It would be the first of many settlements named in his honor, such as the great city of Alexandria in Egypt. He even christened his new city Alexandropolis. He succeeded in crushing the revolt, drove the Maedians out of their chief city, and recolonized it with Greeks. Alexander wasted no time in gathering the soldiers left under his command and marching against the rebels. While Philip was away, a tribe of Thracians to the north called the Maedi rebelled against Macedonian control. When Alexander was only sixteen years old, his father left on a campaign against the great city of Byzantium, leaving his teenage son in charge of Macedonia. People grew up faster in ancient times than they do today. He Proved His Leadership Potential At Sixteen Alexander the Great Founding Alexandria by Placido Costanzi, 1736-37, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore While on campaign to foreign lands in later years, Alexander frequently sent letters and specimens to his old tutor. He taught the young heir from the ages of thirteen to sixteen and instilled in Alexander a love of philosophy, literature, science, and naturalism. Philip offered to fund the comprehensive rebuilding of Stageira, and Aristotle agreed to tutor Alexander. Philip had razed Aristotle’s hometown of Stageira to the ground in an earlier campaign. He set his heart on Aristotle himself, but there was a rift there. Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you!Īs the presumptive heir, Philip spared no expense to give his son the best education possible. In 356 B.C., Philip’s fourth wife, Olympias, gave birth to a son. In only one year, Philip drastically reformed the Macedonian army and turned the fortunes of the once-backwater nation. Situated to the north of the frequently warring Greek city-states, Macedonia became the target of frequent raids. Yet after the unexpected deaths of his two older brothers, Philip suddenly found himself the king of a struggling nation. These are 9 further reasons why he deserves to be called great.Īncient Thracian coin depicting Philip II and commemorating his win at an Olympic horse race, 305-281 BC, Middlebury College Museum of Art, VermontĪlexander the Great’s father, Philip II of Macedonia, did not expect to ever become king. That achievement is itself an impressive feat, but the story of Alexander the Great is an incredibly rich and complex one. Most people have heard of Alexander of Macedonia, the young Greek warlord who became king at the age of twenty and had conquered the ancient world by the time of his sudden death at thirty-two. Hellenistic Bronze Head of Alexander the Great, Metropolitan Museum of Art, with Alexander the Great by Andy Warhol, 1982, Private Collection
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