Original Acropolis Museum
Alexander the Great, the greatest commander of mankind
The Macedonian king Alexander the Great (356-323 B. C.), son of Philip II, was brought up by the famous philosopher Aristotle, a disciple of Plato.
During his vendetta against the Persians, he defeated the Great King Darius III. decisive at Granikos 334 BC, at Issos 333 BC and Gaugamela 331 BC. These victories paved the way for him to Egypt and India. At the zenith of his power, his empire extended from the Danube, the Adriatic Sea, Egypt and the Caucasus to the Indus in Pakistan.
His death in Pakistan, probably due to typhus, recent research has led to his death due to excessive alcohol consumption, his further plans of conquest in Arabia and North Africa have been thwarted.
He founded more than 80 cities on his army trains, with the Egyptian Alexandria being the most influential metropolis of the time, alongside Rome. Even his 326 b. o. c. Bukephalos's horse was killed in the battle against the Indian king Poros and Bukephalos, a town was founded to commemorate him (Bukephala, today's Jalalpur in Pakistan).
Alexander was said to have cut the knot of the Phrygian king Gordios, the Gordian knot between the yoke and the drawbar, with the sword and thus to have acquired a right to the reign of Asia. A difficult problem is still described today with the saying "to cut the Gordian knot".
This marble head of Alexander the Great was probably created by Leochares in 335 BC. Leochares also worked on the frescoes of the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, which is considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
Head fragment exhibited at the Acropolis Museum in Athens under the inventory number 1331.
Reproduction reduction.