Did Alexander the Great have a helmet? "Pink Panthers" by Alexander the Great
According to legend, the famous horned helmet of Alexander the Great was made by the Kubachins. Yes, yes, and it was this unique helmet that the heroes of the film "Gentlemen of Fortune" were so desperately looking for :) (Kubachi is one of the ancient recognized metalworking centers. Here, according to legend, the two-horned helmet of Alexander the Great was created, Kubachi became the largest in the Caucasus in the 19th century center for the manufacture of the finest examples of weapons and jewelry.)
So is it true or fiction?
In this article, we will consider the fruit of a strange inversion of thought, born, apparently, by some journalists who are familiar with history (and, by the way, logic) at about the level of the 5th grade of a boarding school for the lagging behind. Despite its initial inferiority, this legend still managed to gain a foothold in the minds of some of our ethnic brothers. Moreover, like a locomotive flying into the abyss, this legend was followed by several wagons, with names like “Kubachins have been known since the time of Macedonian” and “We have been making weapons for two thousand five hundred years.” So now I have to explain why these very journalists deserve some kind of ridiculous and disgusting death.
So, first let's look at Alexander the Great (aka the Great, aka "I took over the whole world"). Before us is a man who, from small Macedonia, the size of, well, 3 Dagestan, made an empire that occupied almost the entire (!) World then known. Before us is a man who challenged the then stronger empire and attacked an army several times superior to his own. I won, by the way. And then, spitting on the rules, he cuts the famous Gordian knot in the temple.
Alexander, this is the man who NEVER stopped, no matter what. Neither the strongest fortresses, nor the opinions of his best friends, nor the death of thousands of his soldiers gave rise to doubts for a second. And so on and so forth. That is, you already roughly understood what kind of person it is. Keep this in mind for now.
Now let's look at Macedonia at that time. Essentially the same Ancient Greece, side view only. What do we have in Greece? In Greece we have Culture with capital letter"TO". All of Europe, consider, went from there. Literature, military science, philosophy, blacksmithing, damn it. Remember Hephaestus? Not the smallest god in the pantheon of the Greeks, and that says a lot. That is, with the forges, and therefore with the armor and ammunition that they make, the Greeks had no problems. Remember this too.
Campaign of Alexander the Great. As you can see, Kubachi, and the entire Caucasus as a whole, was deprived of attention by Macedonian.
Now let's look at Zirehgeran at that time. First, and this is important, then it seemed like it didn’t exist at all. Well, that wasn't all. Okay, let's drop this. Suddenly, just not a single historian mentioned glorious name of our people in their annals. Well, they forgot, you never know. Then secondly: Zirekhgeran - he is in the Caucasus. In the depths of the Caucasian mountains. Look at the route map of Macedonian hikes. Do they pass by the Caucasus? That's the same. Any doubts? Then let's put everything that is written above into one logical picture.
Alexander the Great, the one about which a couple of paragraphs above, remember, from Macedonia, the country of good blacksmiths, having captured half the world, goes to a then unknown, and most likely non-existent, village in the depths of the Caucasus mountains, in order to fit himself a helmet there. While the blacksmiths of Greece, Persia and Babylon are ready, and most importantly capable, to do anything for him, even from gold, even from their own teeth. This is not for you to hang portraits of Putin on the wall, Alexander was considered a god. Without any "but".
There is only one conclusion. We could call it a beautiful legend. But there is no beauty here, because there is nothing stupid about it. Legend and fiction. Laugh and forget.
Having barely come to power, the Macedonian king Philip II (Alexander's father) reorganized the Macedonian army, so that after his death the great conqueror received at his disposal a magnificent military machine, which he continued to improve. From the tribal militia, Philip, with the help of hired foreign commanders, created a disciplined army, the main part of which, as in all Greek states, was heavily armed infantry built in close formation - the phalanx.
Philip also formed a powerful heavily armed cavalry, which became the striking force of the army. At first it was about 600 hetairoi (hetairos), literally - "comrades." Natives of noble Macedonian families, and then from all over the Greek land, received territories taken from the enemies of the king, and replenished the ranks of the hetairoi, whose number increased during the reign of Alexander (at the beginning of the campaign in Persia - about 1800 people). Philip, on the other hand, gave the hetairos heavy armor - shells and helmets. There were also shields of the hoplite type, but they were used only if the getairs fought on foot, which was not uncommon.
Getairs were trained to maneuver on the battlefield, were able to rebuild and change the direction of attack (which was unusual for that time), this made it possible to deliver quick strikes to the flank and rear of the enemy battle formation. Such rearrangements required tight control of the horse, so strict bits were used, and spurs were also occasionally used. Usually they sat on a horse only for combat, marches were made on foot for better saving of hooves.
An important place in the army of Alexander occupied Thessalian cavalry. Thessaly is one of the regions of Greece, connected with Macedonia by allied relations, the Thessalians have been famous since ancient times as the most skilled riders in the Greek world. In terms of numbers, the Thessalian cavalry was approximately equal to the cavalry of the Hetairoi.
Another important part of the Macedonian cavalry were prodromes (prodromoi) or scouts - riders of the Thracian light cavalry. The functions of the prodromes, as their name shows, were to reconnoiter the path in front of the army. If necessary, they were combined with light infantry or heavy cavalry units. In addition to the xiston (chopping sword; another name is mahaira), they were also armed with darts (light spears that could not only stab, but also throw them). As a rule, they did not have shells and shields. It is assumed that the color of the prodromes unit was pink, used for the tunic and the main field of the cloak.
Speaking of the Macedonian phalanx, it should be recognized that the art of its use in the army of Alexander was brought to perfection, which was not achieved either before or after, which led to to a large extent his victory.
Phalanx warriors - phalangites- subdivided into pedzetaires and hypaspists
Since now, with a powerful cavalry, the Macedonian infantry did not need high mobility, it became possible to strengthen its weapons. therefore pedzetaira(foot hetairoi) had armor and bronze shields, long forgotten in the rest of Greece, which gave them an advantage in battle. However, not all phalangites were armed in the same way. The warriors of the first rows could wear bronze shells and greaves, and more massive shields, the warriors who occupied places closer to the middle of the formation - linen shells, lighter shields of a smaller size and did not have greaves, and those who stood in the last rows could not have shells at all and even replace a helmet hat. But the length of the heavy spear - the sarissa - increased accordingly in each subsequent rank (there were 16 in total) and in the 5th - 6th ranks it could reach 4-5 meters and possibly more, so that there were spearheads in front of the shield of the warrior of the first rank 4-5 of his comrades standing in a row behind him in the back of the head. Such long spears, of course, had to be held with both hands, so the shield was hung on a belt over the shoulder. Each warrior was also armed with a straight sword-xiphos for close combat.
