Most people live simple and unremarkable lives. After their death, they leave practically nothing behind, and the memory of them quickly fades. But there are also those whose name is remembered for centuries, or even millennia. Even if some people do not know about the contribution of these individuals to world history, but their names are forever preserved in it. One of these people was Alexander the Great. Biography of this outstanding commander is still full of gaps, but scientists have done a lot of work to reliably reproduce the story of his life.
Alexander the Great - briefly about the deeds and life of the great king
Alexander was the son of the Macedonian king Philip II. His father tried to give him the best and raise a reasonable, but at the same time decisive and unshakable person in his actions, in order to keep in submission all the peoples that he would have to govern in the event of the death of Philip II. And so it happened. After his father died, Alexander, with the support of the army, was elected as the next king. The first thing he did when he became ruler was to brutally deal with all claimants to the throne in order to guarantee his safety. After this, he suppressed the rebellion of the rebel Greek city-states and defeated the armies of nomadic tribes that threatened Macedonia. Despite such a young age, twenty-year-old Alexander gathered a significant army and went to the East. Within ten years, many peoples of Asia and Africa submitted to him. A sharp mind, prudence, ruthlessness, stubbornness, courage, bravery - these qualities of Alexander the Great gave him the opportunity to rise above everyone else. The kings were afraid to see his army near the borders of their possessions, and the enslaved peoples meekly obeyed the invincible commander. The empire of Alexander the Great was the largest state formation of the time, spanning three continents.
Childhood and early years
How did you spend your childhood, what kind of upbringing did young Alexander the Great receive? The biography of the king is full of secrets and questions to which historians have not yet been able to give a definite answer. But first things first.
Alexander was born into the family of the Macedonian ruler Philip II, who was from the ancient Argead family, and his wife Olympias. He was born in 356 BC. e. in the city of Pella (at that time it was the capital of Macedonia). Scientists argue about exact date Alexander's birth, some of whom talk about July, while others prefer October.
Since childhood, Alexander was interested in Greek culture and literature. In addition, he showed interest in mathematics and music. As a teenager, Aristotle himself became his mentor, thanks to whom Alexander fell in love with the Iliad and always carried it with him. But above all, the young man proved himself to be a talented strategist and ruler. At the age of 16, due to the absence of his father, he temporarily ruled Macedonia, while managing to repel the attack of barbarian tribes on the northern borders of the state. When Philip II returned to the country, he decided to take another woman named Cleopatra as his wife. Angry at such a betrayal of his mother, Alexander often quarreled with his father, so he had to leave with Olympias to Epirus. Soon Philip forgave his son and allowed him to return back.
New king of Macedonia
The life of Alexander the Great was filled with the struggle for power and maintaining it in his own hands. It all started in 336 BC. e. after the assassination of Philip II, when it was time to choose a new king. Alexander gained the support of the army and was eventually recognized as the new ruler of Macedonia. In order not to repeat the fate of his father and to protect the throne from other contenders, he brutally deals with everyone who could pose a threat to him. Even his cousin Amyntas and the little son of Cleopatra and Philip were executed.
By that time, Macedonia was the most powerful and dominant state among the Greek city-states within the Corinthian League. Hearing about the death of Philip II, the Greeks wanted to get rid of the influence of the Macedonians. But Alexander quickly dispelled their dreams and, using force, forced them to submit to the new king. In 335, a campaign was organized against the barbarian tribes threatening the northern regions of the country. The army of Alexander the Great quickly dealt with the enemies and ended this threat forever.
At this time they rebelled and rebelled against the power of the new king of Thebes. But after a short siege of the city, Alexander managed to overcome the resistance and suppress the rebellion. This time he was not so lenient and almost completely destroyed Thebes, executing thousands of citizens.
Alexander the Great and the East. Conquest of Asia Minor
Philip II also wanted to take revenge on Persia for past defeats. For this purpose, a large and well-trained army was created, capable of posing a serious threat to the Persians. After his death, Alexander the Great took up this matter. The history of the conquest of the East began in 334 BC. e., when Alexander's 50,000-strong army crossed to Asia Minor, settling in the city of Abydos.
He was opposed by an equally large Persian army, the basis of which was united formations under the command of the satraps of the western borders and Greek mercenaries. The decisive battle took place in the spring on the eastern bank of the Grannik River, where Alexander’s troops destroyed enemy formations with a swift blow. After this victory, the cities of Asia Minor fell one after another under the onslaught of the Greeks. Only in Miletus and Halicarnassus did they encounter resistance, but even these cities were eventually captured. Wanting to take revenge on the invaders, Darius III gathered a large army and set out on a campaign against Alexander. They met near the city of Issus in November 333 BC. e., where the Greeks showed excellent preparation and defeated the Persians, forcing Darius to flee. These battles of Alexander the Great became a turning point in the conquest of Persia. After them, the Macedonians were able to subjugate the territories of the huge empire almost unhindered.
Conquest of Syria, Phenicia and the campaign against Egypt
After a crushing victory over the Persian army, Alexander continued his victorious campaign to the South, subjugating the territories adjacent to the coast to his power Mediterranean Sea. His army encountered virtually no resistance and quickly subjugated the cities of Syria and Phenicia. Only the inhabitants of Tire, which was located on an island and was an impregnable fortress, were able to give a serious rebuff to the invaders. But after a seven-month siege, the city’s defenders had to surrender it. These conquests of Alexander the Great were of great strategic importance, as they made it possible to cut off the Persian fleet from its main supply bases and protect themselves in the event of an attack from the sea.
At this time, Darius III twice tried to negotiate with the Macedonian commander, offering him money and lands, but Alexander was adamant and rejected both offers, wanting to become the sole ruler of all Persian lands.
