Macedonian Alexander the Great Phase I

May 31 to June 11, 323 BC

No one knows what took the life of Alexander the Great. Some people believe that he would never die because his conquest during his twelve year rule brought him closer to gods and extraordinary people. Some even whispered that Alexander the Great was not the son of Philip II, the first king of Macedonia, but the son of the Egyptian god Amon. In the first week of June 323 BC, Alexander the Great fell seriously ill. It may seem like life is death, but in fact, death is not far away. Alexander's closest people - his seven guards, and a group of even closer friends called "gang friends" - watched him weaken and could only look at each other. They are excellent commanders and leaders of the most successful military operations in history, and are also very adept at handling crises. But judging by what will happen in the future, at this moment, no one knows what they should do, what others think, and what will happen next.

In the haze of the dying guardian, everyone's thoughts returned to the previous year, recalling things that seemed unimportant at that time. At that time, Alexander the Great's army was advancing towards Korea from the Indian Peninsula, which became the farthest region that Alexander the Great could conquer. Accompanying the army came an Eastern sage named Karanos, who became the mentor of many senior officers. However, when the army arrived at Bosis, Karanos fell ill. He foresaw that he would slowly die, so he arranged a self immolation to end his life. Karanos bid farewell to each of his followers in this solemn ceremony, but as Alexander the Great approached him, he repeatedly retreated. Karanos mysteriously said that when he saw the king in Babylon, he would embrace him. Then he climbed up a tall firewood pile in front of all the Macedonian troops, and 40000 people witnessed him sitting quietly in the flames, eventually being engulfed by the flames.

Now, people have come to Babylon, a wealthy city, and Karanos's words have gradually come true. Several other recent events suddenly had ominous signs. A few days before Alexander the Great fell ill, a stranger suddenly broke into the audience room of the palace, put on the crown and robe that Alexander the Great had left there for outdoor activities, and sat solemnly on the throne. During the interrogation, the person claimed that he had only acted according to the instructions of the Egyptian god Serabis, or that he may have been acting on a whim. However, Alexander the Great suspected that this was a conspiracy, so he ordered the execution of this person. Regardless of the intruder's motives, this move seems to have a vague threat and may indicate that the country is about to face danger.

The audience room where this bizarre event occurred is famous for such omens. Three centuries ago, the great Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar built this hall as the central hall of his palace. It was also here that his descendant Belshazzar held a grand banquet. During the banquet, the guests saw invisible fingers and wrote a mysterious sentence on the wall: Mini, Mini, Scratchy, Black Hair Two Hearts. A prophet named Daniel, one of the Hebrew exiles from Jerusalem to Babylon, deciphered this message. He said that this meant that Belshazzar was placed on the balance, showing his own shortcomings. His empire would collapse, and the land would be divided between the Medes and Persians, a new force vying for control of Asia. According to the story version in the Bible, this prophecy came true that night. Belshazzar died in a sudden attack, and his power was held by Persian emperors such as Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, and others for over 200 years.

Now the rule of Persia has collapsed, and this great throne belongs to the rulers of Asia and Macedonia, as well as their king Alexander the Great. Although the text on the walls of the hall has faded from people's sight, this new omen - the stranger sitting on the throne - seems to have equally unsettling implications. All those who witnessed this event are well aware that no one can inherit this throne, nor can anyone lead a vast empire with a land area of 3000 miles from the Adriatic coast to the Indus River basin. Except for Alexander the Great himself, no one is suitable to command this army that established the entire empire. This is a destructive elite force. In the past two years, even Alexander the Great himself barely controlled this army. What kind of chaos would it bring to such an emerging world order without his leadership?

There is a legend circulating in some ancient texts that when Alexander the Great was asked on his deathbed who his power should be handed over to, he replied, "To the strongest." In other versions, the conqueror added that he foresaw fierce competition around his tomb, which led to the traditional Greek custom of holding sports competitions at hero funerals with a ruthless pun meaning. Perhaps these words are false, but there is still a basic truth between the lines. Due to the lack of clear heirs or inheritance policies, the death of Alexander the Great will trigger an unprecedented power struggle worldwide, and the world itself - Asia, Africa, and Europa - will be the reward for the victory of this struggle.

Alexander's funeral competition has indeed become one of the most intense and complex competitions in history. Within a few years after the king's death, six generals will fight against each other on three continents, and six members of the royal family will compete for the throne. Generals and kings will unite for common interests, and then change their positions and attack each other when it is more profitable. This game will be a relay race passed down from generation to generation. Military leaders will pass the flag to their sons, and the queen will pass the scepter to her daughters. After nearly a decade, real winners are gradually emerging, and this winner will be vastly different from the contestants who once stood at the starting line with the dying emperor in Babylon.

In the spring of 323 BC, when Alexander the Great returned to Babylon, the Chaldean priests warned him that entering the city could bring him bad luck, which was in stark contrast to Alexander the Great's first visit to Babylon 7 and a half years ago. Alexander the Great was only twenty-five years old at the time, possessing superhuman energy and unparalleled ambition. At that time, just a few weeks ago, he led a cavalry charge and charged towards Persian King Darius III on the battlefield, forcing him to flee and thus defeating the Persians in the world's largest battle. At this time, Alexander the Great remained vigilant towards his newly ruled Asian people, and as he approached Babylon, his army remained in a fighting posture. However, the residents of Babylon warmly welcomed Alexander the Great as a liberator who saved everyone from Persian rule, rather than a new conqueror. They gathered together to welcome Alexander the Great, scattering petals, singing hymns, and lighting silver incense burners on his way to the great Istar Gate.

If one must choose a day as the most glorious day of triumph for the Macedonian army during their eleven year journey to Asia, then October 331 BC, when the army first entered Babylon, should undoubtedly be the first choice.

The month long feast and celebration allowed Alexander the Great's army to experience the wonders of the East for the first time. These Macedonians are mostly rural people, shepherds, and farmers; Before Alexander the Great led them to Asia, few people left that mountainous land. They were deeply impressed by the magnificent palace and towering towers left by Nebuchadnezzar, impressed by the towering aerial garden above the temple, watered by an exquisite irrigation system composed of barrels and pulleys, and amazed by the huge three story ring wall decorated with lion, bull, and dragon reliefs. The commanders of Alexander the Great stationed in the magnificent Southern Palace were in a maze with over 600 rooms, many of which faced numerous winding courtyards. At the center of this maze is the huge audience room of Nebuchadnezzar, with palm trees and lions depicted on a dark blue background of glazed brick walls. In the audience room, people witnessed Alexander the Great sitting on the throne of Asia for the first time.

Alexander the Great achieved his goal in this way. After becoming the king of Macedonia at the age of twenty, he immediately began to continue the unfinished business of his father Philip II, who was assassinated while preparing to invade the Persian Empire. Alexander the Great led an army of 45000 people to cross the Strait of Heles and fought against the Persians three times within three years, each time achieving brilliant victories. During these expeditions, he traveled to Egypt for six months, where people praised him as a liberator and regarded him as the son of Amon. Perhaps even Alexander the Great himself began to believe that he was a descendant of Amon, as he gained power beyond mortals and unparalleled wealth. [8] As Alexander the Great defeated the Persians, the gold, silver, and tribute accumulated by the empire over the centuries and stored in the magnificent palaces of Susa and Persepolis were showcased to the world. Alexander the Great, seemingly invincible, attracted many powerful allies, including former enemies of Persia.

Alexander the Great could have stayed in Babylon, satisfied with his epoch-making achievements; However, for him, the journey was only halfway completed. He led his army northward and eastward, entering Bactria and Sogdea, chasing after the fleeing Persian king Darius III and others attempting to seize the throne. Alexander lived with the rebellious nomadic people in these areas for two years, and his losses in ambushes and traps were more severe than any battlefield battle. In the early spring of 327 BC, Alexander the Great's army climbed a 7000 foot mountain pass and starved in chest deep snow, his warhorses struggling to advance. Finally, Alexander the Great persevered and crossed the Hindu Kush Mountains into the Indian Peninsula.