It should be borne in mind that the superiority of the Macedonian phalanx on the battlefield was not due only to some advantages in weapons and equipment. The main advantage was the discipline and good training of the phalangites,
hypaspists (hypaspiste- in Greek means "shield-bearer"). It is believed that this unit was originally formed from the personal squires of the getairs, who naturally followed their masters everywhere on the battlefield. Then this kind of infantry was intended to fill the gap in the battle formation, when the hetairoi, during the next swift attack, pulled ahead. In this case, the hypaspists followed the hetairoi at a run, covering their rear and developing the success of the breakthrough. Naturally, their equipment was lighter compared to the rest of the phalanx warriors, being armed with shorter spears, the same swords, helmets and shields, they did not have shells, but they were the only ones from all the infantry who wore shoes. Sometimes, for speed of movement, hypaspists were put on horses behind the horsemen.
A significant part of the infantry was made up of contingents of allied Greek states. After the victory over the Persians, many of these soldiers continued to serve Alexander no longer as allies, but as mercenaries. Greek mercenary infantry was equipped according to the traditional Spartan pattern: a bronze hoplite shield and helmet, but the armor and leggings were missing. The warriors were armed with a spear and a xiphos sword, common for infantry, and wore a red exomide. (exotnis) - chiton with lowered right sleeve.
Light infantry soldiers in the Macedonian army were called psilami (psiloi). These included toxotes (toxotoi), i.e. archers, and acontists (akontistai), i.e. javelin throwers. It is assumed that both wore a small bronze shield - pelta (pelte), which did not hamper movements when using throwing weapons and at the same time allowed, if necessary, to engage in close combat.
Somatophylaki- "guardians of the body" - a unit that guarded the royal tent. It was formed from the most devoted to the king noble people. In addition to performing their direct duties, many of them were appointed to command parts of the army or the rulers of the occupied regions (satraps).
It is interesting that Alexander introduced mandatory shaving in his army, officially - in order to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to hand-to-hand combat to grab a warrior by the beard, and unofficially, many believed that this was due to the lack of a beard on his own - after all, the future great ruler became king at just 20 years old!
Reconstruction of the appearance of the soldiers of the Macedonian army.
A1. Alexander in the clothes of a senior officer of the guetairos
The image is borrowed from the "mosaic of Alexander" in Pompeii (see below). The mosaic depicts the tunic and cloak as purplish-gray, but the basis was a painting several centuries old, and the paint on it has faded. The cloak on the mosaic is damaged, but when compared with the figures on the Sarcophagus of Alexander, its edge is reconstructed as yellow-gold. The green field on the armor and the green edging of the skin covering on the horse seem to indicate an ilu (a cavalry unit of 200 horsemen). Usually the king fought in a Boeotian helmet (like that of the neighboring figure), but he was preferred to be depicted on the mosaic without a headdress, undoubtedly for artistic purposes.
A2. Hetairo cavalry rider
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. Usually the hetairoi wore white armor, as in fig. A1, but perhaps they were not so richly decorated. Instead of the Greek seating pad for the horse (see Fig. C1 below), a Persian one was used. The color of the border of the bedspread and the belt should, apparently, indicate silt.
B1. Getair in hunting clothes
The image is borrowed from the hunting scene from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. This hetayr took off his shell and replaced the xiston (cavalry spear) with a shorter hunting spear. The border of the skin covering the horse in this case is red - perhaps in accordance with the color of the ila (rider units). It is possible that the leopard-skin veil was the privilege of the officers.
B2. One of the "royal children" (?) in hunting clothes
The image is borrowed from a mosaic from Pella depicting two young men hunting. On other mosaics with hunting scenes, you can find similar cloaks, but completely white color, and hunters are armed with kopis (short chopping swords; another name is xiphos) and axes. On the head of a man is not a traditional Macedonian causia (kavsia), but a white hat from the sun.
B3. "Personal guetayr" in clothes for hunting
The colors of the clothes of this figure are reconstructed from the image on the “Alexander Sarcophagus”. It is known that the Hellenistic kings favored their courtiers and "friends" with cloaks as a sign of special disposition. Apparently, this hunter is Alexander's "personal hetayr".
C1. Thessalian horseman in hunting clothes
The image is borrowed from the hunting scene from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The man wears only a short-sleeved lower tunic, and no upper tunic. The characteristic Thessalian cloak is dark purple with a white border. The woolen covering on the horse is dyed purple and yellow colors: purple (of the same dark shade as the cloak) seems to have been the color of the Thessalian cavalry, and yellow the color of silt. The harness is brown, not the dark red of the hetairoi.
C2. Thessalian cavalry officer
A painted, but rather made of silver, laurel wreath on a helmet of the Boeotian type, apparently, was a sign of rank: bracelets also indicate this. The edge of the cloak on the sarcophagus is missing and reconstructed according to the C1 model. The coloring of the shell and its details has been reconstructed by comparing the most authoritative sources, however, its accuracy cannot be fully guaranteed due to lack of information.
D1. Prodrom Cavalry Rider
The image is borrowed from the steppe painting of the “Tomb of Kinkh” near Naoussa. The figure depicts a light cavalry rider in the clothes characteristic of the end of the reign of King Philip. Alexander, in all likelihood, replaced the Phrygian helmet shown here with the Boeotian one among the cavalrymen, and instead of the xiston (light cavalry spear) depicted here, he introduced the sarissa (heavier and longer infantry spear). Since the hem of the tunic in the original image was damaged, it had to be reconstructed from the available data. Parts of the helmet are also poorly preserved, but it can be assumed that the ribbon hanging from under the helmet belongs to the balaclava.
D2. Infantryman in camp clothes
The image is borrowed from the hunting scene from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. In the original image, the man is shown wearing a single cloak wrapped around his arm. Efaptida is a military cloak that was used in heavy infantry. A rectangular piece of cloth was put on the left shoulder and wrapped around the arm. Tunic and causia reconstructed according to available data; the white color of the causia is a guess. The blue color of the ribbon supporting the sword in the scabbard was probably the color of the infantry. The ax was reconstructed after a hunting scene from a mosaic from Pella.
D3. Pedzetayr (foot getair - a soldier of a select infantry unit) in hunting clothes
The image is reconstructed on the basis of a half-naked figure from the scene of the battle from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The tunic of the pedzetaira was supposedly purple; the color of the efaptida is taken directly from the sarcophagus. This is an officer or a senior soldier; the feathers on his helmet have been reconstructed based on additional information available.
E1. Hypaspist
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The upper part of the helmet was destroyed in the original and is here reconstructed on the basis of the available data. A dark purple medallion is located in the center of the bronze shield on the sarcophagus, but the emblem was impossible to read. The shoes are like those worn by horsemen,
E2, EZ. Undefined unit (allied cavalry?)
Both images are borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The helmet of figure E3 is similar to the one lying near the figure on the sarcophagus; the one that lies next to the figure E2 is also taken from the sarcophagus. The shoes on the feet of the warriors suggest that both of them are horsemen, probably from the allied cavalry, but they can also be attributed to the somatophylacs (the personal guard of the king).
F1. Pedzetyre
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The color of the shoulder pads and pterygiums cannot be determined from the original. On the basis of the available additional information, the crest of the helmet was also reconstructed. The head of Silenus (?) from the chest of a warrior could also be repeated on the purple reverse side of the shield as the identification emblem of a taxis (infantry unit). The armor is not typical, however, the red tunic does not allow us to assume that the warrior belongs to an elite unit.
F2. Greek mercenary in Persian service
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The figure is dressed in a red exomide with an open right shoulder, which was at that time the usual clothing of a Greek mercenary. The warrior lost his bronze helmet and hoplon shield. The mercenaries did not wear shells.
F3. Pedzetyre officer
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander, on which he supposedly depicts an officer. The bronze greaves are silver plated and lined with red material; the garters are also red. The helmet is distinguished by a gilded band on the crest, the feathers are reconstructed. The color of the shoulder pads in the original is not clear. The shield leaning against the wall bears the unit's emblem, the head of an unidentified goddess.
G1. Senior Pedzetaire Soldier
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. Perhaps depicts one of the officers or senior soldiers of the phalanx. This is indicated, in particular, by the bronze leggings worn by the commander of a row or semi-row. The feathered helmet (reconstructed) does not have a gilded band on the crest. The white spiral decorating the helmet may indicate the rank of hyperet (unit foreman); the exact outlines of this symbol are unknown.
G2. Pedzetyre
The purple tunic (according to the figure on the Sarcophagus of Alexander) may indicate belonging to an elite unit.
G3. Servant
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. In the original, the coloring of this figure's clothing is severely damaged. The dark purple stripe on the tunic is distinguishable, but the overall color of the garment is not clear. It appears to have been light purple or red. The status of this servant could not be established, but he may well be a young Macedonian.
Almost every warrior on the campaign was accompanied by a servant, if the warrior was rich and noble - several servants, and if he was a cavalryman - also a groom, who usually also had a horse.
H1. Akontist
Not a single good image of a light infantryman of Alexander's army has survived. Nevertheless, one figure from the "Sarcophagus of Alexander" with a significant degree of probability can be read as an image of a representative of the acontists and, thus, used as the basis for reconstructing the appearance of light infantrymen. The figure from the sarcophagus may well depict a dismounted rider, however, if it is still the image of an infantryman, then we have a representative of the light infantry, since he is not wearing an efaptida (a long military cloak in which one could wrap oneself entirely), characteristic of heavy soldiers infantry, and a Macedonian cloak thrown over the left shoulder to free both hands. The figure is depicted naked; it is quite possible that the light infantry went into battle only in cloaks, but, on the other hand, the transfer of nudity could only be an aesthetic device, so we also added a tunic to our image. The feet of a light infantryman could well have been put on shoes.
H2. Unknown subdivision (somatophylac?)
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. In the original, the figure is naked (but equipped with a shield and helmet). The gold edging of the helmet crest and feathers (reconstructed) indicate an officer or senior soldier, although the greaves and armor are missing. The tunic may have long sleeves or be an exomide, and its color may be either purple or red. The medallion on the shield depicts Alexander in the clothes of the Persian king.
NZ. Auxiliary Greek Hoplite
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The hoplite has a bronze shield in his hands, on which the emblem of the city that sent this unit can be depicted. Only a bandage is depicted on the warrior's head, but his helmet lies at his feet.
Alexander's army warrior costume, Hellenic, Macedonian or Thracian, was primarily a short-sleeved shirt - chiton. A long-sleeve (according to the northern fashion) upper tunic was worn over it (its floors were tucked under the belt). The Macedonians wore mantle Macedonian type: a cloak in the form of a semicircle thrown over the left shoulder and fastened on the right shoulder; such a cloak has only two corners, hanging down in front and behind, respectively. The edge of the cloak hung down at the level of the knees in a straight line between these two corners. According to Alexander, his father (King Philip) “dressed you [Macedonians] in cloaks ( mantles) instead of goatskins.”
Many secrets and legends are kept. One of these mysterious pages in history is the mystery of the grave and helmet of Alexander the Great. The helmet is used by the authors as an attractive element for the plots of works different types art. For example, it is this helmet that the "gentlemen of fortune" from the film of the same name by Alexander Sery are looking for. This movie "helmet" is kept in the exposition of the Mosfilm Museum and is made from an ordinary fire helmet of the past centuries.
Helmet of Alexander the Great: legends and myths
The name Alexander in Persian sounds like Iskander or Two-horned. And this is quite understandable. After all, according to legend, his head was to be crowned with a helmet, decorated according to the gods with horns of a ram, which is possibly associated with the ancient heraldic symbol of Macedonia - the image of a goat on the banner of the Macedonian kings.
According to legend, God gave Alexander the Great a golden helmet sunlight, patron of the arts Apollo. It was such a valuable treasure that the Macedonian coast was like the apple of its eye: I didn’t take it with me on military campaigns, and even more so I didn’t use it for its intended purpose - I left it at home. A strong guard remained near the vault. During the absence of Alexander in the country, the helmet served as a talisman for the state and its inhabitants. Shortly before his death, during the Indian campaign, the commander faced fierce resistance from the Indian nobles and their troops. He sent messengers to Macedonia to bring the helmet, in the hope of its miraculous power. However, the helmet could not even protect itself: on the way to the army, the ambassadors of Alexander the Great were robbed by robbers. It happened in an area called Pyatigorye, located on the Mineralnye Vody sloping plain in the northern part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region.
