Rise Of The Macedonian Empire

The first two centuries of the Macedonian monarchy, covered by the reigns of six kings, were a period shrouded in obscurity, during which the rising kingdom had enlarged itself at the expense of its neighbors, and crossing the Axios had even reached the Strymon. This career of conquest had been scarcely arrested by the Persian invasions of Europe. Indeed Alexander I, son of Amyntas, was cunning enough to bow to the storm, and while cautiously doing his utmost to befriend the Greeks, affected to fall in with Persian ideas as to Macedon being the centre of a great vassal state, and thankfully accepted any extension of territory which the Great King might be pleased to give him. By these means he gained a footing among the Thracian tribes as far as Mount Haemus, while he attained an object by which he set even greater store as a true-blooded Hellene; for his claims to that title were publicly acknowledged at Olympia, and his victories in the Stadium celebrated by the Hellenic Pindar. Yet the difficulties of Alexander did not cease, but rather increased when danger no longer threatened Greece from the side of Persia. He had removed his capital from Aigai to Pydna, a step nearer to the Hellenes whom he admired so much. But close to Pydna lay Methone, an independent Greek city; while to the eastward in Chalcidice, and as far as the Strymon, were numerous Hellenic colonies whose sympathies drew them naturally to the south rather than the west - to Hellas, not to Macedon - and which, after the Persian wars, recognized in the maritime Athens their natural leader and protectress...

Excerpt from Rise of the Macedonian Empire Greek freedom destroyed. Because the Greeks hardly deserved to be free Salutary influence of Alexander' 5 conquest upon Asia. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

A unique military and cultural history that chronicles the reigns of Philip and Alexander the Great in one sweeping narrative.

In Greek mythology, Makedon is the eponymous hero of Macedonia and is mentioned in Hesiod's Catalogue of Women. The first historical mention of the Macedonians occurs in the works of Herodotus during the mid-5th century BC. The book's seventeen chapters cover the history of Macedonia from pre-Philip II (Alexander's father), until Alexander's death. Highlights include the many battles of Alexander with Persia, the sack of Persepolis and the death of Darius, the founding of Alexandria, and Alexander's conquest of India.

Born in Macedonia, Alexander spent his childhood envious of his father's conquests. He watched his father head off to great battles and read of Greek heroes who were remembered forever for their bravery. All the while, he wished that he too could become a hero in history. With the sudden death of his father, Alexander received his chance to become the hero that he always dreamed of being. Consolidating Greece and raising an army, he prepared for conquests in the Persian Empire. Through barren deserts and snowy mountain peaks, his men marched as they sought total conquest of the Great King's empire. When the empire had finally been won and the Great King eliminated, Alexander was not prepared to give up his dreams quite yet. While his men were ready to return to their homeland and enjoy their booty, Alexander wanted more. He dreamed of riding elephants into war in India, fighting desert tribes and taking over the pyramids of Egypt. In short, only conquering the entire known world would be enough for his limitless ambition. It would only be the reluctance of his men or the admonitions of his general, Parmenion, who would hold Alexander back from achieving his dreams. By the age of 32, Alexander managed to accrue one of the largest empires that the world had ever seen. With a genius for administration and a rash, courageous approach to warfare, he conquered each land that he came across always in search of an answer to the question: what's next? In his book entitled Alexander The Great: The Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire author Phillip J. Smith magically takes you back to this specific time period and gives you a historically accurate picture of Alexander The Great and his incomparable Macedonian Empire.

The Macedonian Empire lasted only 36 years, beginning with Philip II's assumption of the throne in 359 B.C. and ending with the death of his son Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. In that span, the two leaders changed the map in the known world. Philip established new tactics that forever ended the highly stylized mode that had characterized Classic Greek warfare, and Alexander's superb leadership made the army an unstoppable force. This work first examines the 11 great armies and three great navies of the era, along with their operations and logistics. The primary focus is then on each campaign and significant battle fought by Philip or Alexander, detailing how the battles were fought, the tactics of the opposing armies, and how the Macedonians were able to triumph.