In the autumn of 332 BC. e. Greek and Macedonian armies entered Egyptian territory. The inhabitants of the country greeted them as liberators from the hated Persian power, which Alexander the Great was pleasantly impressed with. The biography of the king was replenished with new titles - pharaoh and son of the god Amon, which were assigned to him by the Egyptian priests.
The death of Darius III and the complete defeat of the Persian state
After the successful conquest of Egypt, Alexander did not rest for long; already in July 331 BC. e. his army crossed the Euphrates River and moved towards Media. These were to be the decisive battles of Alexander the Great, in which the winner would gain power over all Persian lands. But Darius learned about the plans of the Macedonian commander and came out to meet him at the head huge army. Having crossed the Tigris River, the Greeks met the Persian army on a vast plain near Gaugamela. But, as in previous battles, the Macedonian army won, and Darius left his army in the midst of the battle.
Having learned about the flight of the Persian king, the inhabitants of Babylon and Susa submitted to Alexander without resistance.
Having placed his satraps here, the Macedonian commander continued the offensive, pushing back the remnants of the Persian troops. In 330 BC. e. They approached Persepolis, which was held by troops of the Persian satrap Ariobarzanes. After a fierce struggle, the city surrendered to the onslaught of the Macedonians. As was the case with all places that voluntarily did not submit to Alexander's authority, it was burned to the ground. But the commander did not want to stop there and went in pursuit of Darius, whom he overtook in Parthia, but already dead. As it turned out, he was betrayed and killed by one of his subordinates named Bess.
Advancement into Central Asia
The life of Alexander the Great has now changed radically. Although he was a big fan of Greek culture and the system of government, the permissiveness and luxury with which the Persian rulers lived conquered him. He considered himself the rightful king of the Persian lands and wanted everyone to treat him like a god. Those who tried to criticize his actions were immediately executed. He did not even spare his friends and loyal comrades.
But the matter was not over yet, because the eastern provinces, having learned about the death of Darius, did not want to obey the new ruler. Therefore, Alexander in 329 BC. e. went on a campaign again - to Central Asia. In three years he managed to finally break the resistance. Bactria and Sogdiana offered him the greatest resistance, but they also fell before the might of the Macedonian army. This was the end of the story describing the conquests of Alexander the Great in Persia, the population of which completely submitted to his power, recognizing the commander as the King of Asia.
Trek to India
The conquered territories were not enough for Alexander, and in 327 BC. e. he organized another campaign - to India. Having entered the territory of the country and crossed the Indus River, the Macedonians approached the possessions of King Taxila, who submitted to the King of Asia, replenishing the ranks of his army with his people and war elephants. The Indian ruler hoped for Alexander's help in the fight against another king named Porus. The commander kept his word, and in June 326 a great battle took place on the banks of the Gadispa River, which ended in favor of the Macedonians. But Alexander left Porus alive and even allowed him to rule his lands, as before. On the sites of the battles, he founded the cities of Nicaea and Bucephala. But at the end of the summer, the rapid advance stopped near the Hyphasis River, when the army, exhausted from endless battles, refused to go further. Alexander had no choice but to turn south. Having reached the Indian Ocean, he divided the army into two parts, half of which sailed back on ships, and the rest, together with Alexander, advanced overland. But this was a big mistake for the commander, because their path ran through hot deserts, in which part of the army died. The life of Alexander the Great was in danger after he was seriously wounded in one of the battles with local tribes.
The last years of life and the results of the actions of the great commander
Returning to Persia, Alexander saw that many satraps had rebelled and decided to create their own powers. But with the return of the commander, their plans collapsed, and all those who disobeyed faced execution. After the massacre, the King of Asia began strengthening the internal situation in the country and preparing for new campaigns. But his plans were not destined to come true. June 13, 323 BC e. Alexander dies of malaria at the age of 32. After his death, the commanders divided among themselves all the lands of the huge state.
This is how one of the greatest commanders, Alexander the Great, passed away. The biography of this person is filled with so many bright events that sometimes you wonder - is it possible? to an ordinary person? The young man with extraordinary ease subjugated entire nations who worshiped him as a god. The cities he founded have survived to this day, recalling the deeds of the commander. And although the empire of Alexander the Great fell apart immediately after his death, at that time it was the largest and most powerful state, which stretched from the Danube to the Indus.
Dates of Alexander the Great's campaigns and places of the most famous battles
- 334-300 BC e. - conquest of Asia Minor.
- May 334 BC e. - a battle on the banks of the Grannik River, victory in which made it possible for Alexander to easily subjugate the cities of Asia Minor.
- November 333 BC e. - a battle near the city of Issus, as a result of which Darius fled from the battlefield, and the Persian army was completely defeated.
- January-July 332 BC e. - the siege of the impregnable city of Tire, after the capture of which the Persian army found itself cut off from the sea.
- Autumn 332 BC e. - July 331 BC e. - annexation of Egyptian lands.
- October 331 BC e. - battle on the plains near Gaugemal, where the Macedonian army was again victorious, and Darius III was forced to flee.
- 329-327 BC e. - campaign in Central Asia, conquest of Bactria and Sogdiana.
- 327-324 BC e. - trip to India.
- June 326 BC e. - battle with the troops of King Porus near the Gadis River.
Alexander, the son of the Macedonian king Philip II and Queen Olympias, was born in 356 BC. He received an excellent education at that time - at the age of 13, Aristotle became his teacher. The future commander's favorite subject was reading; most of all, he loved the heroic poems of Homer. Naturally, his father taught him the art of war. Already in childhood, Alexander showed that he would be an excellent commander. In 338, the Macedonians won a victory at Chaeronea, mainly thanks to the decisive actions of Alexander.
