Alexander the Great - Cavalry

Alexander the Great (in Greek Μέγας Αλέξανδρος, transliterated Megas Alexandros; born in Pella, Macedon, in July, 356 BC, died in Babylon, on June 10, 323 BC), King of Macedon 336–323 BC, is arguably the most successful military commander in world history, conquering most of the known world before his death. Alexander is also known in the Zoroastrian Middle Persian work Arda Wiraz Nāmag as "the accursed Alexander" due to his conquest of the ...

Including:

• Alexander the Great - Early life
• Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon
• Alexander the Great - Period of conquests
• Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire
• Alexander the Great - The invasion of India
• Alexander the Great - After India
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality
• Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela
• Alexander the Great - Infantry
• Alexander the Great - Cavalry
• Alexander the Great - Death
• Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire
• Alexander the Great - Timeline
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's character
• Alexander the Great - Stories and legends
• Alexander the Great - Ancient sources
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend
• Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources
• Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander
• Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media
• Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia - Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire. Alexander's army had crossed the Hellespont with about 42,000 soldiers---primarily Macedonians1 and Greeks, but also including some Thracians, Paionians and Illyrians. After an initial victory against Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus, Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of Sardis and proceeded down the Ionian coast. At Halicarnassus, Alexander successfully waged the fi ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Period of conquests

Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire. Alexander's army had crossed the Hellespont with about 42,000 soldiers---primarily Macedonians1 and Greeks, but also including some Thracians, Paionians and Illyrians. After an initial victory against Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus, Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of Sardis and proceeded down the Ionian coast. At Halicarnassus, Alexander successfully waged the fi ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Period of conquests

Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire. Alexander's army had crossed the Hellespont with about 40,000 soldiers---primarily Macedonians [1] and Greeks, but also including some Thracians, Paionians and Illyrians. After an initial victory against Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus, Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of Sardis and proceeded down the Ionian coast. At H ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Period of conquests

Alexander's greatest emotional attachment is generally considered to have been to his companion, cavalry commander (chiliarchos) and probable lover, Hephaestion. They had most likely been best friends since childhood for Hephaestion too received his education at the court of Alexander's father. Hephaestion makes his appearance in history at the point when Alexander reaches Troy. There the two friends made sacrifices at the shrines of the two heroes Achilles and Patroclus, Alexander honoring Achilles, and Hephaestion honoring Patroclus ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality

Alexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedon and of Epirote princess Olympias. According to Plutarch (Alexander 3.1,3), Olympias was impregnated not by Philip, who was afraid of her and her affinity for sleeping in the company of snakes, but by Zeus. Plutarch (Alexander 2.2-3) relates that both Philip and Olympias dreamt of their son's future birth. Olympias dreamed of a loud burst of thunder and of lightning striking her womb. In Philip's dream, he sealed her womb with the seal of the lion. Alarmed by this, he consulted the seer Aristander of Telmessus, who determined that his wife was pregnant and ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Early life

The army of Alexander was, for the most part, that of his father Philip. It was composed of light and heavy troops and some engineers, medical and staff units. About one third of the army was composed of his Greek allies from the Hellenic League. Alexander the Great - Infantry. The main infantry corps was the phalanx, composed of six regiments (taxies) numbering about 2000 phalangites each. Each soldier had a long pike called a sarissa, which was up to 18 feet long, and a short sword. For pro ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela

After Alexander's death, his empire was divided among his officers, mostly with the pretense of first preserving a united kingdom. Later, his officers were focused on the explicit formation of rival monarchies and territorial states. Ultimately, the conflict was settled after the Battle of Ipsus in Phrygia in 301 BC. Alexander's empire was divided at first into four major portions: Cassander ruled in Macedon, Lysimachus in Thrace, Seleucus in Mesopotamia and Iran, and Ptolemy in the Levant and Egypt. Antigonus ruled for a while in Asi ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire

Alexander was a legend in his own time. His court historian Callisthenes portrayed the sea in Cilicia as drawing back from him in proskynesis. Writing after Alexander's death, another participant, Onesicritus, went so far as to invent a tryst between Alexander and Thalestris, queen of the mythical Amazons. When Onesicritus read this passage to his patron, Alexander's general and later King Lysimachus, Lysimac ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend

The ancient sources for Alexander's life are, from the perspective of ancient history, relatively numerous. Alexander himself left only a few inscriptions and some letter-fragments of dubious authenticity, but a large number of his contemporaries wrote full accounts. The key contemporary historians are considered Callisthenes, his general Ptolemy, Aristobulus, Nearchus and Onesicritus. Another influential account was penned by Cleitarchus, who, while not a direct witness of Alexander's expedition, used the sources which had just been publish ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Ancient sources

Modern opinion on Alexander has run the gamut from the idea that he believed he was on a divinely-inspired mission to unite the human race, to the view that he was a megalomaniac bent on world domination. Such views tend to be anachronistic, however, and the sources allow for a variety of interpretations. Much about Alexander's personality and aims remains enigmatic. Alexander is remembered as a legendary hero in Europe and much of both Southwest Asia and Central Asia, where he is known as Iskander or Iskandar Zulkarnain ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Alexander's character

On the afternoon of June 10 - 11, 323 BC, Alexander died of a mysterious illness in the palace of Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon. He was just one month shy of attaining 33 years of age. Various theories have been proposed for the cause of his death which include poisoning by the sons of Antipater or others, sickness that followed a drinking party, or a relapse of the malaria he had contracted in 336 BC. What is certain is that on May 29, Alexander participated in a banquet organized by his friend Medius of Larissa. After some heavy drin ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedonia, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Death

On the afternoon of June 10 - 11, 323 BC, Alexander died of a mysterious illness in the palace of Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon. He was only 33 years old. Various theories have been proposed for the cause of his death which include poisoning by the sons of Antipater or others, sickness that followed a drinking party, or a relapse of the malaria he had contracted in 336 BC. What is certain is that on May 29, Alexander participated in a banquet organized by his friend Medius of Larissa. After some heavy drinking, immediately or after a b ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Death

Alexander's greatest emotional attachment is generally considered to have been to his companion, cavalry commander (chiliarchos) and probable lover, Hephaestion. They had most likely been best friends since childhood for Hephaestion too received his education at the court of Alexander's father. Hephaestion makes his appearance in history at the point when Alexander reaches Troy. There the two friends made sacrifices at the shrines of the two heroes Achilles and Patroclus, Alexander honoring Achilles, and Hephaestion honoring Patroclus ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality

Alexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedon and of Epirote princess Olympias. According to Plutarch (Alexander 3.1,3), Olympias was impregnated not by Philip, who was afraid of her and her affinity for sleeping in the company of snakes, but by Zeus. Plutarch (Alexander 2.2-3) relates that both Philip and Olympias dreamt of their son's future birth. Olympias dreamed of a loud burst of thunder and of lightning striking her womb. In Philip's dream, he sealed her womb with the seal of the lion. Alarmed by this, he consulted the seer Aristander of Telmessus, who determined that his wife was pregnant and ...

See also:

Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great - Early life, Alexander the Great - The ascent of Macedon, Alexander the Great - Period of conquests, Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great - The invasion of India, Alexander the Great - After India, Alexander the Great - Alexander's marriages and sexuality, Alexander the Great - The army of Alexander the Great before the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great - Infantry, Alexander the Great - Cavalry, Alexander the Great - Death, Alexander the Great - Legacy and division of the empire, Alexander the Great - Timeline, Alexander the Great - Alexander's character, Alexander the Great - Stories and legends, Alexander the Great - Ancient sources, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend, Alexander the Great - Alexander's legend in non-Western sources, Alexander the Great - Main towns founded by Alexander, Alexander the Great - Alexander in popular media, Alexander the Great - Note

Read more here: » Alexander the Great: Encyclopedia II - Alexander the Great - Early life