Then Alexander the Great stayed on the Indian Peninsula for another two years, during which his army's energy was almost exhausted. Those who once experienced the wonders of the East in Babylon now witness the terror of the East: fanatical guerrilla fighters, deceitful tribal leaders, scorching desert heatwaves, and the most terrifying weapon of destruction they have never fought against - the well-trained Indian war elephants. Finally, at the easternmost tributary of the Indus River, the Hipparsi River, they finally reached their limit. When Alexander the Great first faced a mutiny, he ordered his soldiers to continue advancing. His subordinates do not want to conquer more worlds, nor do they want to cross rivers. Alexander the Great reluctantly led them back to the West. However, Alexander the Great was angered by the mutiny of his army, and he threw his army into a difficult battle against the stubborn resistance of India. None of his subordinates were willing to participate in these battles.

Alexander the Great was the first to launch a surprise attack on rebellious towns in the Indian Peninsula, but it resulted in catastrophic consequences. He climbed up and down the siege ladder that he didn't want to climb, and then stood on the top of the city wall, exposed to enemy gunfire, as if humiliating his soldiers. A group of infantry followed his ants up, but the ladder collapsed under the heavy pressure of everyone. Alexander the Great fearlessly jumped off the city wall and rushed into the city, with only two or three attendants by his side. In the subsequent melee, an Indian archer fired a 3-foot long bow and arrow, piercing Alexander the Great's armor and piercing his lungs. Alexander's panicked soldiers rushed into the city gate and dragged him out; A military officer drew an arrow, followed by chilling blood and accompanying hissing air, and then their king fell unconscious.

The rumors of Alexander the Great being killed spread, and the entire army immediately fell into panic. Shortly thereafter, a letter written by Alexander the Great began to circulate among the military, but people condemned it as a forgery organized by the Union of Supreme Commanders. The order tended to collapse, and it was not until Alexander the Great himself regained enough strength and came to the public to declare himself safe and sound that the situation was saved. Alexander the Great was transported by a ship to a nearby river and passed by the assembled army. He weakly raised his arm, indicating that he had regained consciousness. When his ship docked, he ordered his attendants to bring the mount and let him ride on the horse. This action caused a frenzy in the crowd: when he dismounted, soldiers surrounded him, threw flowers at him, and tightly grasped his hands, knees, and clothes.

Alexander's near death on the Indian Peninsula seems to be a rehearsal of his death, although the entire process was not smooth. Alexander the Great did indeed cultivate a group of excellent high-level personnel, but none of them could become his deputy; He delegated many important tasks to a large number of assistant officials, intending to decentralize power. Without him as the center, grassroots officers and soldiers would lose confidence, harbor doubts, and seek a clear command system in vain. Only the reappearance of the king can avoid a complete collapse of the situation.

Alexander the Great gradually recovered from lung trauma. In the summer of 325 BC, he left the Indian Peninsula with his troops. Some of them returned from the mountains on land, while others crossed the Arabian Sea by boat. He personally led his detachment through the desert called Ged Rosia. Due to the difficulty in maintaining supply lines and support networks, troops often face fear of shortages, drought, and heat. This exhausted army broke through this desolate land and re-entered the fertile land of the center of the ancient Persian Empire. After reuniting with their long lost comrades, they followed Alexander the Great back to the place where they celebrated their glory seven years ago, which was the capital of Nebuchadnezzar and the location of the Hanging Gardens - the extremely rich city of Babylon.

