According to ancient documents, the death of Alexander the Great came on June 10, 323 BC. e. The greatest commander was only 32 years old. Until now, historians cannot figure out the reason for his death. The sudden death of Alexander the Great, who did not determine his heir, led to the collapse of his empire and the creation of several states, headed by military leaders and close associates of the great king.
Return to Babylon
In 323 B. C. e. the Hellenic army was returning to the west. Alexander the Great completed his campaign to the east, reaching India. He managed to create a huge empire that stretched from the Balkans to Iran and from Central Asia to Egypt. In the history of mankind, there have never been such huge states that appeared literally overnight by the will of one commander.
The death of Alexander the Great overtook in Babylon. It was a huge oasis with many channels taking water from the Euphrates. The city often suffered from diseases and epidemics. Perhaps this is where the King of Kings caught the infection.
Hephaestion's funeral
In the last year of his life, Alexander became twitchy and suspicious. His mourning was caused by the death of his best friend and close military leader Hephaestion. The whole of May passed in the hassle associated with the organization of the funeral. A huge ziggurat was built for Hephaestion, which was decorated with numerous trophies obtained during the campaign in the east.
The king ordered a decree sent to all parts of the empire that his friend should be revered as a hero (in fact, this was the status of a demigod). Being an extremely religious and superstitious person, Alexander attached great importance to such things. Among other things, he surrounded himself with numerous prophets and oracles.
Journey along the Euphrates
Babylon annoyed Alexander. He briefly left the bustling city to explore the banks of the Euphrates and neighboring swamps. The king was going to organize a sea expedition around the Arabian Peninsula. He explored the banks of the river, trying to figure out how to place 1200 ships near Babylon, which were soon to set off.
During this voyage, the wind tore off the head of the ruler of his red hat with a gilded ribbon, which he wore as a diadem. The prophets, to whom the monarch listened, decided that this case was a bad omen that did not bode well. When the death of Alexander the Great became a fait accompli, many close associates remembered that incident on one of the Euphrates canals.
Onset of illness
At the end of May, the king returned to Babylon. He stopped his mourning on the occasion of the death of a friend and began to feast with his associates. Festive sacrifices were made to the gods, and long-awaited gifts began to be distributed in the army - a lot of wine and meat. In Babylon, the success of the Nearchus expedition in the Persian Gulf was celebrated. The king was also eager to go on another campaign.
In early June, Alexander developed a strong fever. He tried to get rid of the disease by taking baths and making generous sacrifices to the gods. Rumors of the king's illness leaked into the city. When a crowd of excited Macedonians broke into the residence of their ruler on June 8, the king greeted his supporters, but his whole appearance indicated that the monarch was holding himself in public through force.
Death of Alexander
The next day, June 9, Alexander fell into a coma, and on the 10th the doctors pronounced him dead. For many centuries, historians of different generations have offered a variety of theories about what caused the death of a young commander, always distinguished by good he alth. In modern science, the most common point of view is that the cause of death of Alexander the Great is far from mystical.
Most likely, the king caught malaria. She noticeably weakened the body, and he could not cope with pneumonia (according to another version - leukemia). The discussion about the second fatal disease continues to this day. According to a less common theory, the cause of death of Alexander the Great wasWest Nile fever.
Poisoning versions
It is important that none of the king's companions died from an infectious disease. Perhaps the monarch ruined his he alth with regular drinking. During the last holiday, he did not stop feasting for a single day, where alcohol was consumed in huge quantities.
Modern researchers drew attention to the symptoms that accompanied the commander's illness. He suffered from convulsions, frequent vomiting, muscle weakness and an irregular pulse. All this indicates poisoning. Therefore, the versions of the death of Alexander the Great also include the theory of improper treatment of the monarch.
Doctors could give him white hellebore or hellebore to ease his first ailment, but in the end they only made matters worse. Even in Antiquity, there was a popular version about the poisoning of Alexander by his commander Antipater, who was threatened with removal from the post of governor in Macedonia.
Tomb of the King
323 BC e. (the year of the death of Alexander the Great) became mourning for the entire vast empire. While ordinary residents mourned the untimely death of the monarch, his close associates decided what to do with the body of the deceased. It was decided to embalm him.
In the end, the body was taken over by Ptolemy, who began to rule in Egypt. The mummy was transported to Memphis, and then to Alexandria, a city founded and named after the great commander. Many years later, Egypt was conquered by the Romans. Emperors considered Alexander the greatest exampleto emulate. The rulers of Rome often made pilgrimages to the tomb of the king. The last reliable information about it dates back to the beginning of the 3rd century, when the emperor Caracalla visited this place, placing his ring and tunic on the tomb. Since then, the trace of the mummy has been lost. Nothing is known about her future fate today.
Regency of Perdiccas
Information about the last orders of the king, made before he finally fell into a coma, remains controversial. The empire of Alexander the Great after his death was to receive an heir. The monarch understood this and, sensing his approaching end, could appoint a successor. In Antiquity, there was a legend that a weakening ruler gave his seal ring to Perdikka, a loyal military leader who was to become regent for Queen Roxana, who was in her last month of pregnancy.
A few weeks after Alexander's death, she gave birth to a son (also Alexander). The regency of Perdikkas was unstable from the very beginning. After the death of Alexander the Great, the power of the successor began to be challenged by other close associates of the deceased king. In historiography, they remained known as the Diadochi. Almost all governors in the provinces declared their independence and created their own satrapies.
Diadohi
In 321 BC. e. Perdiccas, during a campaign in Egypt, died at the hands of his own military leaders, dissatisfied with his despotism. After the death of Alexander the Great, his power finally plunged into the abysscivil wars, where each contender for power fought with everyone. The bloodshed continued for twenty years. These conflicts went down in history as the Wars of the Diadochi.
Gradually, the commanders got rid of all the relatives and relatives of Alexander. The king's brother Arrhidaeus, sister Cleopatra, mother Olympias were killed. The son (formally named Alexander IV) lost his life at the age of 14, in 309 BC. e. The great monarch had another child. The illegitimate son Hercules, born of the concubine Barsina, was killed at the same time as his half-brother.
Division of the empire
Babylon (place of death of Alexander the Great) quickly lost its power over the provinces. After the death of Perdikkas, the diadochi Antigonus and Seleucus began to play an important role on the ruins of the formerly united empire. At first they were allies. In 316 BC. e. Antigonus came to Babylon and demanded from Seleucus information about the financial costs of the war against his neighbors. The latter, fearing disgrace, fled to Egypt, where he found refuge with the local ruler Ptolemy.
The death of Alexander the Great, in short, has long been in the past, and his supporters continued to fight against each other. By 311 BC. e. the following balance of power has developed. Antigonus ruled in Asia, Ptolemy in Egypt, Cassander in Hellas, Seleucus in Persia.
The Last War of the Diadochi
The last, fourth war of the Diadochi (308-301 BC) began because Cassander and Ptolemy decided to unite in an alliance against Antigonus. They were joined by the king of Macedonia, Lysimachus, and the founderSeleucid Empire Seleucus.
Ptolemy attacked Antigonus first. He captured the Cyclades, Sicyon and Corinth. To do this, a large Egyptian landing force landed in the Peloponnese, where they surprised the garrisons of the king of Phrygia. Ptolemy's next target was Asia Minor. The king of Egypt created a powerful foothold in Cyprus. His army and navy were based on this island. Learning about the plans of the enemy, Antigonus regrouped his troops. His army left Greece for a while. This army on 160 ships headed for Cyprus. Having landed on the island, 15 thousand people under the leadership of Demetrius Poliorcetes began the siege of Salamis.
Ptolemy sent almost his entire fleet to the rescue of the fortress in Cyprus. Demetrius decided to give a sea battle. As a result of the collision, the Egyptians lost all their ships. Most of them were flooded, and the transport ships went to Antigonus. In 306 BC. e. isolated Salamis capitulated. Antigonus captured Cyprus and even proclaimed himself king.
A few months after this success, the Diadochus decided to inflict a crushing blow on Ptolemy on his own land and equipped an expedition to Egypt. However, the satrap's army was unable to cross the Nile. In addition, Ptolemy sent agitators to the enemy's camp, who actually bought out the opponent's soldiers. Discouraged, Antigonus had to return home empty-handed.
For a few more years, opponents attacked each other at sea one by one. Antigonus succeeded in driving Lysimachus out of Phrygia. At the same time, Demetrius finally ended the campaign in Greece and went to Asia Minor in order to unite with his ally. There was no general battle. It happened only 8 years after the start of the war.
Battle of Ipsus
In the summer of 301 B. C. e. The Battle of Ipsus took place. This battle was the final chord of the wars of the Diadochi. Antigonus's cavalry, led by Demetrius Poliorketos, attacked the allied heavy cavalry, led by Seleucus' son Antiochus. The fight was fierce. Finally, the cavalry of Demetrius defeated the enemies and rushed after them in pursuit. This act turned out to be a mistake.
In pursuit of the enemy, the cavalry broke away too far from the main forces of Antigonus. Seleucus, realizing that the enemy had made a miscalculation, introduced elephants into the battle. They were not dangerous for the Macedonians, who had learned to use combustibles and boards studded with nails against huge animals. However, the elephants finally cut off the riders from Antigonus.
The heavy phalanx of the Phrygian king was surrounded. It was attacked by light infantry, as well as mounted archers. The phalanx, unable to break through the blockade, stood under fire for several hours. Finally, the soldiers of Antigonus either surrendered or fled the battlefield. Demetrius decided to leave for Greece. 80-year-old Antigonus fought to the last, until he fell, struck down by an enemy dart.
Alexander's legacy
After the Battle of Ipsus, the allies finally divided the former empire of Alexander. Cassander left Thessaly, Macedonia and Hellas behind him. Lysimachus received Thrace, Phrygia and the Black Sea region. Seleucus got Syria. Their opponent Demetrius kept several cities in Greece and MalayaAsia.
All the kingdoms that arose on the ruins of the empire of Alexander the Great adopted their cultural basis from it. Even Egypt, where Ptolemy reigned, became Hellenistic. Numerous countries of the Middle East have a link in the form of the Greek language. This world existed for about two centuries until it was conquered by the Romans. The new empire also absorbed many features of Greek culture.
Today, the place and year of the death of Alexander the Great are indicated in every textbook of ancient history. The premature death of the great commander became one of the most important events for all contemporaries.