But not everything was so rosy in Alexander’s youth; his parents divorced. Because of his father’s second marriage (by the way, Cleopatra became his second wife), Alexander the Great quarreled with his father. After the murder of King Philip, which apparently was organized by his first wife, in June 336. BC e. 20-year-old Alexander sat on the throne.
His first thought was that he should surpass his father, so he decided to go on a campaign against Persia. Although he had the strongest army in the world, he understood that the Archemenid power could win due to numbers, so to win he would need the efforts of all Ancient Greece. Alexander was able to create a pan-Hellenic (pan-Greek) union and form a united Greek-Macedonian army.
The elite of the army consisted of the king's bodyguards (hypaspists) and the Macedonian royal guard. The basis of the cavalry were horsemen from Thessaly. The foot soldiers wore heavy bronze armor, their main weapon was the Macedonian spear - the sarissa. Alexander improved combat tactics of his army. He began to build the Macedonian phalanx at an angle; this formation made it possible to concentrate forces to attack the enemy’s right flank, traditionally weak in the armies of the ancient world. In addition to the heavy infantry, the army had a considerable number of lightly armed auxiliary detachments from different cities of Greece. The total number of infantry was 30 thousand people, cavalry - 5 thousand. Despite the relatively small number, the Greek-Macedonian army was well trained and armed.
In 334, the army of the Macedonian king crossed the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles), and a bloody war began. At first, Macedonian was opposed by the weak Persian satraps who ruled Asia Minor; they had a large army (60 thousand), but little military experience. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 333. BC e. In the Battle of the Granik River, the Greco-Macedonian army won and liberated the Greek cities of Asia Minor.
However, the Persian state had a huge population. King Darius III, having gathered the best troops from all over his country, moved towards Alexander, but in the decisive battle of Issus near the border of Syria and Cilicia (the region of modern Iskanderun, Turkey), his 100,000-strong army was defeated, and he himself barely escaped.
The victory turned Alexander's head and he decided to continue the campaign. The successful siege of Tire opened the way for him to Egypt, and in the winter of 332-331 the Greek-Macedonian phalanxes entered the Nile Valley. The population of the countries enslaved by the Persians perceived the Macedonians as liberators. To maintain stable power in the captured lands, Alexander took an extraordinary step - declaring himself the son of the Egyptian god Ammon, who was identified by the Greeks with Zeus, he became the legitimate ruler (pharaoh) in the eyes of the Egyptians.
Another way to strengthen power in conquered countries was the resettlement of Greeks and Macedonians, which contributed to the spread of the Greek language and culture over vast territories. Alexander specifically founded new cities for the settlers, usually bearing his name. The most famous of them is Alexandria (Egyptian).
After carrying out financial reform in Egypt, Alexander continued his campaign to the East. The Greco-Macedonian army invaded Mesopotamia. Darius III, having gathered all possible forces, tried to stop Alexander, but to no avail; on October 1, 331, the Persians were finally defeated in the battle of Gaugamela (near modern Irbil, Iraq). The winners occupied the ancestral Persian lands, the cities of Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, and Ecbatana. Darius III fled, but was soon killed by Bessus, satrap of Bactria; Alexander ordered the last Persian ruler to be buried with royal honors in Persepolis. The Achaemenid state ceased to exist.
Alexander was proclaimed "King of Asia". After occupying Ecbatana, he sent home all the Greek allies who wanted it. In his state he planned to create a new ruling class from the Macedonians and Persians, sought to attract the local nobility to his side, which caused discontent among his comrades. In 330, the oldest military leader Parmenion and his son, the chief of the cavalry Philotas, were executed, accused of involvement in a conspiracy against Alexander.
Having crossed the eastern Iranian regions, Alexander's army invaded Central Asia (Bactria and Sogdiana), the local population of which, led by Spitamen, put up fierce resistance; it was only suppressed after the death of Spitamenes in 328.
Alexander tried to observe local customs, wore Persian royal clothes, and married the Bactrian Roxana. However, his attempt to introduce Persian court ceremonial (in particular, prostrating before the king) met with the rejection of the Greeks. Alexander mercilessly dealt with the dissatisfied. His foster brother Cleitus, who dared to disobey him, was immediately killed.
After the Greco-Macedonian troops entered the Indus Valley, the Battle of Hydaspes took place between them and the soldiers of the Indian king Porus (326). The Indians were defeated, pursuing them, Alexander's army descended down the Indus to Indian Ocean(325). The Indus Valley was annexed to Alexander's empire. The exhaustion of the troops and the outbreak of rebellions among them forced Alexander to turn west.
Returning to Babylon, which became his permanent residence, Alexander continued the policy of uniting the multilingual population of his state and rapprochement with the Persian nobility, which he attracted to govern the state. He arranged mass weddings of Macedonians with Persian women, and he himself married (in addition to Roxana) two Persian women at the same time - Statira (daughter of Darius) and Parysatis.
Alexander was preparing to conquer Arabia and North Africa, but his sudden death from malaria prevented this. His body, taken to Alexandria Egypt by Ptolemy (one of the great commander’s associates), was placed in a golden coffin.
Alexander's newborn son and his half-brother Arrhidaeus were proclaimed the new kings of the huge power. In fact, the empire began to be controlled by Alexander's military leaders - the Diadochi, who soon began a war to divide the state among themselves.
The political and economic unity that Alexander the Great sought to create in the occupied lands was fragile, but Greek influence in the East turned out to be very fruitful and led to the formation of the Hellenistic culture.
The personality of Alexander the Great was extremely popular both among European peoples and in the East, where he is known under the name Iskander Zulkarnain (or Iskandar Zulkarnain, which means Alexander the Two-horned)
Alexander was born in the Macedonian capital of Pella. He came from the valiant Argead dynasty, which, according to legend, dates back to famous hero Hercules. Alexander's father was the Macedonian king Philip II. Mother - Olympias, daughter of the king of Epirus. Alexander had brother Philip III, who was considered feeble-minded.
