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| A bust of Alexander the Great in the Capitoline Museum, Rome |
The speed, skill and strategy with which Alexander the Great (356-323BC) carved out his empire are the stuff of legend. The best military commander of the ancient world with a tireless vigour for expansion, his greatest achievement was in conquering Greece’s long-term rival, Persia. Alexander’s empire eventually stretched not just across the Greek world but also into Egypt, (where he founded the great city of Alexandria), and as far afield as modern-day Pakistan.
Alexander conquered not just with might, but also with intelligence. Instead of plundering the countries he conquered, he ruled them fairly and assimilated their people into his government and army. This became known as his ‘fusion policy’.
But he was a flawed man. He drank hard and pushed his health to the limits through tireless campaigning and left it too late to father an heir. Exhausted, Alexander died of a fever at just 32, without naming a successor. It was not long before his empire collapsed.
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