The robbers were caught up and subjected terrible torture. Even at the edge of life, they preferred to remain silent and did not give out where they hid the helmet. It is believed that he was hidden in one of the suitable crevices. The helmet was never found, and Alexander was forced to leave India. It is still unknown where the helmet of Alexander the Great is kept, and historians continue to look for it.
Mystery Alexandria Egyptian
In 2017, 2340 years have passed since the death of the famous commander of antiquity. But it is still unknown where he is buried. The main contender to be considered the resting place of the commander is Alexandria.
After his death, the body of 33-year-old Alexander the Great was embalmed by Egyptian priests, specially called for the ceremony, and left in the palace chambers for two years. Ptolemy, who inherited the throne, did not fulfill the will of Macedonian to bury him on the green land of the Siwa oasis in the Egyptian desert, because he was outside the borders of the state. And Alexander the Great for all fellow citizens personified a strong and powerful power. Ptolemy ordered to bury the warrior in the tomb in Alexandria, thereby making the city a place of pilgrimage huge amount people.
There is a version that initially the funeral procession was sent by Ptolemy to his possessions - to Memphis, but the priest of the temple opposed the burial of Alexander in Memphis, predicting misfortunes and bloody battles in case of disobedience. It was then that the path of the body of the great commander of antiquity continued to the land of Alexandria.
During the reign of the Roman emperor, the tomb was walled up. As a result, Alexandria ceased to be a "city of cities". The tomb was so well hidden that no one could find it. However, there is a version that it is located under the mosque of the prophet Daniel on Alexander the Great Street.
Funeral chariot in descriptions of the past
Alexander the Great was transported to Alexandria in a marble sarcophagus, on a chariot created by the great engineer Philip. According to Ptolemy, the mourning chariot, drawn forward by 64 mules, advanced along the roads that were immediately laid, because a whole "army" of builders walked in front of it. Behind the chariot moved the very army of the commander: foot soldiers, chariots, cavalry, even warriors on war elephants.
But Flavius Arrian claimed that 8 mules were harnessed to the chariot. And the chariot was made of gold, with gold rims and spokes. And the mules were adorned with golden crowns, bells and necklaces.
Sarcophagus: history and fiction
According to Ptolemy's descriptions, the sarcophagus was located under a canopy between the ivory columns that adorned the chariot. The canopy was made in the form of a starry sky and decorated with precious stones. On the cover of the sarcophagus, made of gold by Philip, they put the commander's weapons and a Trojan shield. According to the memoirs of Flavius Arrian, the canopy was removed from the inside with rubies, carbuncles, emeralds. Inside it hung four paintings depicting various military units of the Macedonian army on the march: chariots, cavalry and fleet. Beneath the canopy was a golden throne adorned with flowers that changed every day. And the sarcophagus, according to Arrian, was golden.
A relief was carved on the longitudinal wall of the sarcophagus, telling about the victorious battle of Alexander the Great with the Persian army led by Darius III. The battle was so fierce that around the chariot of Darius piled up the bodies of the dead Greeks and Persians. The very height of this fight is carved on the sarcophagus with particular reliability in the transfer of the warriors' attire, in dynamics and expression.
A grave in the desert?
The annexation of Egypt by Alexander the Great to his empire took place without any problems, since his army was perceived as the liberator of the Egyptian people from the Persians. Eight years before his death, the commander traveled along the Nile, deep into the Egyptian desert, where he discovered the Siwa oasis. The three hundred-kilometer journey left the army without water, the army almost died. With difficulty, the travelers reached the green island of life, where the temple of the god Amun towered among the greenery. In the temple, the priests not only blessed Alexander the Great, but also called him the son of Amun. This inspired Alexander to new campaigns and accomplishments, as well as to the decision to be buried on the ground of this oasis near the temple.
In 1990, Greek scientists went to Siwa and discovered there an amazing underground burial complex, on the reliefs of which they saw the image of the personal symbol of Alexander the Great, and on the steles - inscriptions made on behalf of Ptolemy, or by himself, reporting on the burial of Alexander the Great in Siwa, according to testament. The temple and the tomb were surrounded by a wall. Images of lions were found here, which were commonly used in the funeral rites of Greece. And everything else had little in common with Egyptian culture and was more like Macedonian buildings and products.
The surviving ancient coins depict Alexander the Great with a headdress in the form of a lion's head and two ram's horns, which corresponds to the description of the legendary helmet. In the Hermitage, the helmet of Alexander the Great exists mainly in images on old coins.
Replica Legendary Helm
The history of the golden helmet of Alexander the Great excites the minds of people, awakens the imagination of artists. Modern jewelers created its exact copy. The image from his sarcophagus was taken as a basis. It was made within 5 months by three craftsmen from a multicomponent alloy, based on copper and zinc. Sheet thickness - 1.5 mm. All curls were knocked out with wooden hammers. This is very hard manual labor.
The full face of the helmet is made in the form of a lion's muzzle. The entire helmet is initially covered with a layer of silver and then gold. Only the nose remains silver, which is covered with a special varnish so that the silver does not wear off. The helmet of Alexander the Great is inlaid with stones (tiger's eye, sapphires or moissanites), rock crystal and ivory.
The helmet suggests a wear size of 58, but it is unknown if this size matches the exact size of Alexander the Great's head.
The helmet is quite durable. With continued wear, it will last for five years.
Getairs (other Greek ἑταῖροι - "friends") were part of the aristocratic environment of the Macedonian kings. They made up a council and retinue of rulers in peacetime and a squad in time of war. The preservation of this institution in Macedonia ensured the archaism of the socio-economic and political way of life. Most of the Macedonian hetairoi were aristocrats and large landowners, whom the king kept at his court in order to ensure loyalty on their part. At the beginning of the reign of Philip II (reigned 359-336 BC), his heteria consisted of 800 people. He increased the number of hetairoi to 3,500, taking into their ranks not only Macedonian aristocrats, but also noble foreigners who entered his service. From among the getairs, officers of the Macedonian army, military leaders and governors of the provinces were appointed.
In the army of Philip and Alexander (reigned 336 BC - June 10, 323 BC), the hetairoi constituted a privileged detachment of heavily armed cavalry. Departing for the East, Alexander left Antipater 1,500 hetairoi, and took the remaining 1,800 with him. His getairs were divided into 8 detachments (il) of 230 horsemen each. The first, "royal silt", or in Macedonian "agema", was a detachment of double the size, at the head of which the king himself fought. The names of several silts are known: Bottiei, Amphipolis, Antemusia, Apollonia. The names reflect the territorial principle of manning detachments.
