Alexander III Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander III According to Plutarch, Alexander was born on the sixth of Hecatombaeon (July) in the year 356 B.C. He was the son of Philip, king of Macedon,and Olympias. Supposedly on the day he was born the temple of Artemis burnt down, signifying his future glory. Not much is known of the youth of Alexander. It is known that he was taught by Aristotle and had a love of the Greek epic poems. One famous story from his youth is told in Plutarch's life of Alexander. Philonius the Thessalian brought the horse Bucephalus to Philip offering to sell him for thirteen talents. Philip and his attendants brought the horse to a field to try him. When they got there none of Philip's attendants could even mount him. They were leading the horse away when young Alexander asked for a chance to ride him. A wager was made that if Alexander could not ride the horse he would pay the price for the horse. After the wager was made Alexander took the horse and pointed him in the direction of the sun. He had noticed that the horse was afraid of his own shadow. He then mounted the horse and began to ride, to the amazement of all who watched. When he got off the horse Philip kissed his son. Plutarch also tells of Alexander entertaining Persian ambassadors while his father was not present. When Alexander was 16 Philip left him in charge of Macedon when Philip went to fight the Byzantines. When Alexander was 20 his father was murdered at the theatre. Some say that Alexander had a part in the plot to assasinate his father but almost all agree that his mother Olympias was a key figure in the death of Philip. Whatever the case may be Alexander took the throne in 336 B.C. Alexander is known for his conquest into Persia. When there, he performed hellenization. Hellenization is the attempt to become "Greek." Alexander helped this process along in the lands that he conquered. Another of the things that Alexander did was he set up cities where ever he went. Garrisons were left in these cities. These colonists would become the ruling class. They would then impose laws or rules to promote hellenization. Also in these cities gymnasiums were set up. Gymnasiums were the center of most Greek cities. What better way to make Persian cities sim... ...at the theatre, Hephaestion ate a fowl for dinner, and drank a large draught of wine. He quickly fell ill and shortly thereafter, died. Alexander was so completely upset that he ordered the tails and manes of all the horses be cut to show respect. He then crucified the doctor, Glaucus. Alexander III had another party in Susa. Susa was the adminsrative capital of the Persian empire. Alexander first went to Susa shortly after the Battle of Gaugamela. There he took control of the money, totalling 50,000 talents($60 million) as well as the rest of the royal property. Alexander was again in Susa in 324 B.C. There he performed a mass marriage. Between eighty and a hundred Macedonian officials took one Persian women each, including Hephaestion and Ptolemy. Alexander himself took two new brides. The wedding was done in traditional Persian style. The bridegroom would sit down in chairs, after a toss the brides came in, took them by the hand, and kissed them. Every guest that sat down for the banquet(roughly 30,000) had a gold cup before them. The celebration went on for no less than 5 days. There was also a big parade in the park.