Alexander

In the summer of 336 BC, Alexander’s father, Philip II, the ancient king of Macedon, was suddenly assassinated at his daughter’s wedding. Alexander, who had just turned 20, inherited the throne. . The Greek city-states conquered by Philip II and some tribes in Thrace, Illyria and other places took the opportunity to rebel or declare independence

The young Alexander first led his army into the northern Balkan Peninsula. He conquered the Illyrian tribes that betrayed him and drove the Thracians back to the Danube. At this time, the Thebans, who had opposed Macedonia in the past, spread rumors that Alexander had been killed in battle, and took the opportunity to set off an uproar against Macedonia.

Alexander knew that Thebes was a famous large city-state among the Greek city-states. If this riot was not quelled, the consequences would be disastrous. So every time he decided to kill someone as a warning to others, he made a prompt decision and quickly sent his troops south, appearing at the gate of Thebes at lightning speed without any hostility. The Thebans couldn't believe their eyes, and they were all panic-stricken. The city of Thebes was captured by the Macedonian hoplites and turned into a pile of rubble, and all the residents were sold into slavery. The destruction of Thebes indeed served as a warning to others. The Greek city-states surrendered and expressed their surrender one after another. Athens then surrendered and begged for mercy. It didn't take long for the states to unite under the leadership of Alexander and recognize him as the supreme commander. Alexander's excuse for the expedition to Eastern Persia was that the Persians had ravaged the Holy Land of Greece and participated in the murder of Philip II. It is said that before leaving for the expedition, Alexander gave away all his real estate income, slaves and livestock to others. At that time, a general asked in confusion: "Your Majesty, you divide everything, what do you keep for yourself?" "Hope!" Alexander replied simply, "I leave hope to myself! It will bring me infinite wealth!" In this way, Alexander left his hometown with the desire for infinite wealth. A long journey. In the spring of 334 BC, Alexander crossed the Hellespont (the Dardanelles) and began a 10-year Eastern Expedition. This expeditionary force to the Persian Empire consisted of 30,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 160 warships. The Persian Empire had hundreds of thousands of troops and 400 warships. Moreover, the Persian Empire was about 50 times larger than the Kingdom of Macedonia, not to mention that many ancient and wealthy countries in the Far East, such as Egypt, Babylon, and Phoenicia, had been conquered by Persia and incorporated into the Persian territory. Despite the disparity in power, Alexander was good at seeing problems at their core. He knew very well that although the Persian Empire had a vast territory, a huge army, and still had a great reputation, its power was declining and it was internally divided. The emperor Darius was a mediocre and weak-minded emperor with weak will and lack of wisdom. The Kingdom of Macedonia was at its peak and unstoppable. Alexander relied on the remaining power of crossing the Hellespont Strait in one fell swoop and took advantage of his own high morale to break through the enemy's defense line in one go. He won the first battle, completely destroying the Persians' morale and determination to resist, and opened up the road to expansion into Asia. Many city-states surrendered without a fight, and even regarded Alexander as the savior to liberate them from Persian rule. In the summer of 333 BC, Alexander defeated many city-states with his famous "Macedonian Phalanx" near the city of Iss. Darius III was willing to fail in the first battle. In the spring of 331 BC, Alexander led 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry to Mesopotamia, and launched the last large-scale decisive battle with Persia at Gaugamela near Nineveh. Darius III After careful preparation, they had 40,000 cavalry, 1 million infantry, 200 sword-wheeled chariots and 15 war elephants from India. Compared with Alexander's army, they had an absolute advantage. But Alexander and Darius III used their wits and strategies to miraculously defeat the Persian emperor again. Interestingly, when Alexander, who had an army of less than 50,000, ordered his soldiers to rest and recuperate for the upcoming battle, Darius III, who had an army of one million, was afraid of the night attack order. The soldiers stayed up all night. The Persian soldiers were fully armed and stood in fear all night. They were all listless and had no fighting spirit. The next day, in the early morning of October 1, 331 BC, Alexander led an energetic and high-morale army into the battlefield. He skillfully used his mobile and flexible "Macedonian Phalanx" and finally defeated his powerful opponent. Alexander took advantage of the victory and marched eastward, occupying Babylon, the largest city in the East and the cultural center of the ancient East, and gave himself the title of "King of Babylon and the Four Sides of the World".

After that, Alexander led his troops from Babylon and occupied the three capitals of the Persian Empire, including Suze, Persepolis and Ekabatana.