Hetaira was commanded by Philot, the son of Parmenion, after his death, this post was taken by the closest friend of the king Hephaestion, later he was replaced by Perdikka. The selected royal agema was headed by Cleitus. During the Persian campaign of Alexander, his hetairos acted as a striking force against the Persian cavalry and against the infantry, attacking with spears at the ready and delivering a blow that decides the fate of the battle. In the armies of Alexander's successors, there were similar select detachments of the cavalry of the hetairoi, which included royal relatives, friends and associates.
In a new interactive special project, Warspot invites you to familiarize yourself with the reconstruction appearance, weapons and equipment of the Macedonian hetaira of the era of Philip and Alexander.
The armament and parts of the equipment of the hetaira are marked with marker badges. To see the history and description of the element of interest, click on the corresponding marker.
Helmet
Xenophon, a recognized authority in military affairs of the 4th century BC, recommends the Boeotian helmet for arming horsemen, which, according to him, protects the head and does not interfere with vision. This description corresponds to a number of artistic images that can be associated with the era of Alexander the Great. In 1854, a similar helmet was found at the bottom of the Tigris - it may have been lost while crossing the river by the Macedonian warrior of Alexander himself or one of his closest successors.
Boeotian helmet found in the Tigris River and now in the Ashmolah Museum, Oxford
The Boeotian helmet has the widest distribution area: from Central Asia to the Middle East. It was worn by both ordinary warriors and rulers, whose images in such a helmet are often found on coins. The timeline for the use of the Boeotian helmet covers most Hellenistic era. In the later stages, II-I centuries BC, mixed models of helmets appear, in which, nevertheless, the main elements of the Boeotian prototype are clearly recognizable.
Macedonian warrior (Hephaestion?) wearing a Boeotian helmet. Sidon sarcophagus
The shape of the helmet resembles a Boeotian felt cap with wide brim. This is probably where its name comes from. In contrast to the similarly shaped pilos, the Boeotian helmet has a larger brim and a steep angle of their fold. At the front of the helmet, it is about 130 degrees and forms a wide visor that gives the helmet wearer's face good protection from blows from above. On the sides and back, this angle of inclination is slightly less. A characteristic recognizable feature of the helmet is the lateral concave folds, designed, among other things, to give the fields the necessary rigidity. There were no traces of fastening of the lining to the base of the helmet - perhaps it was glued from the inside. Initially, the Boeotian helmet was worn without cheek pads. Later, when mixed forms of helmets appeared, two pairs of holes were made above the side fields to attach the hinges on which the cheek pads were hung.
A warrior in a Boeotian helmet, over which he wears a wreath of golden leaves. A fragment of a mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus
They made a helmet from a bronze sheet about 1.5 mm thick, beating it into a stone mold. The weight of the helmet was approximately 1 kg. The Boeotian helmet from the Tigris of a simple and laconic form is devoid of decorations, although such helmets could be covered with tin or silver or painted with bright colors. Judging by the pictorial monuments, wreaths made of leaves or thin metal foil were worn on some helmets - perhaps as a badge of distinction.
shell
On the mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus, on the Sidon sarcophagus, tomb steles and other monuments of the second half of the 4th century BC. Macedonian horsemen usually wear armor. Among them, traditional linen armor, reinforced with bronze scales and metal plates, is most often represented. According to archaeological finds, all-metal bronze, less often iron armor of Alexander's warriors is also known.
Alexander in linen armor. Mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus
Such armor is a double-leaf shell, consisting of chest and dorsal parts. They were fastened to each other on the sides and shoulders with the help of hinges and belt ties. Most shells are shortened, protecting the wearer's body only to the waist. Several shells from southern Italy, dating from the second half of the 4th century BC, are full length, covering the lower abdomen and upper thighs. Their belonging to riders is evidenced by the very wide lower part of the shell, which allows the owner to sit on a horse without much difficulty.
Bivalve shell of the 4th century BC South Italian origin from the collection of A. Guttmann
The shape of the shell corresponds to the anatomy of the human body, accurately reproducing the relief of the pectoral and abdominal muscles. Xenophon advised riders to adjust their armor to fit their size:
“The shell must be made to your own measurements, because a well-lying shell is held by the whole body, a weak one is only on the shoulders, and too narrow is more like a bond than an armament.”
To protect the metal surface from corrosion, it was covered with a thin layer of tin. The mirror shine of the metal created the illusion of silver. However, armor is known from the descriptions, which were covered with silver and even gold.
Sarissa
The main weapon of the Macedonian cavalry of Alexander the Great was the sarissa - a spear from 4.5 to 6 m long. The shaft of the sarissa was cut from dense and viscous dogwood wood. A tip was fastened at one end, and a bronze or iron inflow was attached to the other, which allowed the sarissa to be stuck into the ground at a halt. According to calculations, the weight of the sarissa was 6.5 kg.
A Macedonian horseman, armed with a sarissa, attacks a Persian infantryman. Fresco from Kinch's tomb (late 4th - early 3rd century BC)
On the mosaic depicting the battle of Issus, Alexander holds the sarissa with one hand in the middle of the shaft. There were only two ways of gripping: with a hand raised up bent at the elbow (in this case, the blow was delivered from top to bottom) and with a hand lowered parallel to the thigh (the blow was delivered in a straight line or from bottom to top). To change the position of the weapon, it was necessary to take it in both hands, so any manipulation with it during the battle was extremely difficult.
The Macedonian cavalry, armed with sarissas, could act effectively against both heavily armed cavalry and against infantry. Due to the severity of the shaft, neither the shield nor the armor could resist the blow of the sarissa. As experiments show, the horseman practically could not extract the sarissa from the body of the killed enemy while galloping. Therefore, the Macedonian cavalry had to break their weapons after the first blow and then take up the sword.
Kopis
Kopis is a single-edged sword with a blade length of 80-90 cm. The crosshair has a common end with a back, with its other end asymmetrically hanging over the blade. The hilt, usually shaped like a bird's head, forms a semicircle to protect the hand. In the most luxurious specimens, bone onlays and gold appliqués were used in the manufacture of the handle. The massive thickness of the butt - up to 8 mm - ensured the high strength of the blade upon impact.
A 4th-century BC copy found on the peninsula of Halkidiki in Greece
Forward curved blade shape, widening into last third, perfectly adapted for chopping. It is no coincidence that Xenophon, in his essay on cavalry, recommends arming horsemen with a curved kopis, with which you can cut the enemy from above with a backhand, and not with a straight sword, which was usually stabbed. According to the Greek historian Diodorus, "there is no shield, helmet or bone that can withstand the blow of such a sword".
Kopis in sheath, relief of the second half of the 3rd century BC. Archaeological Museum, Istanbul
Kopis was worn on the left side in a wooden sheath covered with leather, suspended from a shoulder harness.
Chiton
The Macedonians wore a tunic of Greek cut. It was a wide shirt that reached to the knees with short or long sleeves, and they wore it, belted low with a wide lap. The chiton was dyed in various colors and could be decorated with embroidery.
Fresco from the painting of the facade of the Macedonian tomb in Agios Athanasios
Having seized the wealth of Persia, Alexander distributed to his close associates precious fabrics and clothes dyed with purple and saffron. Perhaps clothes of a certain color corresponded to a higher or lower rank of its owner, as was the practice at the Achaemenid court. The remnants of the pigment found on the figures of the Macedonian warriors of the Sidon sarcophagus make it possible to restore the violet-purple color of their chitons and the purple color of their cloaks with a white or yellow border. On the frescoes, the purple chitons of the royal entourage are often found in combination with yellow cloaks and with a purple border. There are also other color combinations.
Boots
The rider is shod in high leather boots with lacing, known from numerous images. As a rule, Greek artists depicted such boots as an attribute of travelers, hunters and warriors.
Statue of Hephaestion, the commander of the cavalry of the hetairoi Alexander, dressed in a tunic and cavalry boots. The statue, dating from the 1st century BC, was intended for his memorial in Alexandria. National Museum of Archeology, Athens
For riders, wearing them had an additional meaning, since it served as a means of protecting the legs from both the thorny bush that abounds in Greece, and from the weapons of the enemy. In addition, high leather tops were supposed to protect the skin from caustic horse sweat.
Horse
The Macedonian cavalry had an excellent military reputation long before the era of Philip and Alexander. The horses ridden by the hetairoi averaged 1.34 m at the withers, had a wide chest, chiseled necks, small heads and slender legs. Their breed was significantly improved by the introduction after 339 BC. Scythian blood: Philip II, having defeated the Scythians, captured 20,000 thoroughbred mares as a trophy. After the Persian campaigns of Alexander, the Macedonians took possession of many thoroughbred horses from the stables of the Great King.
Bronze statue of a horse and a boy rider, 3rd-2nd century BC National Museum of Archeology, Athens
Like the Greeks, the Macedonians preferred to ride unbaited stallions. There is convincing evidence of this in the samples that have survived to this day. visual arts. To control hot, restive animals, a bridle with a snaffle and spurs were used, which were tied to boots or just to the leg. The horses were not shod.
On mosaics and frescoes, horses have a gray, red-bay and black color. The famous Bucephalus of Alexander the Great was a black suit with a white star on his forehead.
Xenophon mentions that he sold his war horse for 1,250 drachmas. On average, in Athens in the 4th century BC. the price of a war horse fluctuated between 700 and 1,000 drachmas. The daily wage of a worker at that time was one drachma.
Cheprak
Macedonian horsemen did not use saddles. As a rule, a saddlecloth was placed on the back of the horse, which was held in place with a wide girth.
A horse with a panther skin draped over its back, acting as a saddle for the rider. Stele III-II centuries BC National Museum of Archeology, Athens
Cheprak was a simple rectangle made of felt or quilted fabric. In some cases, this role was played by a thrown skin, as can be seen in the sculptures and mosaics of the Hellenic era. The main task the saddlecloth was to protect the skin on the rider's thighs from the caustic horse sweat. Xenophon advises horsemen to use a thick quilted saddle, "which provides the rider with a stable seat and does not rub the horse's back". At the same time, he reproaches the Persians for covering the horses with a lot of blankets, like a bed, because of which the Persian horsemen sit softly, but unsteadily.
Alexander the Great in the helmet of Hercules (lion's head) on the sarcophagus from Sidon
In the spring of 334 BC, the troops of the Western coalition, led by the most powerful power of those times - Macedonia, landed on the coast of Asia Minor in order to "avenge the Persian Empire for the desecration of the Athenian shrines" and bring the values of Greek democracy to the peoples of the East.
Who could have imagined that history would repeat itself in the 21st century...
This campaign cannot be imagined as a victory of a handful of brave men over millions. On the contrary, the army of Alexander was the most numerous and organized, which only the previous one knew. ancient history". So wrote the Russian military theorist and historian A. A. Svechin about the Eastern campaign of Alexander the Great. Just as then, the overwhelming superiority in organization, weapons, equipment and tactics allowed the coalition forces of the West to suppress the resistance of not only the obviously weak Taliban formations, but also the regular army of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in a matter of weeks.
Let Alexander's battles be studied by strategists. But his fighters not only defeated the enemy in grandiose battles, but also carried out large-scale special operations against the distant ancestors of the current rebels and terrorists throughout the East. Methods of conducting all types of intelligence, counterintelligence, psychological warfare and force raids special purpose, first applied by Alexander in the East, are still relevant, interesting and instructive for specialized experts in this field. The sources are scarce, but upon careful study, you begin to understand that the victories of the great commander were forged not only by the legendary phalanx and deadly cavalry.
Intelligence Kit
It is naive to think that the Eastern Campaign was not prepared in advance, including in the line of intelligence. The very idea of the Eastern Campaign belonged to Alexander's father, Tsar Philip, and was implemented by him. In parallel with the creation of separate reconnaissance and assault units in the headquarters of the enemy, big cities and strategically important points were introduced by residents who recruited agents, identified opponents of the regime and established a system of continuous and operational data transmission to the coalition headquarters. Alexander adopted an already extensive and effective intelligence system and special-purpose units prepared for operations in special conditions.
The head of his GRU from the beginning to the end of the campaign was the commander whom Alexander trusted the most - the future pharaoh of Egypt, Ptolemy. As befits the head of the secret service, very little was known about his work for the time being. Historians noted that he was "almost invisible" until the moment when the army entered India. Apparently, secrecy was observed already in those distant times. His deputy and head of the counterintelligence service was best friend Alexandra Hephaestion.