On the 17th day of the Deisios month in the Macedonian calendar, also known as June 1, 323 BC in the modern calendar, the Macedonian army stationed in Babylon learned the first sign of Alexander the Great's illness. On that day, the king appeared outside the palace of Nebuchadnezzar. Although he followed the duties of the head of state and led the sacrificial activities on that day, Alexander the Great himself was carried on a stretcher. The night before, Alexander the Great and his senior officers were drinking at a private gathering, but upon returning to their residence, they began to have a fever. At dawn, he was already too sick to walk.

After a brief and unsettling appearance, Alexander the Great retreated into the palace and began to rest. That night, his officer was called to his bedroom to discuss the military action against the Arabs scheduled to begin in three days. The plan for this battle has not changed, and there is no indication that Alexander the Great's illness will become an obstacle to its implementation.

All participants in the meeting belonged to the core circle of Alexander the Great, with the most important being his seven personal guards. They are not only responsible for protecting the safety of Alexander the Great, but also his closest friends, decision-makers, and co organizers. They are also the holders of his highest command in the battle. Most of these people were the same age as Alexander the Great, and a few grew up with him. Not everyone must become a great general or tactician. They don't have to do this, because Alexander the Great would plan strategies for them. They are all known for their unwavering loyalty to Alexander the Great and his cause. Knowing the king's goal, they will not hesitate to support it. They supported Alexander the Great in overcoming every crisis and refused all opposition. Alexander the Great could trust them without reservation, even though they did not always trust or acknowledge each other.

Ptolemy himself was also present at the scene. He has been a close comrade in arms of Alexander the Great since childhood, probably several years older than this 32 year old king. Ptolemy fought in Asia from the beginning, but he had not been a commander for many years. His personality and temperament are clearly different from those of soldiers. Alexander the Great made him his own guard in the middle of the battle purely based on personal relationships, and then began assigning him combat tasks. In the Indian Peninsula, Alexander the Great appointed Ptolemy to carry out his first important mission, but this put his old friend in greater danger. In a war with the Native Americans, Ptolemy was shot by a feather arrow, which is said to have been poisoned; Legend has it that Alexander the Great later learned of this detoxifying plant in his dream and extracted its juice, personally administering the antidote to Ptolemy. As Ptolemy's later deeds proved, he may not have been the most experienced officer under Alexander the Great, but he was the smartest one.

In contrast, Perdiccas has held a high position in the military since the beginning of the battle and has accumulated the most outstanding military achievements among the troops stationed in Babylon to this day. When Alexander the Great was waiting for his lung wound to heal on the Indian Peninsula, he may have taken over an important task in the military. Perkas may also be several years older than the king. This noble young man grew up in the court from a young age and was also a servant of Alexander's father, King Philip II. In fact, he first exhibited heroic behavior when he was in his teens. At that time, as an honorary attendant to Philip II, he pursued and killed the assassin who had assassinated him during his last public appearance. Perkas was born into a royal family that once ruled many independent kingdoms on the Macedonian plateau. With the continuous development of the empire under Philip II's rule, these families were stripped of power. However, as long as they remain loyal, their descendants will enjoy privileges in the court of Alexander the Great, and Perdiccas is undoubtedly such an example.

Leonardo used to be a servant of Philip II and also had royal lineage. He also helped Perdiccas pursue the assassins who fled after assassinating Philip II. In the subsequent Asian campaigns, he was promoted to one of the highest commanders; When he was on the Indian Peninsula, he gained glory in the battle of Alexander the Great being attacked by bows and arrows. Leonardo was one of the three people who fought alongside Alexander the Great during the siege. He suffered serious injuries while protecting the fallen Alexander the Great with his own body, which became a prominent manifestation of heroism and dedication. Another soldier, Pusetas, also took the same action. Alexander the Great, in recognition of him, promoted him to the rank of guard, creating an unprecedented eighth guard.

