May 22, 2020 ▸ History, People, War & Conflict

Episode 483: Alexander the Great: History’s Ultimate Conqueror?

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look at one of the greatest military leaders in human history, Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in the Greek kingdom of Macedonia in 356 B.C. He was the son of a powerful king and queen, and after Game of Thrones type ups and downs, he took Macedonia as king after his father was assassinated. From there, Alexander conquered Greece and moved to India, Egypt, and even Persia (the Middle East). By the time he was 32, he was considered “King of Babylon, King of Asia, King of the Four Quarters of the World.”

Alexander was born to King Philip II and Queen Olympia. While he was a boy, his father had him trained in everything from music to military, swordsmanship to horsemanship, and even philosophy (at the hands of the one and only Aristotle). By the time he was 16, he formed a cavalry and defeated an until then undefeatable group called the Sacred Band of Thebes. At the age of 19, his father was murdered by his own body guard, and after a brief struggle for power, Alexander was declared king of Macedonia. However, his father’s biggest legacy was a body of joined states called the Corinthian League, and they didn’t bow down to Alexander. Until he made them. One by one, the Greek states fell to Alexander’s army, and even the mighty Spartans joined this new League with Alexander as its head.

Once Greece was his, Alexander set his sights at the biggest military target there was—Persia. It was said to be impossible to defeat their massive army, but in just a few years, Alexander had their king Darius III on the run. He next took Egypt and India, and all of Persia, becoming the king of the known world. He established over 70 cities named Alexandria (some of which still exist today with the same name).

After his 13 year run of zero defeats in battle, what finally made his army say enough and want to head back? What was his reaction when is enemy Darius III was killed by his own army? What was the story with his mighty horse Bucephalus? Was Alexander the Great truly bisexual? Was he truly a drunk? How did he undo the famed Gordian Knot? Did he conquer more than Genghis Khan did? Listen, laugh, learn.

Visit Our Sources:

https://www.biography.com/political-figure/alexander-the-great

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/alexander-the-great

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-alexander-the-great/

https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/greek-history/top-10-amazing-facts-about-alexander-the-great/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Corinth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_period