The boy grew up in an ambiguous environment: he sincerely admired the valor of his father, who waged endless wars with the Greek policies, but at the same time felt personal hostility towards him, since he was under the influence of his mother, who set her son against her husband.
Alexander's training early age It took place not at home, but according to established tradition - with relatives. He studied at Mieza, and his teachers were Leonidas, who insisted on the Spartan way of life, and the actor Lysimachus, who taught the young heir to the throne rhetoric and ethics.
From the age of 13, he began to be raised by a great thinker who was well acquainted with his father. Aristotle, realizing that he was the mentor of the future ruler, emphasized the study of politics, ethics and philosophy. In addition to them, trying to give his ward a classical education, the teacher taught the prince medicine, literature and poetry.
Alexander s early years showed such qualities as ambition, stubbornness and determination. On the other hand, he was completely indifferent to physical pleasures, limited himself in food and showed no interest in opposite sex.
For the first time, the father entrusted his son with the management of Macedonia when he was only 16 years old. Philip himself went to conquer Byzantium, and at this time an uprising arose in his homeland, the instigator of which was the Thracian tribes. The young prince, with the help of the regiments remaining in the capital, suppressed the rebellion, and on the site of the Thracian settlement he founded the city of Alexandropol in his honor. After 2 years, he again acted as a successful commander, commanding the left wing of the Macedonian army at the Battle of Chaeronea. In 336 BC, King Philip was killed and Alexander was proclaimed king of Macedonia.
Great Marches
Having come to power, Alexander destroys his father's enemies, who were responsible for his death, and abolishes taxes. Then, within 2 years, he suppresses the barbarian Thracian tribes in the north of the country and restores Macedonian power in Greece.
After this, Alexander unites all of Hellas and makes a great campaign against Persia, which Philip had dreamed of all his life. It was the battles with the Persians that fully demonstrated the amazing military talent of Alexander the Great. After the Battle of the Granik River in 334 BC, almost all of Asia Minor came under Macedonian rule. And Alexander himself found the glory of the greatest commander and conqueror.
Having conquered Syria, Phenicia, Palestine, Caria and other countries of the Middle East almost without a fight, Alexander went to Egypt, where he was greeted like a new Deity. In Egypt, the king founded another city in his honor - Alexandria.
Returning to Persia, Alexander conquered Susa, Persepolis and Babylon. The last city became the capital of the united power. In 329, the crown king of Persia, Darius, was killed by his own entourage, and Alexander again shows himself as a smart tactician and strategist. He declares that the king’s murderers, and not the conquerors, are to blame for the fall of the Persian Empire, and calls himself an avenger for the honor of Darius.
Alexander becomes King of Asia and within two years captures Sogdean and Bactria, that is, modern Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Occupying new territories, Alexander founded cities in his honor. For example, Alexandria Eskhata and Alexandria in Arachosia, which have survived to this day under the names Khujand and Kandahar.
In 326 BC. Alexander the Great launched a campaign against India. He managed to capture several tribes and conquer the territory of present-day Pakistan. But after crossing the Indus River, the exhausted army went on strike and refused to move on. Alexander was forced to turn his troops back after a triumphant 10-year advance deep into the Asian part of the Eurasian continent.
The peculiarity of Alexander the Great as a ruler was that he accepted the traditions and beliefs of the occupied territories, did not try to impose his own culture, and even sometimes left former kings and rulers as governors. This policy prevented a surge in uprisings in the conquered territories, but every year it increasingly caused discontent among compatriots. The same system would later be used by the ancient Roman emperors.
Personal life
In general, the harem of Alexander the Great numbered 360 concubines, of which Campaspa was distinguished, she was his mistress for 2 years starting in 336, and Alexandra’s elder by 7 years Barsina, who became the mother of his illegitimate son Hercules. In addition, his relationships with the Amazon queen Thalestris and the Indian princess Cleophis are known.
Alexander had three wives. The first was the Bactrian princess Roxana, whom the king took as his wife when the bride was only 14 years old. They married in 327. She gave birth to the only officially recognized child of the great commander - the son of Alexander.
After 3 years, the king married two Persian princesses at the same time - the daughter of King Darius Stateira and the daughter of King Artaxerxes III Parysatis. Both of these additional marriages are considered to have taken place solely for political reasons. True, this did not prevent the first wife Roxana from becoming jealous and killing Stateira on this basis immediately after her husband’s death.
In general, Alexander the Great had fairly advanced views for his time on relationships with women, whom he greatly respected and considered almost equal to men, although even his teacher Aristotle insisted on a secondary role for women.
Death
In the winter of 323 BC. e. Alexander begins to plan new campaigns against the Arab tribes of the Arabian Peninsula and the conquest of Carthage. But less than a week before the start of the enterprise great commander becomes seriously ill, presumably with malaria. Although there are versions about the poisoning of Alexander.
For several months he could not get out of bed at his home in Babylon. From the beginning of June, he lost his speech and was overcome by a severe fever that lasted 10 days. June 10, 323 BC great king and the commander Alexander the Great died. At the time of his death he was only 33 years old, he did not live about a month before his 33rd birthday.
Birth of Alexander the Great
According to the records of Greek and Persian historians, Alexander the Great was born on July 29-30, 356 BC. e. in the Macedonian capital Pella.On the same night, Herostratus burned the temple of Artemis in Ephesus (Asia Minor).
Alexander was born on the eve lunar eclipse which happened in daytime July 30, so it was not visible in the European part of the Earth and there were no records of it. Nowadays, with the help of a computer you can tell exactly when an eclipse occurred.
Eclipse of July 30, 356 BC. e. stood out because during the eclipse the Moon was in Aquarius, in a tense aspect (90 degrees) with the Black Moon, which was in Scorpio.
This situation is always dangerous for the fetus, as it stimulates premature birth. Only the mother’s energy can protect the fetus.
But in this case, Alexander’s mother Olympias, as a zealous bacchante, was often surrounded by snakes, on which the eclipse could have a strong impact. Therefore, during the eclipse, her bioenergy field could decrease, which would not allow protecting the child from its effects. Most likely, this caused premature birth, and the child was born at seven months, which at that time meant that he had no chance of survival.
Why seven months? Yes, because winter bacchanalia was held on the new moon, located close to winter solstice.
The conception of a child by Olympias could have occurred in the final stage of bacchanalia in 3-4 days, approximately December 23-25. This means that Alexander was born after 31 weeks of pregnancy. I think he was born in the morning (around 4 am local time) on July 30, when there was an opposition between the Sun and the Moon, and an eclipse was about to begin, which created a tension in the birth horoscope, located parallel to the horizon.
Supernatural abilitiesAlexander the Great
Often children with such tension in the birth horoscope have congenital pathologies or cannot survive at all. Alexander had no obvious physical pathologies, but his eyes were different. One eye was like a cat's - it could glow.They knew about this pathology because they were afraid of the gaze of people with different eyes and, especially with similar cat eyes.
But what is this hereditary disease dangerous for the child's life, obviously, they did not know. Since Alexander was entrusted with big plans, for the implementation of which a person had to live a long life. And with this disease, a person’s life could stop at any moment.
At the same time, such a physical pathology of the eye endowed its owner with supernatural abilities. He could energetically influence the people around him, causing them fear and depression.
Over the years, with the help of skillful teachers, Alexander learned to read and influence people's thoughts. With such energy, he could let people get close to him evil spirits to receive the necessary information from her. And he himself could mentally move over long distances and see future events in his imagination.
When Alexander grew up, it became obvious to everyone that Philip was not his father. Alexander was fiery red-haired, with snow-white skin, very sensitive to sun rays, with eyes of different colors - one eye was like a cat’s, the other like a lion’s.
These features of Alexander explained his supposedly divine origin, that he was the son of Dionysus. But Dionysus was not red, and this characteristic color is transmitted only from the parents, and is dominant. This was obviously known at the time.
Although in childhood Alexander was taught that Dionysus was his father, but when he grew up and could draw his own conclusions, he realized that not everything was so smooth and reliable with Dionysus. In addition, his official father, Philip, died under unusual circumstances.
Why was Philip killed?
Philip had an extraordinary intelligence, cunning and cunning. While gaining power, he showed not only excellent military abilities, but also diplomatic talent and foresight.Justin noted oratory Philip: “In conversations he was both flattering and cunning, in words he promised more than he delivered... As a speaker, he was eloquently inventive and witty; the sophistication of his speech was combined with lightness, and this lightness itself was sophisticated.”
He skillfully resorted to bribery, thereby sparing his soldiers. His expression remains famous in history: “A donkey loaded with gold will take any fortress.”
In addition, Philip, despite the fact that he spent his youth in Thebes, did not in any way resemble an enlightened sovereign, and in his morals and way of life he was similar to the barbarian kings of Thrace.
Theopompus, who lived at Philip's court, left the following damning review (Polybius, 8.11): “If there was anyone in all Greece or among the barbarians whose character was distinguished by shamelessness, he was inevitably drawn to the court of King Philip in Macedonia and received the title of “comrade of the king.” For it was the custom of Philip to praise and promote those who wasted their lives in drunkenness and gambling... Some of them, being men, even shaved their bodies clean; and even bearded men did not shy away from mutual defilement. They took with them two or three slaves for lust, at the same time giving themselves over to the same shameful service, so that it would be fair to call them not soldiers, but prostitutes."
Drunkenness at Philip's court amazed the Greeks, who severely condemned drunkenness, debauchery, and homosexuality.
Athenaeus adds that although the number of “companions” did not exceed 800, they owned more land than any 10 thousand rich Greeks.
Philip's lifestyle shows that in those distant times, peoples with different cultures, principles and spiritual values lived in the neighborhood.
Due to their opposing views, these cultures could not live in peace. Therefore, wars were periodically waged between cultural centers. The culture of Hellas was represented by cultural centers - Athens and Thebes, and the opposite culture - Delphi, Sparta, Macedonia, etc.
In his youth, Philip, together with his future wife Olympias, was initiated into the cult of Dionysus on the island of Samothrace.
But he was not as young as the Olympics and had life experience. Therefore, this dedication and the cult of Dionysus itself was perceived rather as part of the political culture of that time. When he married at Olympias, he began to take the cult of Dionysus more seriously and cautiously.
A story has also been preserved about how, having once entered his wife’s bedchamber, Philip saw on her bed a huge snake stretched along the queen’s body. He allegedly thought that this was not a simple reptile, but someone reincarnated as a snake.
Although in fact Philip was not so naive as to believe that the snake was Dionysus. Since then, he no longer shared a bed with the Olympics. Philip knew that he was not involved in the birth of Alexander.
At the same time, Philip was constantly tormented by the question of who Alexander’s father was. Obviously, he looked closely at all the men who surrounded him, but 20 years have passed, and no one like Alexander has been found.
And so Philip married the young Macedonian Cleopatra, which forced Olympias and Alexander to leave Macedonia and go home to Epirus.
To smooth out conflict situation with the king of Epirus, Philip a year after own wedding arranged the wedding of his daughter with the prince of Epirus.
And suddenly, during the feast, Philip is killed by his own bodyguard. Alexander returns to Macedonia and investigates, but finds no conspiracy.
