Alexander the Great

Alexander (356BC – 325BC) was not only great, but indeed, born into greatness. His father was King Philip II of Macedonia – whose followers believed was a descendant of Hercules, and his mother, Princess Olympias of Epirus who claimed Achilles amongst her ancestors.

Alexander’s interests were diverse. He could recite Homer’s Iliad, play the lyre and even before he hit his teens was an outstanding horseman. His personal tutor was Aristotle.

Inspired by Cyrus the Great for the respect he granted for the cultures he conquered, Alexander rode out of Macedonia in 334BC to embark on a ten year campaign of conquest, sweeping through Persia and Egypt. In the small oasis of Siwa (my next destination) he met the famous Oracle of Ammon who prophesized that Alexander would conquer the world which inspired him to travel further afield crossing Tigres and Euphrates and into Central Asia and North India.

Eventually through fatigue and illness his advance brought an end to his plans, and he started to head home. Alexander succumbed to illness (some say he was poisoned and died aged just 33 in Babylon. The exact whereabouts of his tomb remains unknown to this day.