court (namely the tradition of prostrating before the ruler), and was subsequently executed for his alleged participation in the conspiracy.

Deification

After founding the city in the Nile Delta, Alexander visited the oasis of Siwa in the desert, where the oracle of the god Amun greeted him, calling him “son of the deity,” which befitted him as the new ruler of Egypt. This fact only strengthened his conviction to follow the path of Hercules. In addition, as the ruler of a huge empire, Alexander was automatically classified as a cult figure. In the cities he founded, he was also given honor on a par with the gods. Literally superhuman desire to unite Europe and Asia, which took possession of him in recent months life, suggests that in the end he himself perceived himself more as an almost divine person than as a mere mortal.

Pursuit

“Passionate desire,” ancient authors wrote when they tried to characterize the motive of Alexander the Great. In fact, it was an all-consuming desire that forced him to imitate the heroes of antiquity, especially Achilles. Alexander wanted to prove that he was one of these heroes, but not in legends, but in reality. He took a fortress in northern Iran only because it was said that Hercules had failed in its siege. From the Indus he wanted to reach the Ganges in order to reach the borders of the lands developed by people there. His troops were ready to capture the Arabian Peninsula, and after him Carthage, but the death of the great commander prevented these plans from coming true. However, “passionate desire” still helped Alexander realize his dream: no one else created such a huge empire.

State of Alexander the Great

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- Ancient art and ancient science Greece

Decline of the Greek city-states

In the 4th century. BC e. Rich Greek landowners have more slaves. Maintaining slaves is cheaper than paying a free man. A slave could be forced to work more than

poor man. Rural residents who have lost their jobs are fleeing to the cities, hoping to find food there. But slave labor was also used in urban workshops.

The impoverished population could not buy clothes, dishes and other things necessary for life, and distant countries, which had previously purchased Greek handicrafts, developed their own production. Greek trade declines.
Previously, most Greek states did not have a standing army. During the campaign, free people who were able to buy weapons were recruited into the army. In the 4th century. BC e., when there were more homeless and poor people in Ancient Greece, military service became a permanent occupation for part of the population. The mercenaries did not care who they fought for, as long as they were fed and paid. Often, commanders of mercenary detachments seized power in the Greek states.
In many states, poor people are demanding the redistribution of land and the abolition of taxes. In some cities there were uprisings and massacres of the rich. The rich and aristocrats feared and hated the poor. They even took an oath: “I swear that I will be an eternal enemy of the people and will do them as much harm as I can.” At the same time, there is an internecine struggle between the Greek states. In wars among themselves, the Greeks often turned to the Persian for help, and he supported one Greek state against another.

Conquest of Greece by Macedonia.

While the Greek states were declining, in the north Balkan Peninsula The Macedonian kingdom grew stronger.
Macedonia reached its greatest power under King Philip II. He created a strong army according to the Greek model. The Macedonian phalanx was a close and deep formation (16 rows deep). The infantry were armed with swords and long spears. The warriors in the back rows put their spears on their shoulders those in front, and the entire phalanx, as if bristling, slowly moved towards the enemy. Philip decided to take advantage of the discord between the Greeks and seize the Greek states. First of all, he conquered the Greek colonies on the coast of Greece.
Many Greek slave owners supported Philip II. They hoped that the Macedonian king would protect them from the uprisings of the poor and slaves. They also hoped that, having subjugated Greece, Philip II would go to war against Persia and then they would be freed from the threat from the poor poor, whom the Macedonian king would take into the army. In Greece, a group of Macedonian supporters formed from among the aristocrats and rich people.
The majority of the free population of Greek cities did not want to submit to the Macedonian king. The opponents of Macedonia were led by the famous Athenian orator Demosthenes. In his vivid accusatory speeches against Philip II, called “Philippic,” Demosthenes called on all Greeks to fight the Macedonian invaders and to defend the democracy and independence of Greece.
Many cities of Central Greece, led by Athens, opposed Macedonia. In 338 BC. e. At the city of Chaeronea, the Greek allies were defeated by the army of Philip II. After this victory, Philip II proclaimed himself the head of all armed forces of the Greek states. The following were prohibited: redistribution of land, cancellation of debts and emancipation of slaves. Philip II began to prepare for a campaign in Persia. The assassination of Philip II by Macedonian aristocratic conspirators suspended preparations for war.

