Alexander the Great entered world history as a conqueror who did not have a chance to lose a single battle. Alexander's empire extended to the farthest reaches. But the commander did not manage to taste all the delights of his victories: at a relatively young age he died under strange circumstances that did not exclude his poisoning with poison.
The greatest military leader of antiquity
Alexander the Great is one of the most famous and eminent military figures in the history of mankind. In a very short time, he managed to subjugate a significant part of Asia to his power, going with troops to Pakistan and India. Alexander went down in history as a commander who was not defeated.
Alexander's military successes were facilitated by his undoubted talent as a commander, as well as the correct choice of tactics and strategy. The Macedonian troops acted boldly and decisively. At the same time, the commander most often managed to avoid significant losses.
Alexander was born in Macedonia and came from a noble dynasty. According to legend, he descended from the famous mythical hero Hercules. The commander's father was the king of Macedonia Philip II. Alexander's mother's pedigree was also impressive. Alexander's character traits were formed under the influence of the awareness of his belonging to two great families.
Alexander was lucky with his teachers. One of the commander's teachers was Leonid, who instilled in the young man a love for the Spartan way of life. The actor Lysimachus taught ethics and rhetoric to the heir to the Macedonian throne. Subsequently, the young man was brought up by one of the greatest thinkers of antiquity - the wise Aristotle. He focused on the young man's study of philosophy and politics. Alexander also had a sufficient command of the basics of medical knowledge and literary skills.
Death of Alexander
Historians of all times have argued a lot about the events as a result of which Alexander the Great passed away. According to the Babylonian Chronicle, the commander died on June 10 (according to other sources - 11th) June 323 before the beginning of the current era. Alexander at that time was only 32 years old. The death of the ruler took place in the Babylonian palace.
A few months before his death, Alexander the Great gave the order to his troops to prepare for the campaign against the famous Babylon. During this campaign, the Macedonian ruler received the advice of the Chaldeans, who warned Alexander that the journey would be fatal for him. At the same time, the death of Alexander was predicted by Kalan, an Indian gymnosophist. Having ordered to burn himself alive in the fire of a funeral pyre, Kalan turned to Alexander, warning that they would meet, but already in Babylon. The Indian's words were prophetic.
Alexander decided to enter Babylon through the famous Royal Gate. However, the route chosen ran through a marshland and turned out to be extremely unfavorable.
What really happened in Babylon remains a mystery to historians to this day. Experts do not stop debating this issue.
It is generally accepted that Alexander was poisoned. Other alleged causes of the general's death include liver disease and fever. A few days before the day of the tragedy, Alexander experienced weakness, sweating and chills. He had a fever. These are symptoms characteristic of infectious diseases, such as typhoid fever. This disease was very common in Babylon at that time. There is evidence that in the last hours of his life Alexander screamed loudly in agony and complained of unbearable abdominal pain.
Modern toxicologists who have studied the historical evidence have suggested that at the time of his death, Alexander was very weak, both physically and mentally. During that period, he drank a lot of intoxicating drinks and more than once fainted at luxurious feasts. A description of individual symptoms (profuse vomiting, slow pulse, muscle weakness) may indicate the effect of a hellebore drink on the body. In those ancient times, healers often served such a drug to drive out evil spirits.
Burial place of Alexander the Great
Having received news of the death of the ruler, the Macedonians wept a lot. The local residents also greeted the news of Alexander's death with sadness. The authors of antiquity report that it took about two years to organize the funeral procession, which was to transport the body of the Macedonian from Babylon to the burial place. However, there is no exact information about how exactly the body of the commander was preserved over such a long period. Plutarch says that Egyptian embalming specialists worked on Alexander's body. Later researchers suggested that the body could be stored for a long time in a container with honey.
Alexander's body was eventually first buried in Memphis, Egypt. Then the remains of the commander were transferred to Alexandria, where they began to rest in the mausoleum. The final resting place of the commander is now unknown to anyone. Some researchers believe that the grave was located under one of the early Christian churches.