Also present was the Greek Acus, who was one of Alexander the Great's oldest and closest friends, but he was not a guard. Alexander the Great summoned Niacus from the guard, took him to the Indian Peninsula, and finally appointed him as the commander of the fleet, commanding the massive fleet to sail along the Indus River and return to Bosis. This is the most arduous task that Alexander the Great received among all his subordinates. From the beginning of the voyage, Arkus's ship deviated from the scheduled course and survived the long journey without food or fresh water. When the fleet and army met again, Alexander the Great did not even recognize his exhausted and weathered friend at first. Then he held Arkus's hand and shed tears of relief.

During that meeting, there was also a Greek named 37 year old Eumenes, who had a childish face and a slender figure. He had known Alexander the Great since childhood, but he worked for him in a different way. Alexander the Great's father appointed Eumenes as the clerk of the royal family a long time ago, a new position to handle the growing complexity of the imperial writing. According to a record, when Philip II saw Eumenes win an unrestricted wrestling competition, he only appreciated the boy's appearance and immediately appointed him. [20] During the Asian campaign, other friends mocked Eumenes for using pens and tablets instead of swords and shields when he followed Alexander the Great, and sometimes even forcibly entered everyone's sight. During his time on the Indian Peninsula, Eumenes suffered a painful contempt: hephaetion, Alexander the Great's favorite, took the place allocated for his sleep and reassigned it to an ordinary flute player. Eumenes Alexander the Great expressed his dissatisfaction. Alexander the Great first cursed Hephaestius as a clerk, but later changed his tone and accused Eumenes of seeking refuge with the royal family. No one knows how a Greek foreigner and a non combatant should behave in such a Macedonian hierarchical system based on military courage.

In the end, Alexander the Great decided that Eumenes might also be brave, or he might let Eumenes demonstrate his bravery through practical actions. So, when Alexander the Great was on the Indian Peninsula, he assigned his clerk to command a small cavalry unit and sent him to lead a cavalry unit to two rebel towns, demanding their surrender. It has been proven that the residents of the town had already fled before Eumenes arrived. Although there was no war, this mission still gave Eumenes the opportunity to lead troops on enemy land. It also indicates that if Macedonian cavalry receives orders from Alexander the Great, they will accept a Greek as their commander. In the last year of Alexander the Great's life, he took an even more dramatic step by appointing Eumenes as the commander of an elite cavalry unit previously led by the powerful Perdiccas. Never before had Greeks held such a prominent position in Alexander the Great's army. Indeed, the young Eumenes now holds a high position, and his position is destined to rise even higher.

Most of the people in Alexander the Great's bedroom have experienced bloodshed and sacrifice in the process of fighting for command. The military's conquest on the Indian Peninsula was particularly brutal: Alexander the Great massacred civilians and even prisoners of war. He hoped that this distant province would be shaken, and he chose to surrender. His generals followed such orders because they believed there was a sense of honor to prove what they did was right. With the Persian conquest, foreign tribes outside the Caspian Sea and the Hindu Kush Mountains hesitated, and Alexander the Great felt that he was about to merge the entire known world into a single country. Religious and cultural freedom, economic development, and even local autonomy will make the people under the empire active participants rather than unwilling subjects. The image of Alexander the Great himself has been carefully crafted, reflecting tolerance, harmony, and progress. He will become the banner of unity for all nations.

To make this beautiful new world a reality, it is necessary to eliminate those who threaten its existence, whether these threats come from external attacks or internal rebellions. The generals who helped execute Alexander the Great's massacre orders were not bloodthirsty butchers, they were only loyal supporters of the king's grand vision. They agreed to pursue the multi-ethnic world state envisioned by Alexander the Great, and one day they will jointly participate in governing that country. In fact, Alexander the Great had already made it clear how important his generals would be. In the last year of Alexander the Great's life, in the royal pavilion built by Apollo, there was a magnificent tent surrounded by thousands of elite troops, forming a concentric circle. He also arranged for his guards to sit on one silver four legged sofa after another, all directly surrounding Alexander the Great's golden throne - Alexander himself becoming the core of the innermost orbit of the universe.

