Alexander the Great - The Rise of a Legend - Season 1 Complete - Ancient History

Macedonia, 357 BC. The kingdom of Macedonia consolidated itself, day by day, as the greatest military power in the European continent. Under the leadership of Philip II of Macedon, an empire was gaining shape. The Macedonian king had just married the beautiful Olympias, a member of the royal family of Epirus. The young king Philip had established himself solidly in the always unstable Macedonian throne. A large part of his predecessors had been murdered during the endless power struggles. Despite his firm position on the throne, Philip did not have an heir, and so he spared no efforts to conceive a child together with his new wife. Olympias was a woman with very eccentric habits for the Macedonians at the time, and a worshipper of One night, Olympias had a dream in which Zeus threw one of his powerful lightning bolts against her belly. In another night, Philip caught his wife naked, curled, and exchanging caresses with a huge serpent. They say that, on that night, the queen received the visit of Zeus himself, who entered in her room disguised as a serpent. He seduced the queen and impregnated her. After accomplishing the mission of impregnating his wife, Philip decided that it was time to expand his territories and went to war. Months passed, and Philip kept his war efforts alive. The king was sieging the city of Potidaea. On that day, three messengers arrived from different origins with important messages to the king. Coming from Thrace, the first messenger informed that the Macedonian general Parmenion had attained a decisive victory over the Illyrians. Coming from the city of Olympia, the second messenger reported that the king's horse had been the winner of the Olympic Games. The third messenger was from Pella, the capital of the Macedonian Empire, and brought the news that Olympias had given birth and the child was a male. With this three news, the king was overwhelmed with happiness and ordered the organization of a great festivity to celebrate the events. The child was born on a summer evening, and on the same day, far from there in Ephesus, the great temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, burned down in flames. No one knows for sure the reason of the fire, but they say that the temple burned down because the goddess Artemis had departed to Pella to watch the birth of a child who would dominate the known world. The name of The tiny Alexander, son of King Philip II of Macedon with the queen Olympias of Epirus, was a descendant of a lineage even nobler than what it appeared to be. His father's family was the descendant of the famous mythological hero Hercules, and on the mother's side, he had in his veins the blood of Achilles, the great hero of the Iliad. Nothing less than a glorious future was expected for this child, heir to the throne of Macedonia. The beginning of his childhood was not very different from any noble child of that time, but the watchful gaze of Queen Olympias did not miss a single movement of the boy. The mother and son bond was quite strong, but despite all the affection and care she gave to her son, Olympia avoided to spoil the child too much, guaranteeing that he would not become a The presence of Alexander's father was seldom seen since the king was constantly absent, expanding his empire. Soon after Alexander's birth, Philip went with his army to a military incursion. He was wounded and ended up blind in one eye. People said that the wound was the punishment of Zeus, who punished the king for having spied the union between serpent-shaped Zeus with Queen Olympias. Albeit absent, whenever he returned home, Philip spent part of his time with his son and taught him things he deemed crucial for the upbringing of a great king and general. Alexander spent the days together with the children, offspring of the highest Macedonian noble lineage, with whom he created bonds of friendship and trust that would last until his death. Among them was Hephaestion, who would become an inseparable friend of Alexander. These young children were educated by Leonidas, the tutor and their adjutants taught martial arts, music, and poetry. During that period, Alexander fell in love with Homer's Iliad, which narrates the adventures of Greek heroes during the Trojan War. During their plays, Alexander always wanted to be the hero Achilles, his distant relative. A copy of Homer's work was his traveling companion throughout his life. One day, Leonidas, Alexander's tutor, taught him the significance of honoring the gods and asked Alexander to burn incense in honor of the gods. Alexander took a handful of incense and was reprehended for that. As an adult, and after conquering all of Persia, Alexander sent a large incense box to his former tutor with the following message. After annexing two