Alexander the Great conquest of the world.

In 336 BC. e. The twenty-year-old son of Philip II, Alexander, became king of Macedonia. From the age of 16, Alexander took part in his father’s campaigns, and at the Battle of Chaeronea he commanded part of the Macedonian army. Having become king, Alexander forced the Greeks to recognize himself as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Greek states.

Alexander gathered a well-armed army and moved to Asia Minor, which belonged to the Persians. Here he defeated the army commanded by the Persian satrap and began to liberate the Greek cities of Asia Minor. Then Alexander headed to Syria, where near the city of Issus he defeated an army led by the Persian king Darius III himself. Alexander got a huge booty: the entire royal baggage train with the king's family fell into the hands of the winner.

Alexander then entered Egypt and captured it without a fight. The Egyptian priests, whom he sought to win over to his side, declared him a god.
Continuing the conquest of Persia, Alexander in 332 BC. e. gave a decisive battle to King Darius at Gaugamela (on the Tigris River). Darius launched his heavy chariots at the Macedonians. Alexander ordered his troops to disperse. When the chariots galloped, Alexander's archers showered the horses and charioteers with arrows. At the same time, the Macedonian phalanx moved towards the enemies. After a fierce hand-to-hand fight, the Persians fled. After some time, Darius III was killed. The Persian state collapsed.

Having occupied the ancient city of Babylon, Alexander made it the capital of his empire. In Babylon and other conquered cities, the Macedonians captured the enormous wealth of the Persian kings.
In 329 BC. e. Alexander moved to Central Asia. Its population showed stubborn resistance to the Macedonians. One of the leaders of the uprising was the brave and energetic Spitamen. Only three years later did the Greek-Macedonian invaders manage to subjugate the country.
The thirst for spoils and glory drove Alexander further to the East, to India. Near the Indus River, Alexander encountered an Indian army that included war elephants. The Indians inflicted great damage on the conquerors, but were defeated. The strong resistance of the Indians, the unusual climate, impenetrable forests and swamps - everything was against the unrealizable plans for world domination. The soldiers began to grumble and demand a return. In 325 BC. e. Alexander was forced to stop the campaign and return to Babylon.

Collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great.

Alexander had sole power. Following the example of the Persian kings, he introduced low bows at his court. The Macedonian aristocrats who participated in the war with Persia considered themselves equal to Alexander. They did not want to obey him and conspired against him. Alexander dealt with them mercilessly. While preparing for a new campaign, this time to the west, in 323 BC. e. Alexander died.
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Alexander created a huge power that stretched east to the Indus. The campaigns of the Greek-Macedonian army delayed the decline that the Greek slave states were experiencing. New cities with a Greek population arose in the east. Greek trade experienced a brilliant new flowering. The Greeks saw distant countries and became acquainted with the life and culture of other peoples.

Among the new cities that arose in the east, Alexandria, located in the Nile Delta, stood out for its wealth, amenities and cultural monuments. Wide and level streets divided the city into quarters. Shady alleys provided protection from the scorching sun. Alexandria was famous for its famous lighthouse on the coastal island of Firos, a huge library and other majestic buildings. Alexandria was nicknamed the “golden city”.

The state of Alexander the Great consisted of scattered lands, almost unconnected by trade, culture, or languages ​​of its peoples.
With the death of Alexander, individual commanders of the Macedonian army entered into a long struggle for power among themselves. All this led to the collapse of the power of Alexander the Great into three large kingdoms: Egypt, Macedonia and the Syrian kingdom. In these kingdoms, uprisings repeatedly broke out, which led to the fact that individual regions separated and formed independent kingdoms. So, already in the 3rd century. BC e. Armenia, formerly part of the Syrian kingdom, gains independence.

In 336 BC. e. His son Alexander came to power in Greece (356-323 BC). Nowadays the word is added to his name Macedonian. And before late XIX centuries everyone called him Alexander the Great or Alexander III.

He was a slender young man with fair skin. His hair was almost red. Not in my youth, not anymore mature age he didn't wear a beard. There is an assumption that it did not grow with him at all. Since the king went without a beard, those around him began to shave their beards.

However, the lack of a beard did not in any way affect the king’s courage. He went down in history as an extremely energetic and capable commander with an excellent education. This is not surprising, since the future great conqueror was taught scientific wisdom by the philosopher Aristotle.

The ambitious plans of the newly-made ruler exceeded the plans of his father Philip II. The Greek leader who ascended the throne was only 20 years old, but he already dreamed of world domination. These dreams turned into the conquests of Alexander the Great. Their scale shocked not only contemporaries, but also all subsequent generations human civilization. In just 10 years, a gigantic territory from Greece to India was conquered. Over the following centuries, not a single commander managed to accomplish this.

Conquests of Alexander the Great on the map

War with Persia

Initial period of the war

The war with Persia began in 334 BC. e. A relatively small army set off on a campaign to the East. Its number was 35 thousand people. But the warriors were distinguished by iron discipline, training and combat experience. In terms of their military skill, they were head and shoulders above the Persian troops. The army consisted not only of Macedonians, but also of inhabitants of other Greek city-states.

At the first clashes, the Greeks struck a number of serious defeats to the Persian army stationed near the border. At the same time, many noble Persians died. The owners of the eastern lands were shocked by this defeat. Meanwhile, the conquerors took possession of the lands of Asia Minor and reached the territory of Syria.

Image of Alexander the Great on an ancient mosaic

In 333 BC. e. The Persian army led by King Darius III came out against the Macedonian conquerors. The two armies met in northern Syria near the city of Issa. In this battle, the army of Darius III suffered a crushing defeat. The king himself fled, leaving his family in the camp (mother, wife and 2 daughters). Many other Persian warriors did the same (the Persians took their wives with them on military campaigns). In addition to the women, the winners also received abandoned rich camping property.

After the victory at Issa, all of Western Asia went to the Macedonians. But going further east was dangerous, since strong Persian garrisons remained in the rear. Therefore, the Greek army moved along east coast Mediterranean Sea. Here were the cities of the Phoenicians, which began to surrender one after another. According to legend, during this campaign, Alexander visited Jerusalem and even presented gifts to the Jewish god.

Depiction of Darius III on an ancient mosaic

Everything went smoothly until the Macedonian army found itself under the walls of the city of Tire. Its inhabitants refused to open the gates and surrender to the invaders. The siege lasted 7 months. Only in July 332 BC. e. the fortified city located on the island fell. The Greeks who burst into the city showed pathological cruelty towards the defenders. The conquerors mercilessly killed 8 thousand inhabitants, and forced the survivors into slavery.

The city of Gaza also offered worthy resistance. He defended himself bravely for 2 months, but in the end he fell. After this, Alexander the Great and his army entered Egypt. In this country he was greeted as a liberator from Persian slavery. Local priests declared the young king the son of the god Amun.

Alexander graciously accepted this honorary title and decorated his helmet with ram horns, since they were considered one of the most important attributes of the Egyptian deity. It was in a helmet with horns that the king’s face began to be minted on coins, and in the east the great conqueror received the nickname Two-horned.

Main period of the war

Having occupied Egypt, the Greco-Macedonian army moved to the central regions of Persia. Darius III sent envoys to the conquerors, offering to make peace. The Eastern ruler agreed to give the victors all the lands they had conquered and even offered to pay a huge indemnity. But Alexander refused to make peace, because he considered the fall of Persia inevitable.

The military leader Parmenion, who was present at the negotiations, heard the size of the indemnity and exclaimed: “If I were Alexander, I would agree immediately!” To this the king mockingly said: “And I would agree if I were Parmenion.”

In 331 BC. e. the army of Greeks and Macedonians crossed the Euphrates and Tigris and moved towards the Persian army. That one, led by Darius III, was waiting for the invaders near the village of Gaugamela. Here in October 331 BC. e. a grand battle took place.

The Persians gathered a huge army. There were many Bactrians, Sogdians and Scythians (peoples from the east of the state) in it. On the night before the battle, the Persian camp was illuminated by countless lights. The Macedonian military leaders, fearing that this spectacle would frighten the soldiers, suggested that the king attack the enemy at night, without waiting for dawn. To this Alexander proudly replied: “I don’t know how to steal victory.”

Persian chariots

Early in the morning both armies lined up. The Persian soldiers began the attack. They sent their war chariots forward. They had razor-sharp scythes attached to their wheels. However, the ranks of the Macedonian army parted and let the wildly rushing horses through. And then arrows rained down on the backs of the warriors sitting in the chariots.

After this, the Persian infantry began the attack. But she met the Macedonian phalanx. At the same time, the heavy Macedonian cavalry launched an attack from the flanks. She sowed terror and confusion in the ranks of the enemies. The Persians fled. One of the first to flee from the battlefield was King Darius III and did not stop for 2 days, fearing persecution.

The crushing defeat at Gaugamela broke the morale of the Persians. The army of Alexander the Great captured Babylon, Susa and the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis without a fight. Small military garrisons remained in the occupied areas, and the great commander himself continued the pursuit of the Persian ruler.

The fate of Darius III was unenviable. Those close to him killed him and delivered his body to Alexander. He ordered the conspirators to be executed and the treacherously killed king to be buried with all possible honors. After this, the winner himself began to be called “the king of Asia.”

Further expansion to the east was extremely successful. The Greeks subjugated Bactria and Sogdiana, which put an end to the war with the Persian power. But the conquests of Alexander the Great did not end there. Ahead lay the richest lands of fabulous India. It was there that the great commander decided to send his army.

Trek to India

Before the campaign to India, a conspiracy arose among the Macedonians against Alexander the Great. The king was accused of violating Greek laws and striving for unlimited power. He surrounded himself with noble Persians and Bactrians, and they were preparing to proclaim him a god. But the plot was discovered, and the conspirators were killed.

In 326 BC. e. The Greco-Macedonian army moved to India. Near the Hydaspes River, a tributary of the Indus, a battle took place with the army of the Indian king Porus. Here the invaders first encountered war elephants. Each of them was controlled by a driver who sat on the animal’s neck. And on the backs of the giants there were towers, in which spear throwers and archers were located.

Indian fighting elephant

At first, the formidable animals caused confusion in the ranks of the Macedonian warriors, but after wounding several elephants, the invaders felt more confident. The Indian army was defeated in this battle.

Inspired by the victory, Alexander and his army went deep into the lands of India, but the soldiers were tired of the incessant 10-year war and began to grumble. They abandoned the further journey. Neither the king's authority nor his persuasion helped.

The journey back began in the middle of 325 BC. e. The army was returning through the desert. The transition turned out to be very difficult. Many soldiers died from thirst and overheating. In the spring of 324 BC. e. The exhausted army reached the south of Iran and entered the city of Susa. This was the end of the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Return of the Macedonian army from India

The last year of the life of the great commander

In 324 BC. e. Alexander the Great settled in Babylon and proclaimed it the capital of his vast kingdom. The ruler began to carry out reforms, trying to transform the conquered lands into a single and cohesive organism. In addition, he planned a campaign to the west against the Arab tribes and Carthage.

But the great commander’s further ambitious plans never came to fruition. In the first half of June 323, Alexander the Great died of fever. The huge kingdom turned out to be a giant with feet of clay. It fell apart and was divided among the Macedonian military leaders (diadochi). Soon they proclaimed themselves kings. So in 321 BC. e. The era of Hellenistic states began.

After the assassination of the Macedonian king Philip II in 336 BC. e. his son Alexander was proclaimed king. Upon ascending the throne, Alexander first dealt with the alleged participants in the conspiracy against his father, and at the same time with other possible rivals. At the news of Philip's death, many of his enemies tried to take advantage of the situation. The Thracian and Illyrian tribes rebelled, opponents of Macedonian rule became more active in Athens, and Thebes and some other Greek city-states tried to expel the garrisons left by Philip. However, Alexander quickly took the initiative into his own hands. As Philip's successor, he organized a congress in Corinth, at which the previously concluded treaty with the Greeks was confirmed. The treaty declared the full sovereignty of the Greek city states, independent decision them of internal affairs, the right to withdraw from the agreement. For guidance foreign policy Greek states were created general advice and the position of Hellenic hegemon with military powers was introduced. The Greeks made concessions, and many policies admitted Macedonian garrisons.

In the spring of 335 BC. e. Alexander set out on a campaign against the rebel Illyrians and Thracians. No more than 15 thousand soldiers went on the campaign. First, Alexander defeated the Thracians in the battle of Mount Emon: the barbarians set up a camp of carts on a hill and hoped to put the Macedonians to flight by derailing their carts. Alexander ordered his soldiers to avoid the carts in an organized manner. As a result of their victory in the battle, the Macedonians captured many of the women and children whom the barbarians had left in the camp and transported them to Macedonia. Soon the king defeated the Tribal tribe, but their ruler Sirm, along with most of his fellow tribesmen, took refuge on the island of Pevka on the Danube. Alexander, using the few ships that arrived from Byzantium, was unable to land on the island. Soon the king noticed that troops of the Getae tribe were gathering on the other bank of the Danube. The Getae hoped that Alexander would not land on the shore occupied by soldiers, but the king, on the contrary, considered the appearance of the Getae a challenge to himself. Therefore, on homemade rafts, he crossed to the other side of the Danube and defeated the Getae. Soon Alexander concluded alliance treaties with all the northern barbarians.

However, while Alexander was settling matters in the north, in the south, under the influence of a false rumor about Alexander’s death, a rebellion broke out in Thebes, the Greek city most affected by Philip. With rapid marches, Alexander transferred his army from Thrace to Thebes. In just 13 days, the Macedonian army completed this transition. The rebel city was offered peaceful terms of surrender, but the Thebans refused. At the end of September 335, the assault on the city began. Macedonian troops occupied the city walls, and the Macedonian garrison opened the gates and helped surround the Thebans. The city was captured, plundered, and the entire population was enslaved. All of Greece was struck as if by fate ancient city, one of the largest and strongest in Hellas, and quick victory Macedonian weapons. Residents of a number of cities themselves brought to trial politicians who called for a rebellion against Macedonian hegemony. Almost immediately after the capture of Thebes, Alexander headed back to Macedonia, where he began preparing for a campaign in Asia.

Known for his ambitions for conquest, Alexander the Great took his place in history as a great ancient Hellenic commander and conqueror.

Over 10 years of military campaigns, he conquered more than half of the lands known at that time and did not suffer a single defeat in battle!

Brief biography

Alexander the Great (name - AlexanderIII; nickname - "Great") born July 20-21, 356 BC in Macedonia. His father is PhilipII, was the current king of Macedonia. His mother - Olympics, daughter of the king of Epirus.

It is known that at the age of 7 the boy began to be taught the art of war and various sciences. Alexander showed no interest in philosophy and mathematics. But in horse riding and archery, as well as some other physical and military sciences he had no equal.

Aristotle's student

One of the teachers of young Alexander the Great was Aristotle- famous and wisest ancient Greek philosopher. Thanks to his teacher's stories about the Universe and its many riches and wonders, the boy began to dream of conquering new lands.

After the next news that his father Philip defeated another enemy and conquered the city, AlexanderIII became sad and said: “At this rate, there will be nothing left for me...”

