On the trail of Alexander the Great
Photo: Generic Mapping Tools, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Alexander III of Macedon, more commonly known as Alexander the Great, was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, which today is divided among three countries. He inherited the kingdom at the age of 20 in 336 BC, and by the age of 30 he had forged one of the largest empires in the ancient world, uniting the Greek-city states and neighboring foes, taking Egypt, conquering the Achaemenid (First Persian) Empire and successfully invading the Indian subcontinent. He died at 32 so he did not rule his empire for long, but after his death dynasties descended from his generals ruled parts of it for centuries.
Never defeated in battle, Alexander is considered to be one of the most successful and influential military leaders of all time. Even today in most armies, officer trainees study his tactics.
UnderstandAlexander's conquests covered a wide area. A first approximation to following his route today would be the Hippie Trail of the 1970s, overland from Istanbul to Delhi.
DestinationsWe list some of the main sites along Alexander's route below, in the order he visited them so mainly west to east. Sites which are important only as battlegrounds have red markers.
After AlexanderAlexander made Babylon the capital of his new empire and retired there after India, building a navy on the Persian Gulf and plotting new conquests, starting with Arabia.
Stay safeWhile Alexander's conquest established new trading routes and a relative stability in the region, and while it is to some extent co-extensive with the Hippie Trail, much of the route is now dangerous.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "On the trail of Alexander the Great" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Generic Mapping Tools, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons