In the autumn of 325, Alexander led his men through the Gedrosian desert. Many people died, although we must assume that not the soldiers, but the women, merchants and animals in the train were the main victims. The following description…
After the death of Darius III (July 330), Alexander was sole ruler of the Achaemenid Empire. He introduced the Persian court rituals to his own court, which is called proskynesis. This meant that a visitor, depending on his rank, would…
In the Summer of 326, Alexander's men refused to join their king in his attempt to reach the Ganges valley. An officer named Coenus spoke on behalf of the soldiers. The mutiny is described by the Greek author Arrian of…
In 327/326, Alexander invaded the Indus valley, where he discovered in Gandara a town called Nysa that was dedicated to the god Dionysus. (Probably, this was the Indian god Shiva. The mountain Meru mentioned below was the center of the…
After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, his brother Arridaeus and his posthumous son Alexander were made kings; but because Philip was considered mentally deficient and Alexander was still a baby, Perdiccas was made their regent. The…
In 328 or 327, Alexander captured one of the mountain forts in Sogdia, the Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes. The story of the siege is told by the Greek author Arrian of Nicomedia, whose Anabasis (section 4.18.5-19.5) was translated…
In May 323, shortly before Alexander the Great left Babylon to conquer Arabia, a strange incident happened: a man of very humble origins sat down on Alexander's throne. The Greeks and Macedonians regarded this as a very evil omen.
However, the…
In January or February 324, Alexander reached the old religious capital of Persia, Pasargadae. Here, he visited the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid empire, who had lived two centuries before. The Greek author Arrian of…
In February 324, Alexander forced many Macedonian officers to marry to native women. If it was intended as an attempt to unite the European and Asian elites, it was a sad failure: nearly all marriages ended in divorce. The Greek…
Arrian (c.87 - after 145): Greek historian and senator of the Roman empire, author of several historical studies. His best-known work is the Anabasis, which deals with Alexander the Great. Arrian is the author of various other philosophical and historical…
Arrian (c.87 - after 145): Greek historian and senator of the Roman empire, author of several historical studies. His best-known work is the Anabasis, which deals with Alexander the Great. Arrian is the author of various other philosophical and historical…
Arrian (c.87 - after 145): Greek historian and senator of the Roman empire, author of several historical studies. His best-known work is the Anabasis, which deals with Alexander the Great. Arrian is the author of various other philosophical and historical…