Young commander

At the age of 16, Alexander underwent his first baptism of fire during a battle with the Athenians. His command of the cavalry decided the outcome of the battle in favor of the Macedonians and earned the young commander the nickname "Great". Philip's soldiers praised him!

Father was pleased with the first practical experience son, and from that moment on, young Alexander began to closely study military science: the basics of combat, the features of actions phalanx- a combat unit of the Macedonians, which made their numerical minority unimportant in battles with enemies.

King of Macedonia

When Alexander turned 20 years old, his father was treacherously killed by one of his close associates. The time has come to accept the royal throne and government. Alexander the Great did not participate in internal government, but he actively and fruitfully showed himself as a commander and invader, first of neighboring cities, and later of neighboring and distant lands.

There is a legend that during the siege of Athens, the main commander of the Greeks came to the Macedonian Phocion and said the following words:

“Why do you fight against your fellow tribesmen, against the Hellenes? You strive for fame and riches, so go to Asia and fight against the barbarians. There you will win wealth, achieve military glory, and among the Greeks you will become famous for your kindness.”

Macedonian took advantage wise advice Greek military leader, retreated from Athens and directed his 40 thousandth army(according to some sources, there were about 50 thousand soldiers) on a campaign to the lands of Asia, Persia, and Egypt.

Pharaoh of Egypt

Having crossed the Hellespont, Alexander and his army took the first fight with the Persian army near Troy, on the Granik River.

The Persian army was defeated by a talented commander from Macedonia. After this, many Persian cities surrendered to the young king without a fight.

In 332 BC The Macedonian entered Egypt without any resistance and became his Pharaoh. By that time, almost all the military power of the Egyptians was in Asia Minor.

King of Asia

After strengthening his position in Egyptian lands and building the city of Alexandria, Macedonian decides to delve deeper into Asian lands. By then DariusIII, the Persian king, managed to gather a large army for new battle with Alexander.

October 1, 331 BC e. a great battle took place at Gaugamelah, during which the troops of the Persians and the peoples subject to them were defeated. Darius once again fled from the battlefield, which further reduced his authority.

After this battle, the satraps of many Persian lands began to call the conqueror Alexander King of Asia and they opened the gates for him without a fight.

Persian king

Next, Alexander moved to the south, where the ancient Babylon And Susa, one of the capitals of the Persian Empire, opened their gates to him. The Persian satraps, having lost faith in Darius, began to serve the King of Asia.

From Susa, Alexander went through mountain passages to Persepolis, the center of the original Persian land. After an unsuccessful attempt to break out on the move, Alexander and part of his army bypassed the troops of the satrap of Persia, Ariobarzanes, and in January 330 BC e. Persepolis fell.

The Macedonian army rested in the city until the end of spring, and before leaving, the palace of the Persian kings was burned.

According to the famous legend, the fire was organized by the hetaera Thais of Athens, the mistress of the military leader Ptolemy, inciting drunk company Alexandra with his friends.

IN May 330 BC e. Alexander resumed his pursuit of Darius, first in Media and then in Parthia. In July 330 BC. e. King Darius was killed as a result of a conspiracy by his military leaders. Bactrian satrap Bess, who killed Darius, named himself the new king of the Persian Empire. Bess tried to organize resistance in the eastern satrapies, but was captured by his comrades, handed over to Alexander and executed by him in June 329 BC. e.

Trek to India

After the victory over the Persians, Alexander the Great did not return to his native land, but moved to India. In the battle he defeated the army of the Indian king Porus and wanted to reach World Ocean. But then his army rebelled.

The Macedonians did not want to fight anymore, they demanded a return to their homeland, accusing their king of an excessive thirst for wealth and glory. I had to give in to him. He had grandiose plans, he wanted to conquer the whole world, he thought of building a road through the Sahara desert, digging wells along it and much more.

Death of Alexander "The Great"

Upon returning to Babylon, Alexander soon fell ill with a fever. The disease progressed Great commander I struggled with it for 10 days, but June 13, 323 BC Alexander the Great died.

His body was transported to Alexandria, where he was buried with great honors in a golden coffin.