ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Alexander the great has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the People, Dates, Places and Events category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.

Alexander "the great" is one of the most important people in the history of european integration and will probably have influence on the future of United europe, regarding his venture to conquest the Persian Empire in order to join in a unique state Western and Eastern sides of the "known word" that he called Ecumene (οίκουµένη): indeed, at the end of ten years of inexorable march, he could sign the hedge of his empire from the Indo river up to the Nile river and from the Oxus river to the ancient Greeks world (Magna Greaecia), probably one of the biggest reign of all the humankind history!

Alexander (Αλεχανδρος) continued the project of the father, Philippus II king of Macedonia, who defeated all the ancient greek polys (πόλις) and annexed them as neither the Achaemenid dinasty could do at the time of the Persian Wars. In IV century B.C. emerged the macedonian power, when the Rex of Macedonians became hegemonic and militar commander of the alliance of the greek cities, submitted but dealer of autonomy (except for Thebes that had been destroyed forever and for Sparta!), and led them against Persia. But the assassination of Philippus II, a direct descendent of Heracles (within the Argeadi dinasty), under the eyes of his son Alexander moved him to change the course of the greek history and the whole history of european integration!

The young prince was sourrounded of legends and misteries, that in part could explain his great abilities as conductor and statesman as always substained by his mother descending from the ancient hero Achille, who was usual narrowing the prodigies of the children Alexander. So, when he took the sceptre immediately defeated Illyrians and Traceans and persuaded them and all Greeks to follow him in the foul undertake to attack the Persian Empire, the ethernal enemy of the greek civilty. With the help of his loyal generals, Alexander succeded in many historical battles (soma are case studies in the military schools still today!) to conquer Egypt, Syria, Phoenicia, the Middle East and Anatholia, Persia and the Stan nations and include all those ancient civilties in the "Hellenic Empire", where was spoken a unique greek language called koine and obeyed the same laws.

But the experience of Alexander had immediately troubles, when he decided to move the capital to Babylon and started to act like an eastern king, wearing the persian emperors clothes and diadem, marrying oriental wives and obeying his generals and pretending the proskynesis also by them! Moreover, Alexander founded a new cultural way called "Hellenism" as syncretism of the greek, persian, indian and egyptian civilties that influenced for following centuries all the mediterranean region, through his generals heirs (διάδοχοι) who divided his empire in great reigns (Egypt, Syria, Macedonia, Trakia), and had been inherited by the Roman Empire and successive Byzantine Empire.

For sure, Egypt had been the place most related to the life and memory of Alexander: it was in the Zeus temple of Siwa where he received the oracle about his divine origin, during the campaign of conquest that crowned him as new pharaoph; then he founded Alexandria city, as allowed by eastern tradition to the divine emperors, seat of the famous faro known everywhere in the ancient world and of the legendary library, gone burned centuries after; there he was buried (323 B.C.) and his tumb had been visited by Augustus; in the end, his educator, Aristo, opened a school of phylosophy known as "Peripatetic" that years later wrote the greek version of the Old Testament.

Just Aristo had been contrary to the Alexander political order idea of him as king of divine origin provided with absolute power ("Cosmokrator"), a reform far from the greek traditions also as well as the original kingdoms founded by Zeus sons in the mythical age or the Apollo legacy. An example many times imitated during the whole history of european integration from Julius Caesar, CharleMagne, the Zar IvanIII and Napoleon I as well as the european genealogies who ruled "in divine right". But too many doubts or misteries wrap the figure of Αλεχανδρος. For example, how did Alexander die? The official version is cause of a sudden fever but other substained he died completely drunk or probably poisoned by someone in his court. Otherwise, was Alexander the great gay? This answer requires to understand the typical ancient civilties where homosexuality was widely accepted and practiced, especially among the aristocratic members, eventhough the suspicious relation with his brother Hephaestion had been probably misinterpreted by modern scolars.

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