Now these trusted generals are preparing to take military action against the Arabs, even though they have not directly threatened their empire. However, after the army returned to Babylon, many unconquered countries sent envoys to show obedience, but the Arabs did not. The silence exhibited by the Arabs is worrying, as their geographical location spans the waterway connecting the empire's Asian hinterland with Europe and Africa. If Arabs become enemies, they may plunder the trade revenue of cities under Alexander the Great's rule, or limit the navigation range of his fleet. On the contrary, if the Macedonians controlled Arab land, their coasts would provide ports and anchorage for Alexander the Great's planned ships to sail between the Mediterranean and the East.

On the first night of Alexander the Great's illness, the discussion at the meeting mainly focused on strategic and logistical aspects. This army is fully capable of handling future military operations. The Macedonian infantry formation will become the backbone of this expedition. They are a huge battle group composed of soldiers waving 18 foot long spears known as Sarisha. The elite cavalry, the main weapon of this army, will also join the battlefield; Various siege weapons - large wheeled city towers equipped with siege hammers and suspension bridges, as well as crossbows and projectile weapons newly designed by skilled craftsmen - will be dismantled into parts for shipment and boarding. Once the Arabs are conquered, this fleet will also store supplies for the military and use building materials for the construction of garrison towns scattered along the Persian Gulf coast.

Undoubtedly, Alexander the Great appointed generals to lead every army. As a senior general attending the meeting, Perdiccas will be responsible for commanding the army according to the plan, as Alexander the Great himself intends to set sail with the fleet of Alcus. Eumenes holds an important position in the military and is the commander of a group of friendly cavalry. No one can be certain whether a Greek is capable of such a role, let alone that he doesn't even have much practical experience. However, Alexander the Great seemed determined to find the answer.

After the meeting, Alexander the Great was carried out of the palace, boarded a boat, and rowed along the Euphrates River, possibly to the Little Summer Palace in northern Babylon. Persia has a "heaven", with nature reserves and hunting gardens designed for the entertainment of the Achaemenid king, and cool winds to alleviate the suffocating heat of Mesopotamia. Alexander the Great wanted to free himself from a high fever all day long, but it was also possible that he wanted to cover up his illness. Given what happened when he brushed past the Grim Reaper on the Indian Peninsula, it is particularly important not to let everyone know that he is seriously ill.

Two days later, senior officials who had met Alexander the Great were summoned again for talks. The meeting was held in a remote area of the Summer Palace. At this point, the king's condition improved. He has intermittent fever, sometimes can eat independently, and can talk to people. There are only two days left until the Battle of Afghanistan, and everything is going smoothly.

In these days, these generals must have talked about the situation they would face if Alexander the Great's condition worsened. They do have reason to feel anxious. Last autumn, senior military officer Hephaestion, who was at the peak of his health and physical strength, died of a high fever similar to Alexander the Great within 7 days. And both of them suddenly fell ill after drinking, which raised the question of whether someone had poisoned them. To some extent, these generals either acknowledge each other or acknowledge themselves that Alexander the Great may have been a victim of an assassination plot.

Many people would be happy to see Alexander the Great die. Although, overall, the Persians followed the flow and were satisfied with the considerable share of rule allocated to them by Alexander the Great, the conquered Persians had almost no favorable impression of him. Alexander the Great's Greek vassals were more active and less likely to appease. They have already launched two rebellions in different cities in Europe, and - soon to be revealed - they are preparing to launch a third rebellion. Alexander the Great's teachers were Greek teachers, including the philosopher Aristotle. Alexander the Great attempted to demonstrate his support for Greek thought, but his style was often that of a dictator rather than a philosophical king. In fact, when he proposed a plan that his courtiers should bow to him according to Persian tradition, a Greek philosopher opposed it. Later, Alexander the Great found an excuse to arrest this person and even executed him. This philosopher was Calisthenes, a court historian of Alexander the Great, who happened to be a relative and student of Aristotle. Is it possible for Aristotle, who lived in Athens at the time, to seek revenge by poisoning his students?