Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, was born this day in the … – News to the Day

Alexander

Alexander III of Macedonia , known as Alexander , was born on 20 July 3 ac Son of Philip II, king of Macedonia (Argéadas dynasty), and Olympia, daughter of Neoptolemus I of Epirus, according to Plutarch, the day of his birth news in the capital had three wins: the general Parmenion against the Illyrians, the victory of the site to a port city by his father and the victory of the truck king competition, which were considered incredible auguries at that time, but maybe they were mere late inventions created under the aura of greatness of this character.

Alexander had a habit of slightly tilting the head on the right shoulder, was physically beautiful presence, short with white skin, wavy hair light brown and heterócromos eyes (brown left and gray right ), it is not known if they were this birth or following a head injury.

His education was initially led by Leonidas, an austere and strict Macedonian teacher who taught the children of the highest nobility, who started in bodily exercise but also took care of his education. Lysimachus, a professor of letters rather more amiable, calling him the affection of the Great Achilles, and his father, Peleus won. However, at thirteen he was placed under the tutelage of Aristotle, who would be his teacher at a retreat of the Macedonian city of Mieza and give lessons about politics, eloquence and natural history. He knew by heart the Homeric poems and all the nights put the Iliad under his bed. He also read avidly Herodotus and Pindar.

Soon (340 a.) His father government tasks associated with naming regent, despite his youth. In 338 a. C. led the Macedonian cavalry at the Battle of Chaeronea, was appointed governor of Thrace that same year. From small, Alexander showed the salient features of his personality: active, energetic, sensitive and ambitious. That is why, despite having just 16 years, was forced to repel an armed insurrection. It affirms that Aristotle advised expect to participate in battles, but Alexander replied, “Yes. I hope I will lose the boldness of youth”

Numerous anecdotes of their childhood are counted, the most referred one that Plutarco narrates: Filipo II had bought a great horse to ride and that no one could tame. Alexander, even as a child, he realized that the horse is scared of his own shadow and mounted directing his gaze to the Sun After taming Bucephalus, his horse, his father said. “Find yourself another kingdom, son, For Macedonia is not big enough for you. ” So it was, for 20 years Alejandro began issuing conquest of the Persian Empire.

A new marriage of her father, who could eventually endanger his right to the throne (should not forget that the same Philip was regent for his nephew Amyntas IV-son of Perdiccas III, until adulthood, but took over the throne), made with Philip Alexander enemistara. Is famous the story of how, at the wedding celebration, the new father of Philip (a powerful noble Macedonian called Attalus) begged for marriage gave a legitimate heir to the king, referring to Alexander’s mother was a princess Epirus and the new wife of Filipo being Macedonian would give birth to a totally Macedonian heir and Macedonian half and half not epirota like Alexander, with which it would be possible to be relegated to the last of the succession. Alexander was furious and gave him a drink, espetándole: “And what am I? A bastard “Then Philip went to restore order, but due to his drunken state, he tripped and fell, which earned him a mockery of Alexander:” Wants to cross Asia, but even is able to moving from a bed to another without falling. “The story earned him the wrath of his father, so that Alexander had to go to Epirus with his mother. However, Philip would eventually forgive him.

After the murder of Filipo in 336 a. C. by Pausanias, a captain of his guard, as a result of a conspiracy which is generally attributed to a love story of Philip suspected but could be planned in Olympia, mother of Alexander, or by the Persians, Alexander would take the reins of Macedonia at the age of 20 years.

After succeeding his father, Alexander found that should rule a country radically different from the one he inherited 23 years before Philip II because Macedonia had gone from being a poor and despised by the Greeks to a territory after the reign of Philip was considered as part of Hellas and a powerful military state border consolidated with an experienced army, which dominated Greece indirectly through the League of Corinth border kingdom.

News Day / Agencies