how old was alexander the great when he died

But, the new analysis suggests doctors may have jumped the gun in pronouncing his death; instead, experts now say he likely lay paralyzed - not dead - for another six days before really passing away. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander, §7.20- Greek, Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander, §7.20- English, "The Mughal Sikander: Influence of the Romance of Alexander on Mughal Manuscript Painting", "Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander the Great", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_the_Great&oldid=993654215, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015, Articles containing Persian-language text, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Articles with Encyclopædia Britannica links, Wikipedia articles with BALaT identifiers, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CINII identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with TePapa identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Construction of a monumental tomb for his father Philip, "to match the greatest of the, Conquest of Arabia and the entire Mediterranean basin, Development of cities and the "transplant of populations from Asia to Europe and in the opposite direction from Europe to Asia, in order to bring the largest continent to common unity and to friendship by means of intermarriage and family ties", "Empire" as a description of foreign policy, This page was last edited on 11 December 2020, at 19:36. [103] However, when, at some point later, Alexander was on the Jaxartes dealing with an incursion by a horse nomad army, Spitamenes raised Sogdiana in revolt. It was originally thought to have been the sarcophagus of Abdalonymus (died 311 BC), the king of Sidon appointed by Alexander immediately following the battle of Issus in 331. High School. Alexander then faced the Assakenoi, who fought against him from the strongholds of Massaga, Ora and Aornos. General Knowledge MCQs. When the animal died (because of old age, according to Plutarch, at age thirty), Alexander named a city after him, Bucephala. [91][92][93] Plutarch claims that he ordered his men to put out the fires,[91] but that the flames had already spread to most of the city. [9][10] Before immolating himself alive on the pyre, his last words to Alexander were "We shall meet in Babylon". [138][222] This event may have contributed to Alexander's failing health and detached mental state during his final months. Alexander replied that since he was now king of Asia, it was he alone who decided territorial divisions. Proposed causes of Alexander's death included alcoholic liver disease, fever, and strychnine poisoning, but little data support those versions. ", "Alexander the Great was killed by toxic wine, says scientist", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Alexander_the_Great&oldid=995775051, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 20:46. When Philip heard of this, he stopped the negotiations and scolded Alexander for wishing to marry the daughter of a Carian, explaining that he wanted a better bride for him. There, his closest friend and possible lover, Hephaestion, died of illness or poisoning. [97] As Alexander approached, Bessus had his men fatally stab the Great King and then declared himself Darius' successor as Artaxerxes V, before retreating into Central Asia to launch a guerrilla campaign against Alexander. [125] This river thus marks the easternmost extent of Alexander's conquests. At Termessos, Alexander humbled but did not storm the Pisidian city. [201] Nevertheless, Plutarch described how Alexander was infatuated by Roxana while complimenting him on not forcing himself on her. [72], In spring 333 BC, Alexander crossed the Taurus into Cilicia. [144][147] The accounts were nevertheless fairly consistent in designating Antipater, recently removed as Macedonian viceroy, and at odds with Olympias, as the head of the alleged plot. 32 years old. [62][64], In 336 BC Philip II had already sent Parmenion, with Amyntas, Andromenes and Attalus, and an army of 10,000 men into Anatolia to make preparations for an invasion to free the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Achaemenid rule. [267] His court historian Callisthenes portrayed the sea in Cilicia as drawing back from him in proskynesis. [232] Green suggested that, in the context of the period, Alexander formed quite strong friendships with women, including Ada of Caria, who adopted him, and even Darius' mother Sisygambis, who supposedly died from grief upon hearing of Alexander's death. Hall suggested that Alexander, who died in Babylon in 323 B.C., suffered from a rare autoimmune disorder known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). [141] There are two different versions of Alexander's death and details of the death differ slightly in each. This happened in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon. Alexander also ordered the murder of Attalus,[48] who was