It seemed that no one at that time was interested in Philip's death. Philip played a key role in preparing military actions against the Persians, so he had no enemies in geopolitics.
Discontent ex-wife The Olympics was removed by the fact that Philip married his daughter to the king of Epirus, which satisfied the ambitions of the kings of Epirus, including Olympias, the daughter of the king of Epirus.
Alexander was also not interested in Philip’s death, since he trained him in military affairs, took him with him to the most important battles and trusted him to defend important positions. For example, he entrusted Alexander with protecting the left flank in the Battle of Chaeronea, where the fate of two cultures was decided - Hellas (Athens and Thebes) and Macedonia with Sparta.
So what happened during the feast? I think that the point was that Philip, among the invited guests, finally saw a man who looked like Alexander.
And since Philip was a very skilled diplomat, well versed in politics and actively took part in it, when he saw a man similar to his so-called son, he instantly realized the whole secret plan.
The stranger, understanding Philip's gaze, instantly realized the danger of such a discovery for a certain circle of secret rulers of world politics. The stakes in this political game were too high to ignore. This concerned global politics not only in Greece itself, but throughout the Mediterranean and Egypt.
The stranger most likely had magical powers and could hypnotize Philip's bodyguard. And already in this state, instill in him the idea of killing Philip.
Father of Alexander the Great
Judging by the way Alexander was received in Egypt - he was called the son of Pharaoh Nectanebo II, he was so similar to him, then, obviously, Alexander had related roots with him. But this pharaoh was the same age as Alexander, 13 years older than him. To understand the essence of the intrigue, let's consider who could be the father of Alexander the Great.By the time of Alexander the Great, Egypt was divided into two states - Egypt, ruled by the Persians - Upper Egypt and the Eastern Nile Delta, and Egypt, ruled by the Libyan dynasty - Western Nile Delta, Siwa Oasis, Ethiopia and the Libyan coast.
These two states were in constant war. The pharaohs of the Libyan dynasty invited to their military service(with obligatory payment) the soldiers of Sparta, and the Persian kings - the soldiers of Athens.
Pharaohs with the name Nectaneb traced their ancestry to the pharaohs of the Libyan dynasty, which had previously ruled part of Egypt. Moreover, the main priest guarding the power of the pharaohs was also from this family. Therefore, in the historical chronicles left behind, the chief priest with the name Nectaneb is often confused with Pharaoh Nectaneb.
Besides characteristic feature Libyan culture is that the chief priest had much more influence on government than the dynastic pharaoh.
Events developed this way. At first, Western culture, the oasis of Siwa (temple of Amun) and Ethiopia were ruled by Nectaneb I, then by his son Tachos, who, due to an unsuccessful military battle and to save his life, had to go over to the side of the Persians and leave Egypt.
After him, his cousin Nectanebo II became pharaoh, who ruled Egypt for 18 years, 360-343 BC. e.
Obviously, this pharaoh was the son of the chief priest of Amon and after his father should have taken this hereditary position. But circumstances forced him to become a pharaoh. Therefore, he could combine these two key positions.
This is indicated by his magical abilities, the ability to predict the future and much more that the ancient Egyptian priests did. In addition, he allocated colossal funds to the temples, which he might not have done if he had only been in the position of pharaoh. Records of the activities of this pharaoh were made in all the temples that were subordinate to this dynasty.
Perhaps the combination of two key roles in the state and the magical abilities of Nectanebo II contributed to the implementation of successful policies not only in Egypt itself, but also at the global level, which made him very popular.
So, when in 350 BC. e. The Persians made an attempt to conquer Egypt, then Nectanebo II, inviting talented Greek commanders, the Athenian Diophantus and the Spartan Lamia, who, together with mercenaries, successfully repelled the enemy’s onslaught.
The successes of Nectanebo II had an effect in Phenicia and Cyprus, where new uprisings broke out against the Persians. The anti-Persian coalition was headed by Nectaneb II and the Sidonian (Phoenician) king Tennes, to whom he in 346 BC. e. sent 4,000 Greek mercenaries at the disposal of Mentor from Rhodes.
But in 345 - 344. BC e. Artaxerxes III Ochus managed to suppress the uprisings in Phenicia, Judea and Cyprus. The mentor and the mercenaries went over to the side of the Persians.
Then the subsequent military successes of the Persians in alliance with a number of Greek kingdoms (Thebes, Argos, Greeks of Asia) forced Nectanebo II to flee to Memphis.
In 342 BC. e. the Persians captured Memphis and all of Egypt, and Nectanebo II, collecting his treasures, fled to Ethiopia, where he remained an independent ruler until 341 BC. e., as evidenced by his inscriptions in the temples of Edfu.
This historical event is remembered in folk tales, where it is said that the king, when enemies approach and to repel danger, resorts to the priest’s weapons - magical operations.
“Having launched wax boats onto the surface of the water, and raising his staff with his hand, Nectanebo II used a powerful word. But when he peered closely at the dish, he saw that the ships of the barbarians were controlled by Egyptian gods. Realizing that he, as the pharaoh of Egypt, had been betrayed by the betrayal of the blessed, Nectanebo II He shaved his head and beard to change his appearance, and, putting as much gold in his bosom as he could carry, fled from Egypt through Pelusium."
From what has been written we can conclude that the blessed ones, that is, the good Egyptian gods, were not the close and dear gods of the chief priest. And he used them as servants, they were in his service like the goldfish in Alexander Pushkin’s fairy tale.
For example, the ancient Jews had a secret magical teaching, according to which miracles could be performed not only by the power of Jehovah, but also by the power of “elohim hasherim,” i.e. literally “other gods.”
