Alexander III of Macedon (356 BC – 323 BC)
Commonly known as Alexander the Great

Alexander was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He is considered to be one of history’s greatest military commanders.

Much of what we know about Alexander is steeped in myth. Narratives of Alexander’s life, emerged hundreds of years after his death. Alexander was of medium height (5 feet+), a heavy drinker with a terrible temper. He would arbitrarily murder close advisors and friends.

When young, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle, the Greek philosopher. He ascended the throne of Macedonia (North Greece), at the age of 20, after his father, Philip II of Macedon, was killed by his own bodyguards. He led long military campaigns and created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Egypt to northwestern India.

By the time he died at the age of 32, Alexander the Great was simultaneously the King of Macedonia, Pharaoh of Egypt and King of Persia.

There are several independent accounts that show, Alexander never defeated Porus, the King of a small Kingdom in India in the famous battle of Hydaspes. Alexander was defeated and his army almost rebelled. He was forced to go back.

Alexander’s vast empire crumbled after his death. His children and mother were killed. Macedonia went through a succession of violent upheavals.

It is difficult to separate fact from fiction in case of Alexander. Here are 3 incidents / stories from his life:

When Alexander marched into Gordium (in modern day Turkey), he saw an ancient cart, fastened by a rope, with a very complicated knot. Tradition held that any man who could unravel its knots, was destined to become ruler of Asia. Alexander could not untie the knot so he sliced the knot in half with his sword. Today, the expression “to cut the Gordian Knot”, means to solve a complicated problem by taking decisive action.

Bucephalus was the mighty black stallion of Alexander. Story goes, a horse dealer offered the horse to Alexander’s father for an enormous sum, but the animal appeared to be wild. Alexander promised to pay, if he failed to tame it. He spoke soothingly to the horse and turned it away from the sun, so that it could not see its shadow, that seemed to distress it. The horse was tamed. Alexander named his stallion Bucephalus and rode him for nearly two decades. Bucephalus died of battle wounds in Alexander’s last battle of Hydaspes (banks of the Jhelum River in Indian subcontinent). Alexander founded the city of Bucephala (now Jhelum, Pakistan) in memory of his loyal horse.

Alexander had probably never thought he would have an untimely death. As death stared him, his generals asked him, as to who should take over? He replied – the strongest. He said I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail.

• My physicians must carry my coffin, so people realize that no doctor can save them. Let no one take life for granted.

• I desire the path to grave be strewn with precious stones and gold which I have collected. Let people realize it is worthless.

• Let both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin. I wish people to know that I came empty-handed and go                            empty-handed.

Was Alexander buried alive.
A new medical hypothesis suggests, he was only paralyzed when he was declared dead, though it’s impossible to prove. It was believed, Alexander had either died from an infection or alcoholism or was murdered.

On his return, Alexander fell ill in Babylon (in present-day Iraq). The more he drank, the thirstier he became. He felt acute pain. Eventually he could barely talk or move. Alexander died a few days later. He was buried six days after being proclaimed dead.

It is believed, Alexander may have suffered from a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which leads to complete paralysis of the body, while the mind is working. This resulted in a false diagnosis of his death. Alexander was probably alive when he was buried.

As per ancient narratives, the Greeks marveled at how, six days after Alexander was pronounced dead, the king’s body didn’t decompose. This was a sign of divinity.

Quotes attributed to Alexander:

• Toil and risk are the price of glory, but it is a lovely thing to live with courage and die leaving an everlasting fame.

• In the end, when it’s over, all that matters is what you’ve done.

What makes one great, normal or mad. What is your take on Alexander.

What inspires you to toil and stretch.