Updated on May 15, 2018 Bucephalus was the famous and well-loved horse of Alexander the Great. The Hellenistic period developed through the Roman Empire into modern Western culture; the Greek language became the lingua franca of the region and was the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire up until its collapse in the mid-15th century AD. According to Plutarch's retelling, the Thessalian steed was initially presented to King Phillip, but was considered untamable by the royal court. [275] Aspects of Hellenistic culture were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century.[280]. [269][270][271], Libanius wrote that Alexander founded the temple of Zeus Bottiaios (Ancient Greek: ), in the place where later the city of Antioch was built. [317] His defeat of Darius was depicted as Egypt's salvation, "proving" Egypt was still ruled by an Egyptian. Therefore, since his feet did not reach its lowest step, one of the royal pages placed a table under his feet. Other sources, however, give as the cause of death not old age or weariness, but fatal injuries at the Battle of the Hydaspes (June 326 BC), in which Alexander's army defeated King Porus. Aelian writes of Alexander's visit to Troy where "Alexander garlanded the tomb of Achilles, and Hephaestion that of Patroclus, the latter hinting that he was a beloved of Alexander, in just the same way as Patroclus was of Achilles. [238] However, Alexander also was a pragmatic ruler who understood the difficulties of ruling culturally disparate peoples, many of whom lived in kingdoms where the king was divine. [b] After the fall of Persia, the Macedonian Empire held a vast swath of territory between the Adriatic Sea and the Indus River. [204] Ancient authors recorded that Alexander was so pleased with portraits of himself created by Lysippos that he forbade other sculptors from crafting his image; scholars today, however, find the claim dubious. In the area of architecture, a few examples of the Ionic order can be found as far as Pakistan with the Jandial temple near Taxila. [19], When Alexander was 13, Philip began to search for a tutor, and considered such academics as Isocrates and Speusippus, the latter offering to resign from his stewardship of the Academy to take up the post. [75], When Alexander destroyed Tyre, most of the towns on the route to Egypt quickly capitulated. Most infamously, Alexander personally killed the man who had saved his life at Granicus, Cleitus the Black, during a violent drunken altercation at Maracanda (modern day Samarkand in Uzbekistan), in which Cleitus accused Alexander of several judgmental mistakes and most especially, of having forgotten the Macedonian ways in favour of a corrupt oriental lifestyle. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. [134][135], Alexander sent much of his army to Carmania (modern southern Iran) with general Craterus, and commissioned a fleet to explore the Persian Gulf shore under his admiral Nearchus, while he led the rest back to Persia through the more difficult southern route along the Gedrosian Desert and Makran. [133], Alexander tried to persuade his soldiers to march farther, but his general Coenus pleaded with him to change his opinion and return; the men, he said, "longed to again see their parents, their wives and children, their homeland". [217] However, some have denied this claim as being used to emphasise the otherworldly and heroic qualities of Alexander. [293], Emperor Julian in his satire called "The Caesars", describes a contest between the previous Roman emperors, with Alexander the Great called in as an extra contestant, in the presence of the assembled gods. [42] He continued to Illyria,[42] where he sought refuge with one or more Illyrian kings, perhaps with Glaucias, and was treated as a guest, despite having defeated them in battle a few years before. The stallions in Thessaly were highly regarded, producing many top-quality offspring. This would fit with the intended destination of Alexander's funeral cortege. [158][167], Alexander's sexuality has been the subject of speculation and controversy in modern times. Realizing that Bucephalus was distressed by the sight of his shadow, he calmly turned the horses head toward the sun. [1][2] Ancient historical accounts[3] state that Bucephalus' breed was that of the "best Thessalian strain", and that he died in what is now Punjab, Pakistan, after the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326BC. Plutarch says in 344 BC, at twelve or thirteen years of age, Alexander of Macedonia won the horse by making a wager with his father:[5] A horse dealer named Philonicus the Thessalian offered Bucephalus to King Philip II for the remarkably high sum of 13 talents. [201], At Issus in 333 BC, his first confrontation with Darius, he used the same deployment, and again the central phalanx pushed through. Much of what we know about Alexander the Great is unreliable and steeped in myth; a lot of these mythologies were used by Alexander's successors. [14] Plutarch offered a variety of interpretations for these dreams: that Olympias was pregnant before her marriage, indicated by the sealing of her womb; or that Alexander's father was Zeus. For other uses, see, This is a stopgap mapping solution, while attempts are made to resolve technical difficulties with {{. A monument of Bucephalus stands in Larissa, Greece that tourists can visit. [144], Afterwards, Alexander travelled to Ecbatana to retrieve the bulk of the Persian treasure. Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great (l. 21 July 356 BCE - 10 or 11 June 323 BCE, r. 336-323 BCE), was the son of King Philip II of Macedon (r. 359-336 BCE) who became king upon his father's death in 336 BCE and then conquered most of the known world of his day.. Variety is the spice of life. Bucephalus - World History Encyclopedia [274], Hellenization was coined by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to denote the spread of Greek language, culture, and population into the former Persian empire after Alexander's conquest. Bucephalus got his name from the Greek words "bous" and "kephalos." "Bous" means ox and "kephalos" means head. [144] During his visit to Pasargadae, Alexander ordered his architect Aristobulus to decorate the interior of the sepulchral chamber of Cyrus's tomb. After that victory, he was sent by Alexander in pursuit of Porus, to whom he was charged to offer favourable terms, but narrowly escaped losing his life at the hands of his old enemy. [272][273], Suda wrote that Alexander built a big temple to Sarapis. Tarsos mint. Darius fled the battle, causing his army to collapse, and left behind his wife, his two daughters, his mother Sisygambis, and a fabulous treasure. How Did Alexander the Great's Horse Get His Name? Both Athens and Philip sent embassies to win Thebes's favour, but Athens won the contest. While he was sleeping, the goddess appeared and told him to found a city there and move into it the Smyrnaeans from the "old" city. This so irritated Alexander, that throwing one of the cups at his head, "You villain," said he, "what, am I then a bastard?" That same day, Philip received news that his general Parmenion had defeated the combined Illyrian and Paeonian armies and that his horses had won at the Olympic Games. [91][92][93] Plutarch claims that he ordered his men to put out the fires,[91] but that the flames had already spread to most of the city. The gold series had the head of Athena on the obverse and a winged Nike (Victory) on the reverse. Professor Paul Cartledge explains exactly how the Macedonian empire builder came to cherish his steed. [175], While Alexander's funeral cortege was on its way to Macedon, Ptolemy seized it and took it temporarily to Memphis. ThoughtCo. At the time of his death, Alexander's empire covered some 5,200,000km2 (2,000,000sqmi),[263] and was the largest state of its time. After his trip to Siwa, Alexander was crowned in the temple of Ptah at Memphis. The Truth About Alexander The Great's Horse, Bucephalus. Alexander also ordered the murder of Attalus,[50] who was in command of the advance guard of the army in Asia Minor and Cleopatra's uncle. He appointed Porus as satrap, and added to Porus's territory land that he did not previously own, towards the south-east, up to the Hyphasis (Beas). He allowed no one to mount him, refused to obey the commands of Philips grooms, and reared up against anyone who approached him. [102] However, Alexander's eventual decision to burn the Achaemenid palace at Persepolis in conjunction with the major rejection and opposition of the "entire Persian people" made it impracticable for him to pose himself as Darius' legitimate successor. [115], Alexander appears to have introduced a new coinage in Cilicia in Tarsus, after the Battle of Issus in 333 BC, which went on to become the main coinage of the empire. [161][162][163] In a 2014 manuscript in the journal Clinical Toxicology, Schep suggested Alexander's wine was spiked with Veratrum album, and that this would produce poisoning symptoms that match the course of events described in the Alexander Romance. Don't miss out on the chace to claim your copy of Tracy Borman's latest book when you subscribe today. [118] There are both Greek and non-Greek aspects to this design. The romance by the Delphic Oracle also goes on to further reinforce the mythical attributes of the stallion. [201], When faced with opponents who used unfamiliar fighting techniques, such as in Central Asia and India, Alexander adapted his forces to his opponents' style. He reportedly died at age 30, or roughly 180 in horse years. [171] Natural-cause theories also tend to emphasize that Alexander's health may have been in general decline after years of heavy drinking and severe wounds. [143] Alexander admired Cyrus the Great, from an early age reading Xenophon's Cyropaedia, which described Cyrus's heroism in battle and governance as a king and legislator. [210], Historians have