The fact that the faith of the chief priest of Amun in the Egyptian gods was only a theatrical performance is evidenced by the fact that the pharaoh of the Siwa oasis, in order to move unrecognized to Ethiopia, easily shaved off all his hair and changed into different clothes.
Herodotus wrote in his historical chronicles that in ancient Egypt, priests constantly shaved off all the hair on their bodies. Only those who were in mourning for the deceased grew their hair. And only the Libyans - residents of the Siwa oasis, where the temple of Amon was located, did the opposite - they wore their hair when they were happy, and shaved their hair when they were grieving.
Therefore, the Egyptians would have recognized Nectanebo II not by his face, but by his beard and long hair on the head. Since the Egyptians' mourning did not last long, their hair did not have time to grow significantly.
This means that the Libyan pharaohs of the Nectaneb family represented a completely different people, who had their own god, and whom, for convenience, they called by the Egyptian name Amon - invisible. Since it was convenient to hide one’s real god and one’s essence.
It must be taken into account that Nectanebo II, in accordance with his faith, fled from Egypt as a pharaoh, but not as a priest. Although for the Egyptians it appearance indicated that he belonged to the priests, which was very convenient for disguise.
The Persians did not touch the priests. Therefore, before leaving Egypt, Nectanebo II transferred the position of chief priest to his sister’s son, and reserved only royal power for himself. This position allowed him to behave freely, pretend, move around the world and visit the rulers of other countries and peoples.
And since Nectanebo II had diplomatic and military talent, he naturally wanted to take an active part in world politics in order to implement the plan developed by his family.
Therefore, it is not surprising that, after leaving Egypt, he could visit his relatives and allies in Greece and Macedonia, who wanted to introduce him to King Philip of Macedonia, an active participant in their political plans. The wedding of the king's daughter was an excellent excuse for a meeting and political conversations.
Philip, of course, had heard a lot about the Egyptian pharaoh Nectanebe II, his military exploits, and magical abilities, so he was glad to meet him. But when he saw him with his own eyes, and especially his great similarity with Alexander, he immediately realized that the Nectanebo family represented the royal family of the people, which was striving to establish hegemony on a global scale.
For world domination, the leaders of this people came up with various cults, philosophical theories and other means with the help of which they corrupted the morals of the aristocracy of other nations, depriving them of the opportunity to continue their family line.
Under the guise of gods' intervention in procreation, they conceived their own offspring. And thus at the base royal families representatives of their people were installed.
Nectanebo II, having read Philip's thoughts, used magic to persuade his bodyguard to kill the king of Macedonia. At that time, few could have guessed the real reason Philip's death.
But after Alexander the Great visited Egypt, where the people received him as a pharaoh returning from flight, rumors of this similarity reached Greece. And, obviously, the Greek politicians guessed the reason for the murder of Philip.
Therefore, the Greeks gradually cooled towards the cult of Dionysus, and openly held bacchanalia became a thing of the past. And admirers of the cult of Dionysus, in order not to attract attention to themselves, replaced it with the cult of Apollo and Asclepius.
Thus, the father of Alexander the Great was a representative of the royal branch of the Nectanebos, and Nectanebo II was a representative of the priestly branch of this family.
In Libyan culture, royal power was transmitted through the male line, and priestly power through the female line.
In Egyptian culture, everything was the other way around - priestly power was passed down through the male line. Therefore, having returned to Egypt after 11 years, Pharaoh Nectanebo II, and again becoming a pharaoh, ceded the royal throne to Ptolemy, who arrived in Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. And his (Nectanebo II) grandson, according to tradition, took the position of chief priest of Amon.
The Making of the Messiah
After the death of Philip, Alexander is revealed to a big secret that he is the son not of some Dionysus, but of Zeus-Amun himself, and that he will be able to see evidence of this when he visits Egypt, the temple of Amun and listens to the oracle’s prediction.When Alexander came to Egypt, he was initiated into the secret of Amon, that in his manifest form Amon could take the form of the god Set, the defender of the power of the pharaohs, the god of war and the desert.
In addition, the god Set was born at an inopportune hour - all the Gods of Ancient Egypt were born during the winter solstice, only Set was born earlier, premature, lame and fiery red.
And another important feature of the god Seth is that he promoted homosexual relations and sodomy. These characteristics suited Alexander and his circle in many ways.
Alexander and his comrades were people of their time, representatives of a culture where the ideal was not a righteous man protecting his soul from vices, but a hero capable of overcoming any obstacles on the way to his goal. Their motto was the slogan: “The end justifies the means!”
Naturally, Alexander wanted to become a great hero, a conqueror of the whole world. He called on his friends and warriors to take over the world. And if they voluntarily followed him, it means that they believed him, and, just like him, they thirsted for glory, booty, adventure and immortality. The Macedonians would never have followed anyone other than a “hero” into Persia for ten whole years, that is, a leader endowed with extraordinary abilities, courage, a passion for adventure and an aura of invincibility.
And for others to believe him, it was necessary for Alexander to believe in himself even more. Any person striving for the highest achievements knows what a huge role his own willpower, the power of imagination, and his own thoughts and feelings play. They, ultimately, determine the success of the plan, which inspires. Also, a true leader should never lose faith in himself or retreat from his path due to failures. He must be able to use experience own mistakes for your own purposes.
From this list of qualities of a hero, we can conclude that a hero needs to be raised, he cannot be born. Therefore, all the stories about the divine birth of Alexander would not have had the necessary impact on him, they would not have developed the ability to manage with your own feelings, thoughts, imagination and will. And according to historians’ description, he was not such an exemplary child.
In his childhood, Alexander differed from his peers in that he was indifferent to bodily joys and indulged in them very moderately, but he was too ambitious. Therefore, from childhood I envied my father’s fame.
