It was a risky investment to say the least.Īs the early 20th century intellectual Randolph Bourne once stated: “War is the health of the state.” Indeed it was, for Alexander was the state and war was his business. Essentially, Alexander needed to pay the bills by conquering and confiscating Persia. In the end, he chose to save his kingdom at another empire’s expense. In order for Alexander to afford this army, he had to either disband a portion of it to save money, risking much in doing so, or go on the march to salvage his kingdom. The detail of the Alexander Mosaic showing Alexander the Great. The Cold Case of Alexander the Great: Have Toxicologists Finally Explained His Untimely Death?.The Time When Alexander the Great was ‘Defeated’.With his death, Alexander was left with a semi-professional army, a fighting force paid directly by the king himself. Alexander’s father Philip had already set his eyes on Persia and was preparing an invasion force but was assassinated before he could carry out his objective. “I inherited from my father a few gold and silver cups, and less than 60 talents in the treasury Philip had debts amounting to 500 talents, and I raised a loan of a further 800.”īut there is a bit of backstory first. Apparently, Alexander gave a speech at Opis in 324 BC when his men mutinied for a second time, and in it he furnishes us with an interesting statement as to why he declared war on Persia, that being money. However, there is another passage that our historian Arrian provides. Statue of Alexander the Great - Skopje – Macedonia. All the same, it is rather odd that Alexander would all of a sudden decide to mount his horse and lead his army into the lands of Persia, especially since the war had been over for more than one-hundred years. It’s true that most books discussing Alexander’s invasion of Persia say revenge was the main motivator, payback for the Greco-Persian Wars of the past. No Average Artists: Who Was Deemed Good Enough to Create Sculptures of Alexander the Great?.Alexander the Great: The Economics of Upheaval – Part I.is it possible that Alexander just needed money ? I, having been appointed commander and chief of the Greek, and wishing to take revenge on the Persians, crossed over into Asia, hostilities being begun by you.”īut was it really all about revenge or was there something more to it. “Your ancestors came into Macedonia and the rest of Greece and treated us ill, without any previous injury from us. Alexander addresses this in his letter to Darius stating: The Greek historian Arrian (writing of and serving the Roman Empire) tells us that Alexander set out to conquer Persia as an act of revenge for past wrongs. Marble, Hellenistic artwork, 2nd-1st century BC. The enthralling images of Alexander’s actions have built an everlasting romantic impression of the man.īut while most talk of his invasions and exploits, you rarely hear or read why he invaded the mighty Persian Empire in 335 BC in the first place. Many historians, poets, and writers have been mesmerized by his conquests. Alexander of Macedon, more widely known as Alexander the Great, is one of history’s most famous conquerors.
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