understood the detail of the pleasant odour attributed to Alexander as stemming from a belief in ancient Greece that pleasant scents are characteristic of gods and heroes. The trilogy of Mary Renault consisting of "Fire from Heaven", "The Persian Boy" and "Funeral Games". [319], In Hindi and Urdu, the name "Sikandar", derived from the Persian name for Alexander, denotes a rising young talent, and the Delhi Sultanate ruler Aladdin Khalji stylized himself as "Sikandar-i-Sani" (the Second Alexander the Great). [194] Other scholars have proposed that they were invented by later authors within the tradition of the Alexander Romance. Ancient commentators were divided about whether the ambitious Olympias promulgated the story of Alexander's divine parentage, variously claiming that she had told Alexander, or that she dismissed the suggestion as impious. Too metal. Many believe that Bucephala is the modern town of Jhelum, Pakistan. [313], The figure of Dhu al-Qarnayn (literally "the Two-Horned One") mentioned in the Quran is believed by scholars to be based on later legends of Alexander. [258], According to Diodorus Siculus, Alexander accumulated a harem in the style of Persian kings, but he used it rather sparingly, "not wishing to offend the Macedonians",[259] showing great self-control in "pleasures of the body". [222] However, Ogden calculates that Alexander, who impregnated his partners thrice in eight years, had a higher matrimonial record than his father at the same age. [277], The core of the Hellenistic culture promulgated by the conquests was essentially Athenian. [291] Julius Caesar dedicated a Lysippean equestrian bronze statue but replaced Alexander's head with his own, while Octavian visited Alexander's tomb in Alexandria and temporarily changed his seal from a sphinx to Alexander's profile. [176] The recent discovery of an enormous tomb in northern Greece, at Amphipolis, dating from the time of Alexander the Great[177] has given rise to speculation that its original intent was to be the burial place of Alexander. [2] He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. [102] Against Bessus (Artaxerxes V) however, Briant adds, Alexander reasserted "his claim to legitimacy as the avenger of Darius III". The horse had accompanied Alexander on many of his military campaigns and was known for his bravery in battle. Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander III or Alexander of Macedonia, (born 356 bce, Pella, Macedonia [northwest of Thessalonki, Greece]died June 13, 323 bce, Babylon [near Al-illah, Iraq]), king of Macedonia (336-323 bce), who overthrew the Persian empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic . Image Alexander the Great Photo of a marble bust of a man. KINGS of MACEDON. 7 Famous Ranch & Quarter Horse Bloodlines, Who Is Cindy Busby? The famous encounter between Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic occurred during Alexander's stay in Corinth. Philip II had waged war against the Thracians to the north, which left Alexander in charge as regent and heir apparent. In return for teaching Alexander, Philip agreed to rebuild Aristotle's hometown of Stageira, which Philip had razed, and to repopulate it by buying and freeing the ex-citizens who were slaves, or pardoning those who were in exile. [297], After Caracalla concluded his campaign against the Alamanni, it became evident that he was inordinately preoccupied with Alexander the Great. [11][Note 1] Although Philip had seven or eight wives, Olympias was his principal wife for some time, likely because she gave birth to Alexander. Bucephalas carried Alexander as far as India. [222], Alexander's legacy extended beyond his military conquests, and his reign marked a turning point in European and Asian history. Let's rip this Band-Aid off up front: Alexander the Great's horse was named Bucephalus, and no, his name didn't mean anything that you're imagining. However, no one was able to manage him, as he was too wild and would rear when anyone sought to ride him. [264], The eastern borders of Alexander's empire began to collapse even during his lifetime. There is a tradition that they would only start serious drinking, after everyone was done with their meals, but the wine was usually heavily watered. Plutarch says that the incident so impressed Philip that he told the boy, "O my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee. [107] Following Alexander's death, many Greeks who had settled there tried to return to Greece. He invited the chieftains of the former satrapy of Gandhara (a region presently straddling eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan), to come to him and submit to his authority. Starting from Amphipolis, he travelled east into the country of the "Independent Thracians"; and at Mount Haemus, the Macedonian army attacked and defeated the Thracian forces manning the heights. These only occasionally quote the letters and it is an open question how reliable such quotations are.
