Alexander
(Alexander the Great)
Karanid
III
Born 0356
[place of birth?]
Son of
Philip Karanid and
Olympias Molossian
Brother of
Cynane Karanid, Thessalonike Antipatrid, Cleopatra Molossian and Arrhidaeus Karanid [add sibling]
Husband of
Roxana Bactrian
(Married in
[location?] [marriage date?])
Husband of
Stateira Achaemenid
(Married in
[location?] [marriage date?])
Husband of
Parysatis Achaemenid
(Married in
[location?] [marriage date?])
Father of
Alexander Karanid [add child]
Died 0323
[place of death?]
About Alexander the Great Karanid
Alexander the Great, or Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 B.C.E.), son of royalty, pupil of Aristotle, and conqueror of millions in the ancient world, was quoted as saying, "I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity."
Alexander inherited the empire of Macedon from his father in 336 B.C.E. Once in power, he set out to make his mark on the world - and make it he did. When he died in 323 B.C.E., he left an unprecedented world empire to his generals.
The total area under his rule covered 5.4 million square kilometers, or 2.2 million square miles (nearly the size of the Roman Empire at its peak). His conquest stretched from Macedon to Egypt in the west and eastward across Persia to India in the south and Sogdiana (modern Uzbekistan) in the north.
Though this vast territory would be sliced up among those who followed, Alexander’s Greek, or "Hellenistic" style had made a permanent impression on it as a whole. This impression remained embedded in the centuries to come, uniting the territories across political lines. As a result, the period between 323 and 30 B.C.E. in Western civilization is now known as the Hellenistic age.
EARLY YEARS
Alexander had little to do with his father for much of his childhood. This wasn’t unusual for their situation. “Royal fathers and sons,” according to scholar Elizabeth Carney, were “natural enemies,” given that the kingship of the son required the death of the father. Besides Alexander’s mother, Philip also had (by the time of his death) six other wives and their offspring to juggle in addition to numerous lovers, a drinking habit, affairs of state, and nigh-constant military campaigns.
There were exceptions to this general state of neglect, however. The tale of how Alexander acquired his stallion is the most famous example. Philip had considered buying the horse for himself, but then declared him too wild for anyone to ride – until 10-year-old Alexander calmed the horse, leapt upon his back, and rode him. Philip promptly gave the stallion to his son and embraced him, noting, “My son, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you.” Alexander named the creature Bucephalus, or "ox-head."
Apart from such tender anomalies, Alexander received more concentrated attention from the other adults in his life. His mother, for instance, was an intelligent, ambitious woman and, in the nest of vipers that comprised court life, she was devoted to her son's career. It is possible that she had a hand in the selection of his first tutor, Leonidas (her relative). Leonidas was a strict taskmaster who instilled in Alexander respect for the soldier's ascetic life. His second teacher, Lysimachus, taught him music, poetry and drama. When Alexander was 13, his parents tapped Aristotle to finish his schooling. Given Alexander's impatience with “logic choppers,” though, it seems unlikely that Aristotle had any lasting impact on Alexander’s personality.
TRANSFER OF POWER
Alexander’s life came to a critical juncture in 337 B.C.E. Philip was taking a new bride – nothing unusual there – but this time, the wife was a native Macedonian and the daughter of a powerful family. If Philip had a son of her body, this son of “pure lineage” would come before Alexander in the succession. Worse yet, she was already with child.
The seventh wife of Philip was to be Cleopatra, niece and ward of Philip’s general Attalus. Contemporary historians spoke of her youth and beauty, and it seems likely that Philip was to some extent infatuated with her. She became pregnant during her affair with Philip, and Philip thought to marry her in case the child was a son. Attalus, wishing to pursue his advantage, insisted that if Philip wished to wed his niece, he would also have to set aside Olympias and her son. So it came to be that Philip divorced Olympias and disowned her 19-year-old son.
Despite this turn of affairs, the disinherited Alexander was present at the wedding feast for Philip and Cleopatra (renamed “Eurydice” by Philip in honor of his beloved mother). At that feast, general Attalus, made a point of insulting young Alexander before the other guests. He prayed loudly that this union between his niece and Philip would yield some "legitimate" heirs for the Macedonian throne. Alexander, enraged, threw his wine cup at Attalus and drew his sword. Philip lunged at Alexander, attempting to draw his sword as well, but fell over on his way across the room, too drunk to attack.
For a time, Alexander retreated to Epirus with Olympias, and Cleopatra Eurydice soon bore Philip a son. Later, when it seemed as though his new wife’s womb would yield nothing but girls, Philip did take pains to be reconciled with Alexander, allowing his son to return to Macedon. Philip also arranged a match between his daughter by Olympias - Alexander's sister Cleopatra - and the brother of Olympias, King Alexander I of Epirus. This may have been part of Philip's effort to smoothe over relations with his son, Alexander, and with Alexander's uncle, the Epirote king.
Unfortunately, Alexander had very little time left to make up with his father. Philip was murdered in 336 B.C.E. at the arranged wedding: stabbed to death by a man named Pausanias in the theater that held the celebration. Though he had only one attacker, popular opinion puts the hand of Olympias behind the scheme. However, there is a strong case for the idea that Philip's murder was more political than personal, and that Alexander himself may have been a target, too.
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