in command of the advance guard of the army in Asia Minor and Cleopatra's uncle. Even by Macedonian standards he was very short, though stocky and tough. Alexander has figured in both high and popular culture beginning in his own era to the present day. [e] As Pausanias tried to escape, he tripped over a vine and was killed by his pursuers, including two of Alexander's companions, Perdiccas and Leonnatus. [236], Over the course of his conquests, Alexander founded some twenty cities that bore his name, most of them east of the Tigris. Historiography and scholarship agree that Alexander the Great was Greek. How old was Alexander the Great when he died? [11][12] Thus he is said to have prophesied the death of Alexander in Babylon. The Mysterious early death of Alexander The Great, raises question, What was the real cause of his death? How old was Alexander the Great when he died? The campaign took Alexander through Media, Parthia, Aria (West Afghanistan), Drangiana, Arachosia (South and Central Afghanistan), Bactria (North and Central Afghanistan), and Scythia. Nevertheless, Hellenization occurred throughout the region, accompanied by a distinct and opposite 'Orientalization' of the successor states. [185] Alexander personally led the charge in the center, routing the opposing army. His beard was scanty, and he stood out against his hirsute Macedonian barons by going clean-shaven. Alexander the Great became king after his father, King Phillip II, died. [94], Alexander then chased Darius, first into Media, and then Parthia. [104], During this time, Alexander adopted some elements of Persian dress and customs at his court, notably the custom of proskynesis, either a symbolic kissing of the hand, or prostration on the ground, that Persians showed to their social superiors. These Greco-Buddhist kingdoms sent some of the first Buddhist missionaries to China, Sri Lanka and Hellenistic Asia and Europe (Greco-Buddhist monasticism). Sit back, relax, and grab a snack and help us go through the different theories of how he died and what might have happened. The Greek cities on the western coast of Anatolia revolted until the news arrived that Philip had been murdered and had been succeeded by his young son Alexander. The Theban resistance was ineffective, and Alexander razed the city and divided its territory between the other Boeotian cities. "[117] A similar slaughter followed at Ora. We don’t know, in short. Macedon is too small for you", and bought the horse for him. On the subsequent advance of the Macedonian king, Taxiles accompanied him with a force of 5,000 men and took part in the battle of the Hydaspes River. English. After a long pause due to an illness, he marched on towards Syria. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests,his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence. [85] Darius fled over the mountains to Ecbatana (modern Hamadan) while Alexander captured Babylon. causing the mermaid to vanish and the sea to calm. [7], Alexander was born in Pella, the capital of the Kingdom of Macedon,[8] on the sixth day of the ancient Greek month of Hekatombaion, which probably corresponds to 20 July 356 BC, although the exact date is uncertain. Macedonian losses were negligible compared to those of the Persians. Lilitu. Eventually, the two sides reconciled, and after the birth of Alexander IV, he and Philip III were appointed joint kings, albeit in name only. Pertinence. [144] Arrian also mentioned this as an alternative, but Plutarch specifically denied this claim. [273] In Egypt, Alexander was portrayed as the son of Nectanebo II, the last pharaoh before the Persian conquest. He appointed Porus as satrap, and added to Porus' territory land that he did not previously own, towards the south-east, up to the Hyphasis (Beas). [189] Although Alexander was stubborn and did not respond well to orders from his father, he was open to reasoned debate. [242][243], Hellenization was coined by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to denote the spread of Greek language, culture, and population into the former Persian empire after Alexander's conquest. In this division, Ptolemy, general a… During this turmoil, the Illyrians invaded Macedonia, only to be repelled by Alexander. Alexander endeavoured to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea" and invaded India in 326 BC, winning an important victory over the Pauravas at the Battle of the Hydaspes. [270], Alexander features prominently in modern Greek folklore, more so than any other ancient figure. [118] Alexander was impressed by Porus' bravery, and made him an ally. There are several running theories regarding how he died and none of them have been proven to be true. Read Later. [248] Koine spread throughout the Hellenistic world, becoming the lingua franca of Hellenistic lands and eventually the ancestor of modern Greek. [192] Lysippos' sculpture, famous for its naturalism, as opposed to a stiffer, more static pose, is thought to be the most faithful depiction. Join now. Répondre Enregistrer. This is cited as a reason for sparing Jerusalem. [199] He had a calmer side—perceptive, logical, and calculating. In the winter of 327/326 BC, Alexander personally led a campaign against the Aspasioi of Kunar valleys, the Guraeans of the Guraeus valley, and the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. [154][155] Another poisoning explanation put forward in 2010 proposed that the circumstances of his death were compatible with poisoning by water of the river Styx (modern-day Mavroneri in Arcadia, Greece) that contained calicheamicin, a dangerous compound produced by bacteria. He died at Babylon in the Nebuchadnezzar II palace. [209] Alexander adopted elements of Persian dress and customs at court, notably proskynesis, a practice of which Macedonians disapproved, and were loath to perform. [68] Alexander left the government of Caria to a member of the Hecatomnid dynasty, Ada, who adopted Alexander. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century AD and the presence of Greek speakers in central and far eastern Anatolia until the Greek genocide and the population exchange in the 1920s. Justin stated that Alexander was the victim of a poisoning conspiracy, Plutarch dismissed it as a fabrication,[146] while both Diodorus and Arrian noted that they mentioned it only for the sake of completeness. [40] Accordingly, Alexander returned to Macedon after six months due to the efforts of a family friend, Demaratus, who mediated between the two parties. This led Hegesias of Magnesia to say that it had burnt down because Artemis was away, attending the birth of Alexander. [79], Alexander advanced on Egypt in later 332 BC, where he was regarded as a liberator. [40] Alexander reacted by sending an actor, Thessalus of Corinth, to tell Pixodarus that he should not offer his daughter's hand to an illegitimate son, but instead to Alexander. [180] Nevertheless, Perdiccas read Alexander's will to his troops.[60]. Following the party, Alexander the Great reportedly became 'unwell' and died eleven days later. [148] Olympias always insisted to him that he was the son of Zeus,[208] a theory apparently confirmed to him by the oracle of Amun at Siwa. ", "Was Alexander The Great Poisoned By Toxic Wine? [13] Plutarch offered a variety of interpretations of these dreams: that Olympias was pregnant before her marriage, indicated by the sealing of her womb; or that Alexander's father was Zeus. [114], The fort of Massaga was reduced only after days of bloody fighting, in which Alexander was wounded seriously in the ankle. Not Sure About the Answer? [212], Alexander married three times: Roxana, daughter of the Sogdian nobleman Oxyartes of Bactria,[213][214][215] out of love;[216] and the Persian princesses Stateira II and Parysatis II, the former a daughter of Darius III and latter a daughter of Artaxerxes III, for political reasons. [186] At the decisive encounter with Darius at Gaugamela, Darius equipped his chariots with scythes on the wheels to break up the phalanx and equipped his cavalry with pikes. [73] He offered a peace treaty that included the lands he had already lost, and a ransom of 10,000 talents for his family. By the time of his death, he had conquered the entire. How old was Alexander the Great when he died? [58], While Alexander campaigned north, the Thebans and Athenians rebelled once again. He invited the chieftains of the former satrapy of Gandhara (a region presently straddling eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan), to come to him and submit to his authority. [250] Several Buddhist traditions may have been influenced by the ancient Greek religion: the concept of Boddhisatvas is reminiscent of Greek divine heroes,[252] and some Mahayana ceremonial practices (burning incense, gifts of flowers, and food placed on altars) are similar to those practised by the ancient Greeks; however, similar practices were also observed amongst the native Indic culture. Following the conquest of Anatolia, Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. What did Alexander have a reputation for? In the years following his death, a series of civil wars tore his empire apart, resulting in the establishment of several states ruled by the Diadochi, Alexander's surviving generals and heirs. [138][189][221] Hephaestion's death devastated Alexander. Though outmanoeuvered by Darius' significantly larger army, he marched back to Cilicia, where he defeated Darius at Issus. The Itinerarium Alexandri is a 4th-century Latin Itinerarium which describes Alexander the Great's campaigns. Alexander was proclaimed king on the spot by the nobles and army at the age of 20. It was argued that the book was compiled in Polyperchon's circle, not before c. 317 BC. His chroniclers recorded valuable information about the areas through which he marched, while the Greeks themselves got a sense of belonging to a world beyond the Mediterranean. In the process, both Alexander IV and Philip III were murdered. [21][22][23] Among them were Artabazos II and his daughter Barsine, future mistress of Alexander, who resided at the Macedonian court from 352 to 342 BC, as well as Amminapes, future satrap of Alexander, or a Persian nobleman named Sisines. [159][160] Natural-cause theories also tend to emphasize that Alexander's health may have been in general decline after years of heavy drinking and severe wounds. It was only after Alexander fell sick and died in Babylon, that the Greeks came to realize what Calanus intended to convey. [18], Other popular theories contend that Alexander either died of malaria or was poisoned. Many of these areas remained in Macedonian hands or under Greek influence for the next 200–300 years. Alexander was awarded the generalship of Greece and used this authority to launch his father's pan-Hellenic project to lead the Greeks in the conquest of Persia. [144][175], Perdiccas initially did not claim power, instead suggesting that Roxane's baby would be king, if male; with himself, Craterus, Leonnatus, and Antipater as guardians. Taking advantage of this power vacuum, Chandragupta Maurya (referred to in Greek sources as "Sandrokottos"), of relatively humble origin, took control of the Punjab, and with that power base proceeded to conquer the Nanda Empire. [121] Alexander founded two cities on opposite sides of the Hydaspes river, naming one Bucephala, in honour of his horse, who died around this time. Alexander the Great Died Mysteriously at 32. He eventually turned back at the demand of his homesick troops, dying in Babylon in 323 BC, the city that he planned to establish as his capital, without executing a series of planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. In late 322 or early 321 BC Ptolemy diverted the body to Egypt where it was interred in Memphis, Egypt. Alexander's will called for military expansion into the southern and western Mediterranean, monumental constructions, and the intermixing of Eastern and Western populations. The anguish that Alexander felt after Hephaestion's death may also have contributed to his declining health. [201], Alexander was erudite and patronized both arts and sciences. [16], On its way back to Macedonia, the funerary cart with Alexander's body was met in Syria by one of Alexander's generals, the future ruler Ptolemy I Soter. [247] The close association of men from across Greece in Alexander's army directly led to the emergence of the largely Attic-based "koine", or "common" Greek dialect. Log in. Pompey the Great adopted the epithet "Magnus" and even Alexander's anastole-type haircut, and searched the conquered lands of the east for Alexander's 260-year-old cloak, which he then wore as a sign of greatness. Subsequently, however, the two rivals were reconciled by the personal mediation of Alexander; and Taxiles, after having contributed zealously to the equipment of the fleet on the Hydaspes, was entrusted by the king with the government of the whole territory between that river and the Indus. +7. [185], At Issus in 333 BC, his first confrontation with Darius, he used the same deployment, and again the central phalanx pushed through. [148] His extraordinary achievements, coupled with his own ineffable sense of destiny and the flattery of his companions, may have combined to produce this effect. He had a great desire for knowledge, a love for philosophy, and was an avid reader. The stronghold was heavily fortified and built on a hill, requiring a siege. [126], As for the Macedonians, however, their struggle with Porus blunted their courage and stayed their further advance into India. [238][239][240][241], Libanius wrote that Alexander founded the temple of Zeus Bottiaios (Ancient Greek: Βοττιαίου Δῖός), in the place where later the city of Antioch was built. Historians aren't quite sure about the official birth date, primarily because Alexander was born out of wedlock as the son of James A. Hamilton and a married woman named Rachel Faucette. He overcame this by being personally involved in battle,[89] in the manner of a Macedonian king. [106], In 334 BC, Alexander the Great donated funds for the completion of the new temple of Athena Polias in Priene, in modern-day western Turkey. [148][157], Alexander's sexuality has been the subject of speculation and controversy in modern times. `` We shall meet in Babylon Iranian and Buddhist cultures gaugamela would be the final and decisive encounter the. 356 BC - 323 BC, Alexander 's death was related to member. Informed Alexander that he appeared to be dedicated to the throne and inherited a kingdom. Menander i, probably became Buddhist, and was an avid reader [ ]... Treatise ) and Paulisa Siddhanta texts depict the influence of Greek and Roman (! Suggested pyogenic ( infectious ) spondylitis or meningitis and weapons Naga sadhu, whom Greeks called gymnosophists likely she... No doubt in part due to his declining health general, Greece enjoyed period! A relative of how old was alexander the great when he died army to retreat after the defeat, Spitamenes was killed by ability. 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