In the context of a long-distance campaign, it was also important to monitor the state of affairs among comrades-in-arms and troops for possible conspiracies and riots. Counterintelligence has always been proactive and very tough, adhering to the principle "it is better to execute one innocent than to leave two enemies alive." Historians are still arguing about the famous "Philota conspiracy", when one of Alexander's closest friends was arrested "for passive participation in the conspiracy" of a certain Dimna against Alexander. One of the conspirators reported to him about the allegedly impending assassination of the king, but Philotas did not move forward until the scammer turned to another person. Interrogation methods corresponded to the standards of those times. As Quintus Curtius Rufus wrote, “At first, when they tormented him with scourges, then with fire, and not in order to achieve the truth, but in order to punish him, he not only did not make a sound, but also restrained his groans. But when his body, swollen from many wounds, could no longer withstand the blows of the whip on the exposed bones, he promised, if his sufferings were moderated, to say what they wanted.
There were also direct examples of Alexander's participation in "loyalty checks". In his army “there was a Persian named Sisen, once sent to King Philip by the ruler of Egypt; having received gifts and honors of all kinds, he exchanged his homeland for exile, followed Alexander to Asia and was listed among his true friends. It was to him that the Cretan soldier handed over the letter, sealed with a ring with a seal unfamiliar to him. This letter was sent by the commander of Darius Nabarzan, urging Sisen to do something worthy of his origin and character in order to earn honor from Darius. The innocent Sisen often tried to convey this letter to Alexander, but seeing that the king was busy with various worries and preparations for war, he waited for an opportunity, and this strengthened the suspicion that he was plotting a crime. For the letter had earlier fallen into the hands of Alexander, who, having read it and sealed it with a ring unfamiliar to Sisen, ordered it to be given to the Persian in order to test the loyalty of the barbarian. But since the latter did not approach Alexander for several days, it was decided that he hid the letter with a criminal purpose; on the campaign he was killed by the Cretans, no doubt, by order of the king.
Of course, much more massive secret events were also held. During the siege of Halicarnassus, in order to find out the real mood among the soldiers, Alexander allowed the soldiers, contrary to established order, write letters home. All of them were read in counterintelligence. Information that discontent is growing in the army was documented, active agitators were identified and removed from the army. After that, postal censorship became mandatory.
What was good before him, Alexander did not change. By maintaining the efficient system of diplomatic pouch and courier service, he only introduced a new encryption scheme. He worked and undercover intelligence- during the siege of the city of Halicarnassus, he personally sent agents to establish contact with the local "underground".
But for the majority, of course, it will be much more interesting to find out how effectively the military intelligence and assault units of Alexander.
It is no secret that the commander loved adventure and often conducted reconnaissance himself, as was the case before the Battle of Gaugamela.
“Taking the royal silt, one detachment of “friends”, and from the prodrome of the paeons, Alexander swiftly rushed forward, ordering the rest of the army to follow them at a normal pace. The Persian horsemen, seeing the rapidly advancing army of Alexander, rushed back at full speed; Alexander began a stubborn pursuit. Most escaped; some - those whose horses stuck were killed; some were captured along with their horses. From them they learned that Darius with a large army was nearby.
What kind of prodrome is this? Ornate Greek for "those who run ahead." Literally, intelligence. So for the first time in history, the purpose of the light cavalry brigade was correctly determined, with a total number of approximately 900 copies, initially consisting of four to five squadrons. Intelligence worked both with the king and independently.
“On the fourth day after the crossing, the scouts informed Alexander that there, on the plain, enemy horsemen were visible, but how many of them it is difficult to guess. He went forward, building the army in battle order. Other scouts rushed in; these saw it more precisely: according to them, it seems that there will be no more than a thousand horsemen ... "
Who were they?
Countrymen of Spartak
It is this type of reconnaissance of Alexander's army that is not difficult to determine.
Back in the last century, a fresco with a single image of the commander of a mounted reconnaissance unit of the Macedonian army finally crumbled from the walls of an ancient crypt in Macedonia. At the last moment, the figure of a rider in a pink cloak, spearing at a Persian infantryman, was copied. They identified him by his coat. It is known that, among other things, even in the army of Father Alexander - Philip, all types of troops began to be distinguished by the color of the "uniform". Intelligence got pink.
Interestingly, the rider from the crypt was depicted with a beard. This meant that he gave his life for his homeland in the time of Philip. Why? It is known that before the Eastern campaign, Alexander ordered all his soldiers to shave their beards, “so that the enemy had nothing to grab them for.” It was especially difficult for intelligence to carry out this order. The fact is that only commanders were Macedonians here. But ordinary scout prodromes were not Greeks and not Macedonians, but Thracians, which indicates that Alexander selected people for himself not by passport, but by ability. It is about them that the ancient historian writes:
“Alexander at that time was approaching the Granik River, leading an army in the ranks; he arranged the hoplites in a double phalanx, placed the riders on the flanks, and ordered the baggage train to go behind. Intelligence was commanded by Hegeloch; with him were horsemen armed with sarissas, and about 5,000 lightly armed people ... Alexander was already not far from the Granik River when scouts rode up to him with the news that the Persians were standing behind the Granik, ready for battle.
As now, the scouts had a reputation for being dashing, but glory was hard to come by. Separated from the main forces, they clashed with the enemy, carried out raids and set up ambushes, cut communications, intercepted messengers, took languages and counted enemy forces. Just as now, they did not wear “armor”, but instead of blankets they put leopard skins on the backs of horses. The prodrome never allowed the enemy to suddenly attack the main forces of Alexander's army. Sometimes the prodromes are compared with the Cossacks, but, unlike Cossack troops, they were commanded by foreign Macedonians. Of course, the people were specific. Before the decisive battle with the Persians, Alexander promised the Macedonians and Greeks eternal glory. And here is what he said to his northern neighbors at home:
“The Illyrians and Thracians, accustomed to live by robbery, he ordered to look at the enemy army, sparkling with gold and purple, carrying booty, not weapons; let them, like men, take away the gold from these femininely weak peoples and exchange their bare rocks, frozen from eternal cold, to the rich fields and meadows of the Persians.
And everyone in this battle fought for his own. And, as you know, successfully.
In addition to the "mobile detachments", the reconnaissance kit of the Macedonian king also included real attack aircraft.
Agriane - "flying warriors"
"But against those whom Darius sent ahead to occupy the mountain range, Alexander placed the Agrians, recently brought from Greece."