Plutarch wrote about Alexander's character: “Philip saw that Alexander was stubborn by nature, and when he got angry, he did not yield to any violence, but with a reasonable word he could easily be persuaded to accept the right decision; That’s why my father tried to convince more than to command.”
Aristotle played the main role in Alexander’s upbringing, who taught him to control his emotions, thoughts and imagination.
Aristotle was a follower of Socrates, Pythagoras and, of course, the priests of Amun from the oasis of Siwa. Therefore, he made the main emphasis in raising Alexander on the development of his supernatural abilities - clairvoyance, telepathy and telekinesis.
Aristotle taught Alexander to isolate a certain part of consciousness and transport it with it to a planned place, where, with the help of clairvoyance and clairaudience, search for the necessary information. Possessing such abilities, Alexander could do without geographical maps and reconnaissance units.
Currently, similar technology is used by intelligence agencies developed countries peace.
At one time, I tested this method on my consciousness and saw its possibilities. When a part of consciousness is separated from the body and ends up in the intended place, the perception of this part by consciousness is significantly enhanced.
Maybe, physical body its fields somewhat depress or reduce the threshold of perception. Therefore, consciousness, separated from the body, perceives nature much more sensitively - the vibration of the air is felt and even seen, nature acquires a brighter color, for example, the green foliage of trees and grass becomes brighter.
In addition, the consciousness isolated from the human body easily penetrates into the consciousness of plants, animals, and people. Everything around you seems to start talking to you. And this is fascinating, which is very dangerous, since it is difficult to get out of this state on your own.
This is especially dangerous for children's consciousness, since children are not able to control their own thoughts. Children can remain in this state for many years, and sometimes all their lives. Modern medicine classifies this state of consciousness as a disease - childhood autism.
Thus, Alexander, as a representative of the royal family, also developed the abilities of a priest. Possibly a combination of blood and magical abilities and was a sign of the messiah. Therefore, the priests of the temple of Amon accepted Alexander into the secret Masonic order, which may still have survived from the pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt.
The priests initiated Alexander into secret knowledge, taught him telepathic communication with them, so that he could receive their advice on long campaigns. Perhaps they gave him the Ring of Solomon for the duration of his mission, with which one can control the genies.
At one time, the genies helped King Solomon build a temple. Solomon and his father King David were members and leaders of the ancient Freemasons.
Conquests of Alexander the Great
Armed with secret knowledge and talismans, Alexander the Great first carried out campaigns of conquest in the lands conquered by the Persians.He then tried to conquer India, but, having met decent resistance, he abandoned further battles with the Hindus. He did not want to waste the strength of his army on the war, since the conquest of territories in the eastern direction was not part of his plans.
Therefore, having completed one of the points of the planned plan, he moved on to implementing the remaining points. And these points were the transition and conquest of the Arabian Desert, a military campaign against Carthage.
But why was it necessary to fight with Carthage if in the fight against the Persians the Phoenicians were allies and acted as a united front. History is silent, and science ignores this fact, as if it were something insignificant that is not worthy of attention.
But how can the ultimate goal of Alexander the Great’s campaign be ignored? Moreover, such a goal as the destruction of the culture of Carthage.
Fate did not allow Alexander to achieve his final goal. The campaigns of Alexander the Great nevertheless achieved significant success and he accomplished a number of feats, and the empire of Alexander the Great had a huge territory. It is from these successful actions that one can unravel what secrets Alexander possessed.
Although there are quite a lot of them, what is of interest for our topic is the meeting of the army of Alexander the Great with the legendary basilisk. This monster of the Libyan desert killed with his gaze. And Alexander used the method in which the mythical Gorgon Medusa was killed - he placed a mirror in the path of the basilisk.
Alexander the Great- outstanding ruler and commander Ancient world. He was born in Macedonia in 356 BC and was the son of the Macedonian king Philip. His father gave Alexander an excellent education. His teachers in his youth were the great warrior Leonidas, the brilliant orator Anaximenes and the wisest philosopher Aristotle. Alexander was much more capable and smarter than his peers. Since childhood, he admired his father's glory and dreamed of becoming a great ruler and commander.
Beginning of the reign of Alexander the Great
In 336 BC. e. Alexander's father Philip died at the hands of the conspirators, and Alexander became king of Macedonia. He took revenge on the conspirators for the death of his father, strengthened order in the state, and then began to expand the Macedonian possessions.
In 335 BC. e. Alexander began a military campaign in Greece, won several brilliant victories, took the city of Thebes and annexed Greece to his possessions. Now he was king of both Macedonia and Greece. From that time on, his glorious military campaigns began.
Soon, skillfully using courage, military cunning and knowledge, he conquered the peninsula of Asia Minor, conquered Syria, and then Egypt. Alexander annexed this entire territory to his possessions in just a few years, by 331 BC. e.
Alexander is a great king
For the next two years, Alexander fought with the greatest power of antiquity - Persia. He skillfully used the “Divide and Conquer” rule, quarreled the Persian rulers among themselves, and then defeated their armies one by one.
Competently managing his army, Alexander the Great won victories one after another and by 330 BC. e. conquered all of Persia. He captured some commanders and made others his allies. He did the same with Asian and Indian rulers - no one could stop Alexander’s victorious army.
Now great empire Alexandra united a vast territory from Macedonia and Greece to the eastern borders of India. No one had created such an empire before. The capital of the state was the great city of Babylon. Alexander did not destroy the traditions of the conquered countries - he dreamed of uniting all peoples into a single whole.
Alexander had many more glorious campaigns and conquests in his plans, but in 323 he became seriously ill and soon died in Babylon. His empire turned out to be too fragile, and his heirs and allies fought with each other for power. The great power of Alexander the Great lasted no more than 10 years during his lifetime, and immediately after his death it broke up into separate states.
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