rich gold mines to his empire, Philip II inaugurated a cycle of wealth and prosperity in Macedonia. The Macedonian court started to have access to luxuries never before seen in those lands. And this abundant wealth lured traders from several places in the ancient world. One of those traders was the Greek Philonikos. He was a famous horse dealer in the region of Thessaly. This region was famous for its powerful horses and horsemen. Philonikos offered to Philip a magnificent black horse. It was a huge stallion. Its powerful muscles indicated the magnitude of the animal's strength. Philip loved horses and was interested in the The young Alexander was also there, watching, and memorized by the majestic parade of the black steed. But when they decided to put the harness on the animal, it was untameable. One of the most experienced riders of Philip tried to mount the animal and was thrown to the ground almost immediately. The horse fought the men who tried to tame him. And then Philip said, Regardless of how impressive this animal is, if it cannot be mounted, then it's useless for me. And dismissed the trader. At that point, the young Alexander intervened. No, please. I want it for me. Don't you see that even the most skilled riders failed to tame him? It is useless and costs a fortune. Father, you cannot lose this invaluable horse just because these men cannot control it. Let me try to mount it, and if I can, it will be mine. The noble laughed at the audacity of the young Prince of Macedon, but Philip noticed a flame burning in the eyes of his son and agreed that he tried. Some of the nobles tried in vain to dissuade Philip of his decision, and mentioned the risk of having the sole heir to the Macedonian throne ending up with his neck shattered due to his attempt. But both Philip and Alexander had already made their decisions. Alexander realized that the animal was extremely ferocious because it was scared of its own shadow on the ground. So the boy slowly approached the animal and touched it slightly, turning it towards the sun. It could no longer see its shadow. When the animal appeared to be calmer, all those around remained quiet, amazed by the scene. Then Alexander in one move jumped on the horse and firmly held the reins, preventing the horse to fight against him. Little by little, Alexander started to release the reins, allowing the animal to start to walk, and soon they were galloping at full speed, much to the astonishment of those around. As they ran, Alexander felt that he had found a partner for life. When they returned, Alexander received a standing ovation, with those present shouting His proud father ran to embrace his son, who had just come down from the horse, and told him, As promised, Alexander received the black horse as a gift. Alexander, noticing a white bowl shape on the stallion's forehead, decided to name it The partnership between Alexander and Bacephalus lasted for almost his entire life. Riding that glorious animal, Alexander would conquer almost the whole known world. The king Philip of Macedon was always seen as a barbarian by the Greeks, and that hurt him. Philip realized that, day by day, the impetuous boy Alexander was becoming more like him, and that his Macedonian tutors, albeit devoted, would not be able to shape the son he had envisioned, and their efforts would just create yet another barbarian Macedonian in the eyes of the Greeks. For that reason, the king spared no efforts to hire the renowned philosopher Aristotle to be responsible for Alexander's formation. Philip ordered the reformation of his palace located in Miesa, which would serve as Aristotle's school, where Alexander and other children of the Macedonian nobility would be educated. Hephaestion, Ptolemy, Seleucus, among others, were some of those students, Alexander's friends. Aristotle taught them lessons in morality, logic, arts, medicine, among several other knowledge. But the great philosopher also lectured exclusive classes for the heir to the throne. Alexander was sometimes stubborn and resistant to studying, which he often considered tedious, but Aristotle was always able to guide him towards the path of virtue, using his persuasion. Why do I have to sit here in the class, while the others spend the afternoon enjoying themselves? Each one has a place in this world. Unlike you, they were not intended to guide the future of an entire nation. Remember this, education has bitter roots, but its fruits are sweeter than honey. Aristotle was aware of his pupil's impetus and taught him the importance of a harmonious and balanced life. Tell me, Alexander, what is the most important virtue for a soldier? Courage, of course. Very well, but what happens if a brave warrior decides to abandon his formation and face the enemy's army all by himself? He'd surely die. Because bravery in excess does not turn that into an act of courage, rather a reckless act. And so the excess of courage is a vice and not a virtue. But what would happen to that same man if he decided to contain his courage and started to fear too much for his own life? He'd be a coward. Precisely. And that is why it is important to always find the middle point. And so you will find balance. Alexander had a profound admiration for Aristotle and for years he received the best education that a prince could have. Meanwhile, Philip achieved victory after victory, hence expanding the Macedonian Empire. Learning about his father's achievements in the field of battle, Alexander said, my father is conquering everything in front of him. I'm afraid that nothing will be left for me to conquer when my time comes. Aristotle was aware of the young man's greatness and did the best he could to make him a wise and virtuous man. But Alexander was no longer a child. He was 16 years old, already a man, and his father called him to assume his responsibilities in Pella, the Macedonian capital. Alexander had already reached adulthood, but he still lived with his friends in the Mieza Palace, tutored by Aristotle. He shaped him to be much more than a conqueror like his father, turning him into a philosopher king. One day, the arrival of Philip's entourage, the father of Alexander and lord of Macedonia, is announced. He then addressed Alexander and Aristotle. Aristotle, thank you for all the work you have done to form a man that no Greek will find a reason to call a barbarian. But now the time has come to deliver him to the world. My lord, I ask you just one year more. He still has much to learn. I understand your concern, but the hardness of life is also a teacher with valuable lessons to give. Alexander went with his father, checking the condition of his army. The young prince was excited. The time to combat alongside his father in the battlefields had finally arrived. Alexander, I introduce you to the Hetara, the king's companions. This is the elite group of the Macedonian cavalry, and now I give you the command of the most feared cavalry regiment in the world. The companions were comprised of children of the aristocracy and held the positions of greater prestige in the Macedonian army. Alexander, I want you to understand that our phalanxes are like anvils, and the cavalry is the hammer, which, with their powerful attacks, can tumble any enemy down. After receiving the command, Alexander is greeted by his new regiment, which comprised a large share of his childhood friends, who were also part of his personal guard. The tensions between the Greeks and Macedonians had reached its limit. The Athenian statesman Domestones had mobilized several Greek cities to tackle the Macedonian threat and his barbarian king. Philip decided to go to war, however the preparations did not occur as Alexander expected. My son, you will not be able to join me in this campaign because I have a mission for you. You will sit here as the regent of the throne of Macedon during my absence. But father, I've waited my entire life for this moment. You cannot deny me this. Your secretaries can very well manage the kingdom while you're absent. I understand your disappointment, but it's vital that everyone knows that my rear is properly protected by someone whom I totally trust, because conspirators are certainly ready to exploit any breach. Before his departure, Philip gave the royal seal to Alexander. Now, the young prince ruled Macedonia as interim king, and his word was law. Alexander started to deal with the kingdom's administrative matters and had to act as a magistrate. His mother, the queen Olympias, tried to expand her own power by influencing her son in some decisions. This started to tarnish Alexander's reputation, with people saying that the regent of Macedonia was actually ruled by a woman. The Illyrian tribes, a historical enemy of the Macedonians, realized that, with the departure of Philip and his armies, and with a boy on the throne, the perfect moment to attack and weaken Macedonia had come. But they were not ready for Alexander's counter-attack. The young ruler gathered all the soldiers who were not with his father and marched to face the army of looters. These were crushed by the Macedonians, and Alexander still conquered part of their territory. There he settled a colony and baptized it with the name Alexandropoli. When he returned to Pella, the capital of the Macedonian empire, a messenger informed him that King Philip had required his presence in his campaign settlement. The war against the Greeks was not going as planned, and Philip was forced to retreat. I'm here, father of mine. I became aware of your setback, and that you had to stop your offensive. My son, we Macedonians are like sheep. We only retreat to hit even stronger, and that is why I called you, because together we will unleash the blow that will end these damned Thebans and Athenians once and for all. Alexander was finally accomplishing his childhood dream, marching alongside his father in a military campaign. The Macedonian army sailed towards Greece, several cities, and Greek states were joining forces to halt the expansion of the Macedonian empire's power. An unlikely alliance was formed between Thebans and Athenians, who were enemies. Demosthenes, the most famous Athenian orator and statesman, managed to mobilize part of the Greeks to face the King Philip II of Macedon. Alongside the general Keres, Demosthenes led the Athenian army to join the army of Thebes, which, a few years before that, had defeated a mighty Spartan army. And so the Thebans were seen as the best warriors of their era. Much of their reputation was due to the famous Sacred Band of Thebes. This dreaded band was formed by 150 couples of homosexual soldiers, chosen among the best soldiers of Boetia. These fought side by side with their partners, and stood out due to their spirit of camaraderie and unshakable bravery. This band ended the Spartan hegemony, defeating them in the Battle of Lectra. The Greek and Macedonian armies were facing each other on the plain of Chaeronea. The Greeks had approximately 35,000 soldiers, whereas the Macedonian had 32,000. Philip II led the right wing of the Macedonian army, which would face the bulk of the Athenian army. Alexander, in turn, led the cavalry on the left wing, confronting the dreaded Sacred Band. The fearless Alexander was not intimidated by that risky task, which his father had ordered him to accomplish. The battle began, and the Macedonian army advanced against their enemies. The beginning of the battle was bloody, but the Macedonian phalanxes, although inferior in number, managed to contain the imperial impetus of the Greek phalanxes. Meanwhile, Alexander launched his attack, leading the cavalry of Heteroi against the Greek counterpart. On the right wing, Philip's forces began to cede ground to their enemies, who, feeling the taste of victory, impetuously advanced to attack. Meanwhile, the Sacred Band ripped the lives of those who tried to oppose them. Alexander defeated the enemy cavalry, and now Philip's brilliant strategy could be put into practice. In fact, the retreat of his men had not been a sign of weakness, but a strategy to divide the enemy line. And, seizing that breach, the Macedonian cavalry maneuvered and attacked the Athenian forces from the rear. On the left flank, Alexander readied the attack against the Sacred Band. These stuck their spears on the ground and prepared to withstand the charge, but Alexander and his companions faked a direct attack and just threw their darts. The Thebans used their shields as defense, but most of the shields were now useless, so the Thebans had to fight unprotected. Alexander's cavalry pushed the Thebans directly against the walled spears of the Macedonian phalanxes. The battle was won. Both Thebans and Athenians fled to save their lives, except for the famous Sacred Band, which fought heroically until the fall of the last man. 2,000 Greek soldiers were killed, including all the soldiers of the Sacred Battalion, and over 4,000 were captured and sold as slaves. Philip's victory was decisive. Both the city of Athens and Thebes were on their knees before the power of the Macedonian army. After defeating the legendary band, Alexander was greeted by soldiers as the hero of the Battle of Chaeronea. Philip II and his son Alexander had forced the Athenians and Thebans to endure a heavy military defeat at the Battle of Chaeronea. Drunk after the celebration of the victory, King Philip literally danced on the corpses of the Greeks who perished on the battlefield. Alexander, seeing that grotesque scene, reprehended his father, Philip the Barbarian. After all, it seems to me that some criticism made by your Athenian opponents is partially true. After the Battle of Chaeronea, the city of Athens was virtually defenseless and feared what was about to come next. Alexander entered the city with his entourage and was received with pomp and circumstance. The young man felt marveled by the city. Its splendors surpassed all expectations. There, he visited the famous academy where his tutor Aristotle studied with the famous philosopher Plato. He also visited the theater of Dionysius where the most famous Greek tragedies were staged. And of course, he was amazed when he visited the famous Acropolis and the temple in the honor of the goddess that baptized the city. After his tour of Athens, the young prince addressed the assembly and presented the terms of peace. My father, King Philip II of Macedon, in a magnanimous gesture offers you peace. The soldiers made prisoners will return to their wives. The properties and citizens of Athens will be respected and no Macedonian garrison will remain in your territory. The autonomy of Athens will be preserved. The only condition is that Athens becomes a Macedonian ally. The Athenians were surprised when confronted with such benevolent terms considering their weak position and accepted the terms of the alliance treaty. Philip knew the strategic importance of the Athenian navy for his plans and therefore spared the city that has always fiercely opposed to him. After such a display of strength, the king of the Macedonians required the presence of all Greek cities for an assembly in Corinth. Representatives from every city attended the meeting, except the Spartans. There, Philip at the height of his power offered terms to allow the Greeks to live in peace and a large mutual defense alliance led by Macedonia. Philip suggested a Greek coalition between the Greek cities to take the war to the territory of the historical enemies of the Greeks, the Persian Empire. The will for revenge against the Persians was present in the hearts of several Greek generations. People who for a long time waited for the opportunity to return all the evil caused by the Persians during the Greco-Persian wars and so Philip was given the title of hegemon. Now, the king of Macedonia was preparing himself to perform a feat as great as those narrated in Homer's Iliad. In the city of Corinth, Philip II of Macedon had just been appointed as the leader of the Pan-Hellenic alliance, which was a league between the Greek city-states whose intent, among others, was to wage war with their Persian enemies. Philip departed from Macedonia to launch the preparations for his ambitious military campaign. His son, Alexander, delighted with the wealth of the Hellenic culture, stayed in Greece for some time. The young Macedonian prince, who had been educated by the famous philosopher Aristotle, learned that the famous thinker Diogenes of Sinope lived in that city. When he was just a boy, Alexander was fascinated with the stories that Aristotle had about Diogenes the Sinic. The eccentric thinker led a life of absolute austerity and detachment from material goods. He lived on the streets and slept inside a barrel. People said that he also had a bowl, which he used to drink water, but after seeing a child using his hands as a bowl, he realized that even that was unnecessary. For Diogenes, men began to live artificially, and that separated them even further from true happiness. He spent his days with a lamp looking for an honest man, without ever finding one that he deemed honest. The moment came when Diogenes began to use public spaces as his latrine. When he was reprehended for that, he said that there was no reason to be ashamed of something that is essentially natural to every human being, and that is why he got the epithet of a Sinic, a word that originated from the Greek word kynon, which means dog, since the philosopher lived like one. Alexander, learning that Diogenes was close by, asked to be taken to his presence. On the way, one of his men told Alexander, Lord, this man is a lunatic. When Philip's army approached the city before the surrender of the Greeks, all the people ran to help to strengthen the city walls. Watching that whole scene, Diogenes, like the legendary Sisyphus, began to roll his barrel to the top of a hill and, when he reached the summit, he let the barrel roll back and started all over again. When he was asked the reason why he was doing such a thing, he said he felt uncomfortable to see everyone running from one side to the other and decided that he had to do something as well. Alexander found Diogenes laid down on his back, happy and sunbathing. The Macedonian prince stood in front of him and said, I am Alexander, heir of Macedon and hero of the battle of Chaeronea. Wise Diogenes, you can ask me whatever you want, and if it is within my reach, I will be happy to give that to you. Such a beautiful body shape you have, Alexander. You actually look like the incarnation of Apollo himself, like the sun god. Can you give me sunlight? I'm sorry, but that I cannot give you. So, get out of my way, because you're casting a shadow. Alexander walked away, thoughtful, and his entire entourage couldn't stop laughing at the whole situation. Alexander looked back at him and contemplated the satisfaction of the wise old man as he sunbathed. One of Alexander's friends told him, that Diogenes is far from seen, don't you think? And Alexander replied, if I were not Alexander, I would have wanted to be Diogenes. Alexander was still in Greece when he received a letter from his mother, Queen Olympias of Macedonia. The letter's content was worrisome. King Philip II had divorced from Queen Olympias. The Macedonian nobility never saw her with good eyes since she was a foreigner and worshipper of religious rituals that the Macedonians deemed obscene. Philip would make his young lover, Cleopatra, his new wife, who had the highest pedigree of the noblest Macedonian families. Such a marriage would tie the royal family to all the major Macedonian families in a strong political alliance. A son of such a union would be a great political asset for Philip, but a great threat to the position of Alexander as an heir. After going back to Macedonia, Alexander got the news that Cleopatra was pregnant and that all the preparations for the new royal wedding were already in motion. Olympias filled her son's head with stories about how everyone was conspiring to usurp his future throne. Despite some exaggerations, much of what he said was true. The day of the royal wedding arrived. In order to not discredit his own son, Philip invited Alexander and his mother for the wedding. The feast was filled with drinks, and most of the guests were drunk. The wedding toast was announced. Attalus, who disliked Alexander but was also Philip's faithful friend and general, raised his cup, and looking at the prince, he said, May the gods bless this union and let it produce a legitimate heir to the Macedonian throne. Consumed by anger, Alexander threw his cup against the general and would have started a brawl if he had not been deterred. But apparently, the anger outbreaks ran in the family's blood. Philip, outraged by his son's behavior, drew his sword and advanced against his son. However, he was so drunk that he'd eventually stumbled into one of the armchairs and ended up on the ground. Alexander, pointing his finger to his father, said, So this is the man who will go from Europe to Asia? How will he do that? He cannot walk from one sofa to the other. If both had not been stopped in their tracks, a great tragedy could have happened that night. The next morning, the king demanded his son's presence. However, Alexander and Olympias had already departed towards the kingdom of Epirus, where his uncle on the mother's side, also named Alexander, granted asylum. Alexander, after months in exile in Epirus, encountered a messenger from Macedonia. He announced that, due to the birth of Charonus, the youngest prince of Macedon, King Philip had to create amnesty to all those banished and exiled, and so Alexander could return to the Macedonian court without having to fear any backlash. Philip knew the risks of leaving for Asia with a baby as heir to the throne, and therefore, Alexander's return was essential for the safety of his plans. In yet another diplomatic move, Philip decided to marry his daughter with his brother-in-law, the King Alexander of Epirus. With this alliance, his position in Europe would be strengthened, and as a bonus, the wedding party would be an excellent excuse to set a grandiose celebration before his departure for Asia. Alexander returned to the court, and in the beginning, it appeared that everything between him and his father had been settled. But his mother, Queen Olympias, did not fail to poison her son's mind against his father and rivals in the court. She even suggested actions that would be considered a true betrayal of the men. Philip had just returned from the Oracle of Delphi, and there he had received the following message. The bull is ready for slaughter, the end is near, and the slayer is present. Philip interpreted the message in a positive way. The Persian Empire was going through a civil war, and therefore, was vulnerable, and he would assume the role of slayer and subdue the The day of the great wedding celebration had arrived. Dignitaries from across Greece were present to pay tribute to Philip. Alexander and the royal guard were the king's protectors, but he dismissed all the bodyguards and decided to make a triumphant entrance. Alexander insisted to stay behind his father, and the latter told him, Alexander walked away and watched his father enter the tunnel that led to the great theater, where all his guests were waiting. When he appeared on the other side, Philip received a standing ovation from the crowd, and at that moment, he felt like a true god among men. However, one of his bodyguards grabbed a dagger and stuck it deeply on the king's ribs. The murder ran away, but he was captured and killed by the royal guard. Alexander ran to his father. He, in his last breaths, contemplated his son, looking at him from high above, and before dying, he was sure that the powerful young man, who looked more like a god, would achieve feats that he could never even dream of. While everyone was still perplexed, Ptolemy and Hephaestion, loyal friends of Alexander, shouted, Hail Alexander! Long life to the king! Alexander, king of the Macedonians! Oak branches were placed on his head, which were adorned before the now deceased king. With that started the reign of the young man who would one day be known as Alexander the Great.