There were only about a thousand of them in Alexander's army. Light infantry, which at Gaugamela fantastically repulsed the attack of the heavy Persian cavalry. Agrians - also a Thracian tribe, highlanders, the northern neighbors of Macedonia, not only participated in all major battles, but were also the first to occupy passes and narrow passages in the mountains, stormed cities. Probably, the historian Arrian has them in mind when describing the legendary “flying warriors” who distinguished themselves during the assault on the Rock, an impregnable mountain fortress in Central Asia:
“When Alexander approached the Rock, he saw sheer, inaccessible walls for assault ... Nevertheless, Alexander decided to take this place by storm. He offered to start negotiations and promised that they would return home safe and sound if they surrendered this place. Those with laughter, in a barbaric way, advised Alexander to look for winged warriors who would take this mountain for him: ordinary people have nothing to think about. Then Alexander ordered to announce that the first one who ascends the Rock will receive 12 talents as a reward, the second will receive the second reward, the third - the third, and so on ...
Soldiers were gathered, accustomed to climbing rocks during sieges, about 300 in number. They prepared small iron crutches with which they strengthened tents in the ground ... Driving these crutches either into the ground where it was visible, or into completely hardened snow, they pulled themselves up onto a rock who is in one place, who is in another. During this ascent, about 30 people died ... The rest occupied the top of the mountain at dawn; climbing up there, they began to wave their handkerchiefs in the direction of the Macedonian camp: so they were ordered by Alexander. He sent a herald and ordered him to shout to the barbarian guards so that they would not drag on further, but surrender, because the winged people were found and had already occupied the top of their mountain. And the herald immediately showed the soldiers on top.
The barbarians, shocked by the unexpected sight, decided that the mountain was occupied by a much larger number of fully armed people, and surrendered.
It was they who pursued Darius for 600 kilometers, then drove Bessus for two days and 110 kilometers. And then there was "Rock-2" - 200 meters vertically during the assault on Mount Aorn in present-day Pakistan. According to the law, Alexander's "flying warriors" were commanded, naturally, by a Macedonian - Attalus.
"Two in One": DShB and the Marine Corps
But among the parts of Alexander's special operations forces there were also purely Macedonian formations. During the siege of Tyre, Alexander went to attack the city from the ship of the "shield-bearers" - hypaspists. There were not many of them - three thousand, and in his army they were divided into three brigades - chiliarchies.
“Three days later, after waiting for calm weather, Alexander, calling the infantry commanders to battle, brought vehicles on ships to the city. First, they loosened a significant part of the wall; when the gap turned out to be wide enough, Alexander ordered the ships with cars to sail away and approach two others who were carrying bridges: he expected to throw them into the gap in the wall. On one of these ships were the shield-bearers under the command of Admet, and on the other was the regiment of Ken: the so-called "pedestrian friends." He himself was going to climb the wall with the shield-bearers wherever needed ... When the ships with Alexander approached the city and the bridges were thrown from them to the wall, the shield-bearers cheerfully rushed along them to the wall ... Alexander followed the soldiers, himself taking an active part in the matter ... First, the wall was taken in the place where Alexander ordered; he pushed back the Tyrians without difficulty as soon as the Macedonians had crossed the footbridge and had a firm foot on the ground; Admet was the first to climb the wall; calling his own after him, he immediately fell, struck by a spear.
As historians write, these were elite warriors specially trained to storm cities and operate in rough terrain. After the capture of Tyre, it turned out that they knew how to take cities from the sea.
Where did they come from? The entire corps of hypaspists was originally formed from the foot squires (shield-bearers) of the royal companions-getairs. At first they were called that - "shield-bearers of the getairs." The elite division of the hypaspists - the argyraspides - "silver-shielded", was also part of the royal guard - the agema.
It is interesting that in battle they acted together with the hetairoi, effectively covering the vulnerable lower part of their cavalry and the hull of their horses.
Centuries and millennia have passed. But aren’t the words of the Roman Quintus Curtius about the fate of the soldiers of the expeditionary forces in the East not relevant now:
“They will again be burned by the merciless sun, and they will be driven to places that nature itself did not intend for the gaze of mortals. Because all the time there are new weapons, new enemies. Even if they pass through these lands and get involved in new war what reward awaits them ahead?
From our dossier
His father Philip, having spent many years as a hostage in Thebes, scouted out all the details of the then novelties in military affairs, from building and training the phalanx to the fighting technique of the Persians. But Alexander himself was a great master of becoming "one's own among strangers."
The headache for the leaders of expeditionary corps in distant countries is always the legitimization of their actions. In those days, neither the advice of the “humanist” Aristotle was useful in practice: “Treat the Hellenes like a leader, and with the barbarians like a despot, take care of the former as friends and relatives, and use those as animals or plants”, nor the slogans “international duty and the establishment of a democratic order. In order to impress the local tribes, the conqueror needed an impressive biography and family ties with their rulers. Alexander in this case is an unattainable value. Depending on the situation, he was presented as a god, as was the case in Egypt, or as the legitimate heir to the thrones of all the occupied countries and territories. Apart from already widely known facts one more can be added.
...In preparation for Persian campaign Alexander suddenly wanted to marry the daughter of the Carian governor Pixador, Ada. Until now, it was not clear why Pope Philip was so angry at his son Sasha then. Moreover, he was not at all opposed to his other son marrying her from another wife. Further more. Having taken the city of Halicarnassus, Alexander gave Caria into the possession of the elderly sister of the satrap, and she adopted him in gratitude.
This story is considered only a strange whim of the young king. But it is worth digging a little deeper and it turns out that Alexander did nothing for nothing.
His great-great-grandfather and namesake Alexander I, a faithful companion of Xerxes in the fight against the Greeks and three hundred Spartans, gave his own sister Gigeia in marriage to the Persian satrap Bagoy. The son Amyntas, who was born to them, even received the city from the Persian king, after which this branch of the Macedonian dynasty disappeared forever from the pages of history. But, as it turned out later, Bagoy was a relative of the great king Darius I. And the sister of the satrap Caria, who adopted Alexander, was from the family of Aminta. Thus, Alexander elegantly and legally became ... a relative of the Persian royal dynasty of the Achaemenids, and with the same rights as the current king Darius, after which he quite legally began to demand the crown of the Persian Empire.
The shots from Ridley Scott's film "Alexander" used in the article reflect the general opinion of experts - the weapons of that era, in contrast to the ambiguous plot, are conveyed as authentically as possible. In the photo - variants of the armor of the Macedonian horseman - shiny steel armor and canvas shell. Such shells were made from several layers of linen sewn together and soaked in a saturated salt solution. The canvas was so saturated with salt that when it dried, it was difficult to cut it even with an axe. Alexander knowingly preferred to wear it in battle.
In addition to the topic, I suggest reading about this: or just an overview The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -