Hey guys! I’m the lead animator of this fan favourite long running series. As you all know that this is a long compilation from our previous episodes but we added a bit of new content, map fixes and also, graphical tweaks in this version. I hope guys enjoyed this long format and a have a great holiday with your love ones. Part 2 is in the works so stay tuned for more! Here are the timestamps: 03:12 - Alexander's Balkan Campaign 335BC: Battle of Hermus Valley, Battle of Lyginus river, Battle of Peuce, Siege of Pelium and Siege of Thebes. 29:17 - Road to Asia Minor 334BC: Battle of Granicus. 53:20 - The Ionian and Doris Campaign 334BC:Siege of Miletus, Siege of Halicarnassus and Siege of Myndus. 1:14:14 - The Cicilian Campaign 333BC: Battle of Issus. 1:37:52 - The Pheonician Campaign 333-332BC: Siege of Tyre . 2:01:41 - Road to Egypt 332BC: Siege of Gaza. 2:18:16 - The clash of the titans 331BC : Battle of Gaugamela. 2:38:00 - Alexander in Persia 331-330BC: Battle of the Uxian defile and Battle of the Persian Gate. As always, here are the mods which we used for our Total War Rome II machinimas: - Divide et Impera - AAA Generals:Greeks from Benjin - Orbis Terrarum II from Celticus. - Hellenic Culture reskin by Agrez - Faces from Attila by RaviL&Akrdai Best wishes, ڤمنه ملايو
@@bfdiepictennisballbfdi2359 thank you soo much I downloaded this episode in 2k now gonna enjoy thiss and you are member of this channel I would neef help to suggest what yo watch from this I have already watched pelopasanain war Injim war 100 yrs war
Hi everyone, I was one of the historians and scriptwriters for this episode, hope you all enjoyed it! If you've got any questions or feedback, please do leave them below and I'll do my best to get around to all of them when I can!
Though it is difficult to include every bit of detail battle of Guagamela in this video leaves significant portion of what actually happened. I'm not saying its inaccurate but it does leave important details i wish they'd have included. Otherwise the account of the battle as presented in the video is mostly accurate
@@BamBamGT1 first off persian gate wss hardly a loss fir Alexander. Go on and read arrian's account. His account just sats that the pass was held by ariobazanes and his men and when Macedonians approached it they were pushed back. Alexander used many locals for guide. So uts plausible
Great video ! Alexander the Great visited the site of Ancient Troy in 334 B.C., as he embarked on his campaign against the Persian Empire, leading a unified Greek Army (Hellenic League). The visit to Troy held both personal and strategic significance for Alexander. On one hand, it fulfilled his long-held desire to pay tribute to his hero Achilles and connect with the glorious past of Greek mythology. On the other hand, the visit served as a powerful symbolic gesture that showcased his intention to unite the Greek world under his rule and carry on the legacy of the legendary heroes. Upon reaching the Tomb of Achilles, Alexander took a moment to pay his respects and acknowledge the greatness of the legendary warrior. Then, Alexander poured oil over the tomb, a customary practice in ancient Greek funerary rituals, symbolizing purification and sanctification. He also placed garlands of flowers and foliage on the tomb, signifying honor and respect for the deceased. Next, Alexander and Hephaestion sacrificed animals, likely horses, to honor the spirits of Achilles and Patroclus. This ritual was meant to appease the souls of the dead and seek their favor. Finally, Alexander is believed to have organized athletic games at the site, following the ancient Greek tradition of hosting such competitions in memory of deceased heroes. By paying homage to Achilles, Alexander was reinforcing his connection to the heroic past and legitimizing his claim to lead the Greek world. After Troy and his first victory at the battle of the Granicus, while leading a unified Greek Army (Hellenic League) to avenge the Persian invasions in Greece 150 years prior, Alexander the Great sent 300 suits of full Persian armour (to honor the legendary last stand of the 300 Spartans in Thermopylae) to Athens, as a votive offering to Goddess Athena, to be hung on the Acropolis. He ordered an inscription to be fixed over them; “Alexander, son of Philip and all the Greeks, present this offering from the spoils taken from the barbarians inhabiting Asia". A statue group, known as the Granicus Monument, was erected by Alexander in the sanctuary of Zeus at Dion. This consisted of bronze statues by Lysippus, of Alexander with twenty-five of his companions who had died in the initial cavalry charge, all on horseback. Alexander the Great is a sacred, immortal, legendary figure for us Greeks. Mostly for uniting all Greek City States and Kingdoms and spreading the unique Hellenic culture to the edges of the world. The rightful descendant of legendary Achilles. Eternal Hellas 🔥🇬🇷
Well, this is something. A masterpiece. Much like the conquest of Greece by the Romans. This is good. Much better than the film of Alexander by Stone. This one is right up there with Epic History.
The Greeks and Romans have two alliances the Thessalian bond and achaian bond. The Romans included Greece in their kingdom there was no conquest. Only the Macedonian wars . Learn history before you write something
@@gotsiliman the romans betray Corinth Roman and Corinthians ware both part of the achaian bond. The Romans reconsider the act and build Corinth again in al its glory. Learn history. A suppose you are non latin non Greek you are a barbarian. Yore opinion has 0 value. Keep hating Alexander the great the man was undefeated. We could not say the same about Rome. Rome did 600 years wat Alexander did in 10
The thing I like about Gaugamela is that it’s one of the few perfect battles in history. Most one sided battles are from one side making mistakes like Cannae,Carrhae, Midway, Dien Bhen Phu(spelling?) and so on. But at Gaugamela Darius pretty much did everything perfect. He was just outclassed by a better general.
He could have stood to fight. He died later on anyway. This was his only mistake but I guess he judged his center would collapse anyway as the Macedonian phalanx was already advancing to support the Companion cavalry. Another thing that could change the result: The Indians could have outflanked Alexander's forces instead of going for the camp. But this wasn't necessarily an order of Darius, just a typical behavior of ancient units to go for easy loot rather than finish of the enemy. Even though Darius fled from both his battles I wouldn't call him a coward. After all, he did go to personally fight Alexander, the best general ever, twice. Not all emperors did that. In fact it was more common to send some general.
But what a perfect battle, he was about to lose it was only due to a stroke of luck and the inconsistency of the opposing army which collapsed, and the wing of the phalanx on the right was collapsing.....let's be serious please !!!!!because it was made up of slaves and disunited, furthermore Darius was not a warrior king. I wonder if this is the perfect battle for you then Alesia Farsalo, the defeat of Hannibal by Scipio Africanus how should they be classified, supremacy from start to finish control not recklessness, tactics not recklessness, and in any case Alexander the Great also had had its defeats, FIRST OF ALL ITS EMPIRE DID NOT SURVIVE ITS FOUNDER MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS, true creations last even millennia like Rome or the Chinese empire or the Arab caliphates and the Ottoman empire. Get yourself a culture.
The story of Alexander the Great... Legendary and one of the best battlefield tacticians to have ever lived. Amazing channel here, and thanks again for bringing us the content on Alexander the Great!!
Thank you for pointing out the obvious, that the Macedonians were a Hellenic people. In this day and age of spin, we have to clarify even the most obvious of facts. I can't wait to watch the whole thing. Thank you!
@@seleukusnikator614 if you watched the video ( which I doubt you did) you wouldn’t bother writing this nonsense. Let me guess… you are Albanian right?
@@malamatinas1 Do not do him the honor of answering. The video says everything historically accurate. It speaks volumes. Slavic posturing is irrelevant.
a 3 hour documentary to enjoy on the most important person in world history. Happy Holidays Kings and Generals, hope you all have a good weekend and new year!
Gaugamela stands out as a remarkable battle where both sides executed near flawlessly, yet Alexander's strategic brilliance prevailed. Excited to delve into the full story of Alexander the Great's conquests!
One could say the image of Alexander has shifted to represent what humanity thinks of itself. You could even say the image of Alexander has been so iconic through the centuries and millennia that he is akin to a god in terms of impact on the greater world. Megas Alexandros or the Greatest of all Alexanders certainly had that kind of impact and legacy.
That's quite a coincidence that I'm now reading Adrian Goldworthy's book on Filip II and Alexander. This video will be a great complement. Happy Holidays everyone.
I was literally about to look up the series on Alexander and start rewatching them when i got the notification for this video. Excellent timing Kings and Generals 👌
Literally 3 or so hours ago while I was at work, I randomly thought that i need to rewatch the movie. It's so bizarre that got a notification for this as soon as I got home and comfortable on the couch.
He was offered 45 billion dollars, but what is money compared to your accomplishment being paraded on Kings and Generals 2300 years later. The rest is history
Y’all are like secretly the most valuable RUclips channel to humanity it’s wild. I greatly appreciate the way you research and present your information. Also the pace y’all work is nuts.
After winning a battle, Alexander split all the pray to his soldiers. His Generals asked him: -What are you going to keep for yourself? And he replied: -The hope, only the hope.
The parts about Memnon of Rhodes were pretty interesting to me. Some huge historical what-ifs here. Alexander's campaign could've been cut very short if the Persians had taken Memnon's advice about launching a scorched-earth campaign in Asia Minor, or if Memnon hadn't fallen ill and died just as his naval invasion of Greece was getting going.
Congratulations to K&G team for this amazing production ! Two monumental works regarding the legacy of the Ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedonia, by prominent Historian Ian Worthington, are: “Alexander the Great. Man and God”, Pearson, Harlow 2004 and “By the spear. Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the rise and fall of the Macedonian empire”, Oxford University Press. Truly masterpieces.
Peter greenes book Alexander of Macedon is phenomenal. Learned so much about what the ancient sources really say about iskander. Great videos love this channel
Thank you for this. This was brilliant just like the others. You guys have come a long way! Congratulations and much gratitude to your entire team. This is just mind blowing stuff.I love the unbiased aspect whilst giving us all versions available of certain events ❤❤❤
In a parallel universe... Memnon of Rhodes: "Look guys, you got big land, big fleet, bad army. So just do some scorched-earth and attack his rearguard with the fleet" Western Satraps: "Makes sense. Let's do that" *Credits roll*
"And when Alexander looked upon the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds left to conquer." - Hans Gruber, West German historian
@@guidancetoimmortality3175 hes an amazing commander kinda overrated tbh sucked as a ruler as Cyrus's bigger and older empire seems more impressive which he won piece by piece that lived on for centuries. also I think Napolean is far more fearsome Commander millitary wise. Alexander's big thing is the propaganda similar to those Pharaohs who some how kept winning wars closer to the capital
@@guidancetoimmortality3175there aint no afghanistan in the time of alexander lmao. also indian record are insignificant when compare to alexander who influence the whole world.
I started watching the Netflix series on Alexander and within 5 minutes I turned it off and went straight to this. What an amazing, well-researched and most importantly, well presented documentary!
Love Alexanders story. As a panjabi we are raised with pride that Porus valued his oath as satrap to the Achaemenids. Then we are raised with pride of how his army met a wall in our lands. Then we are honoured with ‘sikander’ showing respect to Porus in his dealings. I bear no ill thought towards figures of ancient history or take any credit for the actions of ancients. I name this only for context. Alexander’s story is tragic but beautiful. I followed the history of Seleucus deeply as a youth and still delve into it from time to time. Great video. Love the total war clips and block army movements. (Nb: I watched this during my honeymoon 😂)
The greatest son of Europe, King among kings and the only truly worth the title of Great. Thanks for this video, and happy Yule/Merry Christmas to you all who have worked so hard to help teach and entertain us.
I would put a few of the Roman emperors and some French, German, and Russian leaders on his level. Sweden also had two kings who nearly rivalled him, but ended up falling short.
I always love a video that uses Rome total war in order to give us a better understanding of how the battles went, how the formations were kept and how strategy and tactics played a huge role in Alexander's campaign! RTW is truly an amazing game that could teach us how the great minds of the past were faced with unfavorable challenges and still managed to overcome those challenges with their brilliancy! this is a well made video! keep up the good work!
@@pinchevulpes No, I just understand how the 'elite' mentality works, that's all. I'm sure I'll find a few 'elites' living in Athens today, calling my Thessalian ass a 'part barbarian'. Fake elitism works this way even to this day.
Ptolemy the Saviour, one of Alexander's generals would found the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt and established the Ptolemaic dynasty. The most famous descendant of Ptolemy the Saviour would be Cleopatra the 7th.
His dynastic family was the Ἀργεάδαι / Argeadai dynasty which colonized Macedonia from Argos around 750 BC, 400 years before Alexander the Great. This was also the name his ancestor Alexander I used to prove to the hellanodikai, the judges who decided if you were Greek, to prove that he was. As a Dorian he also would have said he was part of the Ἡρακλεῖδαι / Heracleidae, the sons of Hercules/Heracles. Lastly he also was known as Φιλιππίδης, Filipidis, the son of Philip which was his Father's name. This was really common, even Zeus was called Κρόνιδης / Kronidis. Argeadai, Heracleidai or Filipidai is the attic version of -ιδης -idis such as Αργεάδης / Argeadis as ιδης is the doric suffix. Macedon had be influenced by Attic Greek around 150 years before Alexander so they probably said their name in both ways, one way to the Doric speakers like Spartans, Argives, Corinthians, everyone from the Peloponnese and Epirotes. While using the other version with Athens and the Ionian city states. Dynastic names were definently popular amongst the royalty and rich people. A good example of this outside of the diadochi like the Ptolemies, Seleucids, Antigonids, Attalids etc. were the deme tribes (familial groups) of Athens like: The Ἀλκμαιωνίδαι, Alkmaionidai which is the dynastic name of Pericles of Athens. As well as the deme of: Ἐρεχθηΐς, Erechtheis Αἰγηΐς, Aigeis Πανδιονίς, Pandionis Λεοντίς, Leontis Ἀκαμαντίς, Akamantis Etc. And there were a lot, over 139 demes when Cleisthenes merged a lot of them such as when he merged the demes of Cholargos, Eiresidai, Hermos, Iphistiadai, Kerameis, Kephale, Poros, Thorikos, Eitea, Hagnous, Kikynna, Prospalta and Sphettos into Akamantis. So technically his full name would be: Αλέξανδρος Φιλιππίδης Αργεάδης Ήρακλείδης ό Μέγας Although no one probably ever called him all that at once.
5:07 Por esta razón me suscribi a este gran canal ,King and generals es mucho mejor que el actual History Chanel,Gracias por dejar en claro vuestra posición y por ser un gran divullgador historico ,sinceramente history channel deberia contratarte lastima que los ejecutivos de ese canal no sen visionarios y pierdan el tiempo hablando de Alien y negocios sin sentidos. Saludo desde Argentina y feliz navidad.Good Night Usa
I tend not to comment on RUclips very often but I just wanted to say that this documentary was fantastic; thank you guys for all of your hard work! The Siege of Tyre especially blows my mind; with a display of tactical ingenuity like that, it almost seems inevitable that Alexander would conquer Persia afterwords.
Another mainstream worthy documentary,it's taken me 4-5 days to fully watch due to busy days. Its 25 to 2 in the morning and I'm away to start the India campaign.... Brilliant work K and Gs
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this documentary possible. Your dedication and work is deeply appreciated as you are offering an invaluable education to both myself and others. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
For centuries, the Greeks had more opportunities than any to conquer the known world, but instead rebelled, backstabbed, and rebelled some more whenever their rulers or generals simply stepped foot from home. It wasn't until Philip and Alexander that they were (forcefully) united; otherwise it didn't happen unless they were flat-out conquered.
I just want to say thank you for this channel. I am a huge history buff man. You have taught me sooo much more than I ever thought I knew. It's awesome. I also love the way you break the battles down. Reminds me of the board game "Risk". Lol. I find myself captivated for hours and my attention is super hard to keep. I especially loved the ones on the American Civil War. I live in NC and there was an old Union encampment in and around my property. I have found bullets and other items from that era metal detecting. I look forward to seeing your next one. Thanks a lot for the hours and days of informational fun!!!
2:02:33 I would just like to point out that the term 'Palestine' would not be used to describe (what was then semi autonomous Judah/Yehud) in the Satrapy of Eber Nari, as well as some other areas untill like 400 years after Alexander the Greats death.
@@stephenrusso6019yes it did idiot, Hadrian renamed the whole area Syria palestina then it was renamed Palestine for almost 2k years. Much longer than any Jewish state that existed before that idiot.
Really love this channel and the ancient greek era in particular. Would really enjoy seeing you guys cover Xenophon and the march of the ten thousand as me personally find that to be an almost equal astonishing incredible feat as alexanders conquest was. Happy holidays and look forward to future videos!
Incredible video. I will never fail to be amazed by Alexander's exploits after all these years. The sheer stubbornness and ingenuity it took to convert Tyre from an island into a peninsula alone, without a fleet, in spite of all factors, beggars belief. The fact you can still see the remnants of his causeway underneath the Roman aqueduct, now flanked on both sides by kilometres of sand, speaks to how limitless his legacy will remain. No doubt Alexander's forgotten engineers and officers all deserve a lot of credit for such feats, but it always seems like they were enabled by Alexander's unearthly, demigod-like conviction. Then of course you have the Battle of Gaucamole or woteva it's called, which is more than just simple hammer and anvil tactics. Bloke had the foresight to entice a whole flank, then to swoop on Darius with the smallest window of opportunity one can imagine, and hope it was enough to test Darius' resolve. Just the impossible bravery of the guy, doing such things after turning down a peace treaty which any lesser man would've gobbled up in a heartbeat. He's the definition of a larger than life character who singlehandedly shaped human history
Alexander’s self-confidence is legendary. However the project actually originated with Alexander’s father Philip, who was far less of a romantic (or, if you prefer, megalomaniac). Philip was nothing if not calculating, so it’s worth asking what would convince a cautious, cynical old manipulator like him that the project was doable. There were probably two distinct considerations that made Philip think a war against the Great King could be a profitable venture. The first is simply Persian politics. The Persians famously learned how to exploit the factionalism of the Greek world towards the end of the Peloponnesian war. Persian gold was the arbiter of Greek politics from about 415 BC down until the rise of Thebes around 370 BC. However the next decade was a period of rapid changes in Greece - and in Persia. In Greece, the Thebans overthrew the Spartan empire (which was, effectively, the Persian proxy in Greece). Meanwhile Persia had begun to show some of the same fissures that Greece had endured for centuries: the Great Satraps' Revolt of 366-360 showed that Persians were not universally loyal to their emperor and that they, too could be motivated by money and greed. Young Philip - who took the throne in 359 - could not help but realize that Persia was not really the terrifying monolith which Greeks historically believed. He hosted more than a few refugees from the Persian power-struggles at his court, providing himself with valuable intelligence on the real political situation inside Persia. Alexander’s famous willingness to cut deals with the Persian nobility reflects his insight into the fact that the “barbarians” were anything but a faceless other: they were just as corruptible as the Greeks. The other big change in the odds on the ground was military. This, too, hearkens backs to Philip’s youth. Around 370 (while Philip was still a hostage in Thebes, observing the revolutionary military innovations of Epaminondas), the Athenian general Xenophon published his Anabasis - the story of his career as a Greek mercenary fighting on behalf of the rebellious Persian prince Cyrus the Younger. Xenophon’s mercenary army- the famous “10,000” - accompanied Cyrus deep into Mesopotamia. where they formed the heavy infantry core of the pretender’s army. On the field of Cunaxa, in 401, the Greeks won the field - but Cyrus dies on the battlefield, leaving his supporters stranded about 50 miles from Babylon in the heart of the Persian empire. Xenophon’s book has been famous ever since as a ‘boy’s-own-adventure’ tale, showing how the Greeks kept themselves together as a fighting force in the middle of an hostile, alien environment. But it was also, in some ways, the death-knell of the Persian empire. Xenophon’s tale showed, quite vividly, that Greek infantry alone, without allies (apart from the occasional shifty Persian satrap who wanted to use them against his rivals) could march from from the heart of Iraq to the coast of the Black Sea - a six month’s march of more than four hundred miles - and survive. Of the 10,000 Greeks who survived Cunaxa, more than 6000 returned to Greece. The Great King’s vast armies could not stop them. There’s a reason that one popular ancient account of Alexander’s conquests borrowed the title Anabasis. So: those were the two calculations that convinced Philip that Persia was not invincible. His enterprise was still a colossal gamble - a roll of the dice greater than any in Greek history - but it was not just a grand romantic gesture. Like everything Philip did, it was cannily calculated. Alexander added glamor and chivalry - and a touch of battlefield charisma that Philip could not match - but the ultimate blueprint really belongs to his father.
Your team never ceases to amaze me. These are wonderful videos. I have to say, I really enjoy the long-form here. Also, the maps and graphics are terrific. Keep up the good work guys!
I absolutely adore this channel, especially its content related to the ancient Greek era. I would greatly appreciate it if you could explore Xenophon and the incredible journey of the Ten Thousand, which I find equally astonishing as Alexander's conquest. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and eagerly anticipating your upcoming videos 🏴✨
His father Philip II is arguably as great as his son. Macedonia was a splintered and poverty stricken region before he was able to consolidate it into a stable kingdom. It was his planned invasion of Persia under a "Hellenic Alliance" of Greek states. Also, Persia itself was fractured from infighting and civil wars (mostly in the east) which made it easier for Alexander to defeat Darius and other warlords in succession. Similar to how Napoleon would later split up opposing allied armies to defeat them in turn.
If you analyze the campaign you would see that it was the strategy and Leadership of Alexander that took the conquests so far. Philip intended a much more limited campaign, and Persia was not as fractured as you believe. I suggest you look at this more critically rather than just make a conclusion and disregard how actually hard it was for Alexander and his army to conquer Persia.
@klaudioabazi4478 Nothing I said was false, I only stated that Philip isnt as recognized for his achievements and that Alexander had advantages during his campaign. I could have written a proper APA formatted paper like I did when I wrote about Alexander and his life in college, but this is the RUclips comment section.
@@spookyboi8446 Don't get me wrong i meant no offense, but it is clear that some historians just gloss over Alexander's campaign as if he conquered a collapsing empire, far from the case, Persia was immensely wealthy, and had just as enormous manpower as it had in the Greco-Persian wars, so i disagree that it was fractured. The Fact that Alexander had to chase Darius for years shows how much authority the Great King had. Had Darius not been betrayed by Bessus, he would have made the campaign of Alexander an even bigger headache than he had to deal against tribal leaders who weren't united, and made it easier for him to defeat them. Philip II was a great king, and a diplomatic genius, but he had a different strategy and mindset than his son Alexander, he preferred negotiation, and taking it slowly, it is pretty clear that Philip did not intend to overthrow the Persian Empire, for one he was a bit old and wounded to embark on such a hard campaign, rather he wanted riches, and at best Asia Minor and parts of the Levant. You can see it from the behavior of veteran generals like Parmenion who constantly advise Alexander to negotiate, and Alexander constantly refuses. So my point is, yes Alexander had advantages, but it was his Leadership and strategy and ferocious ambition that pushed the Macedonian army to conquer Persia and up to today Pakistan. And finally, the thing that is most glossed over is that Alexander improved the army, particularly in logistics and siege capabilities, before Alexander, Philip failed to take cities such as Byzantium with his siege equipment, Alexander took Tyre, Gaza, and many more, which shows improvement as a result of him pushing the engineers and the army. So my point is that Alexander wasn't just a lucky boy king, he really was skilled in the art of war, so many times he could have lost it all, and yet because of his skills, and the loyalty he inspired in his men he kept winning. Alexander's faults were in the political arena. He neglected to produce an heir before he died, and the ambitious and jealous successors tore up the empire as soon as he died.
@@klaudioabazi4478 Nah The persia which Decimated the much larger greek army at Thymbra under the banner of Harpagus was an entirely different beast from the centuries later Persia from stagnation Revolts of strapies Civil wars and internal weaknesses. Alex beat Persia similar to How Muslims beat Persia and Rome. In a much weaker state after centuries of infighting and civil wars. Not to mention Persians themselves were not that good of fighters who also took over from the vacuum left after the fall of Assur and a weaker Babylon. I personally think both Cyrus the great and Alexander the Great are extremely overrated because they are quite old. and both were basically vultures feeding on a dying empire. Both got their shit rocked against a prime army Cyrus against the Scythians(if that story is true) and Alexander against the Indians(basically got spooked by the much smaller Porus and his generals later getting their ass handed to them by Chandragupta in Greek Indian wars).
@@silverspade8394 Sorry Dude, the Persia of Thymbra faced much less disciplined armies than the greek ones. You're just buying in the greek propaganda, and the lazy dismissal of any analysis of this particular era. I'll give you one example, Rome at it's height wasn't able to conquer Parthia which was weaker than Persia. So stop buying into the bullshit oh it was fractured and it fell, it's much deeper than that.
This is a fantastic video thank you very much for the quality, the voice, the imagery to keep us entertained and the sheer level of detail. Well done 👏🏼
Even after 2,500 years, Ariobarzan is remembered as one of Iran's greatest heroes. When hope was all but lost, and even the king despaired, Ariobarzan and his sister, a formidable commander in her own right, made a valiant stand to defend their country. Tragically, their efforts were not enough. I suggest reading about their own story to truly understand their sacrifice. No matter how often the title 'the Great' is added to his name, the army of Alexander inflicted one of the most tragic events in our history, killing and plundering as they pleased. I urge you to learn about the fate of the last Achaemenian king, Darius III's daughters.
Very nicely done! I had already seen all previous Alexander related episodes, and really like this enhanced summarization of the conquest up until the death of Darius. Kudos to the entire team, these episodes will become learning material for current and future generations!
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Philip Of Macedonia deserves his own 3 hour video. The man was a military innovator and a political genius.
Yeah. Maybe they could do a „Life and Wars of Philip“ series similar to their Sulla series
Agreed!
There would never be an Alexander the Great, without a Philip II first
@@iDeathMaximuMII 🎯
Do think Phillip doesn’t get the respect he deserves except by people that know history.
Hey guys! I’m the lead animator of this fan favourite long running series. As you all know that this is a long compilation from our previous episodes but we added a bit of new content, map fixes and also, graphical tweaks in this version. I hope guys enjoyed this long format and a have a great holiday with your love ones. Part 2 is in the works so stay tuned for more!
Here are the timestamps:
03:12 - Alexander's Balkan Campaign 335BC: Battle of Hermus Valley, Battle of Lyginus river, Battle of Peuce, Siege of Pelium and Siege of Thebes.
29:17 - Road to Asia Minor 334BC: Battle of Granicus.
53:20 - The Ionian and Doris Campaign 334BC:Siege of Miletus, Siege of Halicarnassus and Siege of Myndus.
1:14:14 - The Cicilian Campaign 333BC: Battle of Issus.
1:37:52 - The Pheonician Campaign 333-332BC: Siege of Tyre .
2:01:41 - Road to Egypt 332BC: Siege of Gaza.
2:18:16 - The clash of the titans 331BC : Battle of Gaugamela.
2:38:00 - Alexander in Persia 331-330BC: Battle of the Uxian defile and Battle of the Persian Gate.
As always, here are the mods which we used for our Total War Rome II machinimas:
- Divide et Impera
- AAA Generals:Greeks from Benjin
- Orbis Terrarum II from Celticus.
- Hellenic Culture reskin by Agrez
- Faces from Attila by RaviL&Akrdai
Best wishes,
ڤمنه ملايو
Thank you for the infos, but what is the new content precisely ?
hello should i watch these or 8 earlier episodes ?
@@aniruddhsathe2420 This long video has graphical tweaks and new content, so it would make sense to see this video instead of the 8 previous
Thank you for your work. This is higher quality than anything that has been on the History channel in the last 10 years
@@bfdiepictennisballbfdi2359 thank you soo much I downloaded this episode in 2k now gonna enjoy thiss and you are member of this channel I would neef help to suggest what yo watch from this I have already watched pelopasanain war Injim war 100 yrs war
Hi everyone, I was one of the historians and scriptwriters for this episode, hope you all enjoyed it! If you've got any questions or feedback, please do leave them below and I'll do my best to get around to all of them when I can!
Though it is difficult to include every bit of detail battle of Guagamela in this video leaves significant portion of what actually happened. I'm not saying its inaccurate but it does leave important details i wish they'd have included. Otherwise the account of the battle as presented in the video is mostly accurate
Merry Christmas to the team
Appreciate your passionate work and effort, absolutely love the content and thank you for the entertainment !
@@BamBamGT1 first off persian gate wss hardly a loss fir Alexander. Go on and read arrian's account. His account just sats that the pass was held by ariobazanes and his men and when Macedonians approached it they were pushed back. Alexander used many locals for guide. So uts plausible
@@okenogamer Which details did you feel were missed out?
this is the Christmas gift we didn't expect to get, but definitely a damn good one.
Christmas is here once again
Nobody :
Kings and Generals : *uploads 3 hour masterpiece*
K & G : *refuses to elaborate*
K & G : *leaves*
Nobody: *cheers happily!*
😂😂
Do you know what Christmas miracle is? A 3 hour long Kings and Generals video! Merry Christmas all.
I finished watching this a month ago, one of the best documentaries of all time. Everyone in world should watch this
New stuff was added over the last month, 40 minutes or so of new content, changes, fixes etc.
@@KingsandGeneralswhere is the new content? I watched all the old episodes
@@hfhd7889 impossible to tell, throughout the video
@@KingsandGenerals Macedonia 🇲🇰 respect for making this video
Great video ! Alexander the Great visited the site of Ancient Troy in 334 B.C., as he embarked on his campaign against the Persian Empire, leading a unified Greek Army (Hellenic League).
The visit to Troy held both personal and strategic significance for Alexander. On one hand, it fulfilled his long-held desire to pay tribute to his hero Achilles and connect with the glorious past of Greek mythology.
On the other hand, the visit served as a powerful symbolic gesture that showcased his intention to unite the Greek world under his rule and carry on the legacy of the legendary heroes.
Upon reaching the Tomb of Achilles, Alexander took a moment to pay his respects and acknowledge the greatness of the legendary warrior.
Then, Alexander poured oil over the tomb, a customary practice in ancient Greek funerary rituals, symbolizing purification and sanctification.
He also placed garlands of flowers and foliage on the tomb, signifying honor and respect for the deceased.
Next, Alexander and Hephaestion sacrificed animals, likely horses, to honor the spirits of Achilles and Patroclus. This ritual was meant to appease the souls of the dead and seek their favor.
Finally, Alexander is believed to have organized athletic games at the site, following the ancient Greek tradition of hosting such competitions in memory of deceased heroes.
By paying homage to Achilles, Alexander was reinforcing his connection to the heroic past and legitimizing his claim to lead the Greek world.
After Troy and his first victory at the battle of the Granicus, while leading a unified Greek Army (Hellenic League) to avenge the Persian invasions in Greece 150 years prior, Alexander the Great sent 300 suits of full Persian armour (to honor the legendary last stand of the 300 Spartans in Thermopylae) to Athens, as a votive offering to Goddess Athena, to be hung on the Acropolis.
He ordered an inscription to be fixed over them; “Alexander, son of Philip and all the Greeks, present this offering from the spoils taken from the barbarians inhabiting Asia".
A statue group, known as the Granicus Monument, was erected by Alexander in the sanctuary of Zeus at Dion. This consisted of bronze statues by Lysippus, of Alexander with twenty-five of his companions who had died in the initial cavalry charge, all on horseback.
Alexander the Great is a sacred, immortal, legendary figure for us Greeks. Mostly for uniting all Greek City States and Kingdoms and spreading the unique Hellenic culture to the edges of the world. The rightful descendant of legendary Achilles.
Eternal Hellas 🔥🇬🇷
Well, this is something. A masterpiece. Much like the conquest of Greece by the Romans. This is good. Much better than the film of Alexander by Stone. This one is right up there with Epic History.
The Greeks and Romans have two alliances the Thessalian bond and achaian bond. The Romans included Greece in their kingdom there was no conquest. Only the Macedonian wars . Learn history before you write something
@@simonindra3225 tell that to Corinth
@@gotsiliman the romans betray Corinth Roman and Corinthians ware both part of the achaian bond. The Romans reconsider the act and build Corinth again in al its glory. Learn history. A suppose you are non latin non Greek you are a barbarian. Yore opinion has 0 value. Keep hating Alexander the great the man was undefeated. We could not say the same about Rome. Rome did 600 years wat Alexander did in 10
@@gotsilimanlmfao I forgot about korinth for a sec. And the Achaean War.
And the sack and literal destruction of Athens
The thing I like about Gaugamela is that it’s one of the few perfect battles in history. Most one sided battles are from one side making mistakes like Cannae,Carrhae, Midway, Dien Bhen Phu(spelling?) and so on.
But at Gaugamela Darius pretty much did everything perfect. He was just outclassed by a better general.
Ffg@@ThwipThwipBoom 🗾🦷ag1g
And fearsome soldiers + great commanders like parmenion and other who did their part outstanding
LMAO " Darius pretty much did everything perfect"
He could have stood to fight. He died later on anyway. This was his only mistake but I guess he judged his center would collapse anyway as the Macedonian phalanx was already advancing to support the Companion cavalry. Another thing that could change the result: The Indians could have outflanked Alexander's forces instead of going for the camp. But this wasn't necessarily an order of Darius, just a typical behavior of ancient units to go for easy loot rather than finish of the enemy.
Even though Darius fled from both his battles I wouldn't call him a coward. After all, he did go to personally fight Alexander, the best general ever, twice. Not all emperors did that. In fact it was more common to send some general.
But what a perfect battle, he was about to lose it was only due to a stroke of luck and the inconsistency of the opposing army which collapsed, and the wing of the phalanx on the right was collapsing.....let's be serious please
!!!!!because it was made up of slaves and disunited, furthermore Darius was not a warrior king. I wonder if this is the perfect battle for you then Alesia Farsalo, the defeat of Hannibal by Scipio Africanus how should they be classified, supremacy from start to finish control not recklessness, tactics not recklessness, and in any case Alexander the Great also had had its defeats, FIRST OF ALL ITS EMPIRE DID NOT SURVIVE ITS FOUNDER MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS, true creations last even millennia like Rome or the Chinese empire or the Arab caliphates and the Ottoman empire. Get yourself a culture.
The story of Alexander the Great... Legendary and one of the best battlefield tacticians to have ever lived. Amazing channel here, and thanks again for bringing us the content on Alexander the Great!!
For months i wanted a long version of Alexander's series, thank you for this gift
Thank you for pointing out the obvious, that the Macedonians were a Hellenic people. In this day and age of spin, we have to clarify even the most obvious of facts. I can't wait to watch the whole thing. Thank you!
Nope,Macedonians were of old Pelasgian origin with different language,culture and customs that's why we were barbarians called by helenes.
@@seleukusnikator614 if you watched the video ( which I doubt you did) you wouldn’t bother writing this nonsense. Let me guess… you are Albanian right?
@@malamatinas1 Macedonian!
@@seleukusnikator614 what a great argument! I’m sure everyone who reads your comment undoubtedly will agree with you!
@@malamatinas1 Do not do him the honor of answering. The video says everything historically accurate. It speaks volumes. Slavic posturing is irrelevant.
a 3 hour documentary to enjoy on the most important person in world history. Happy Holidays Kings and Generals, hope you all have a good weekend and new year!
Well there is the guy that invented the waffle cone and the guy that invented curse words
But he is a close 3rd 😂
Jesus Christ is by far the most important person in history
most important? trump is more important. america is more important. american politics are the politics of the world.
@@ThwipThwipBoom no donald trump is more importatn! Trzmp 2024!!"!!1
@@ThwipThwipBoom TRUMP! TRUMP! *TRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Gaugamela stands out as a remarkable battle where both sides executed near flawlessly, yet Alexander's strategic brilliance prevailed. Excited to delve into the full story of Alexander the Great's conquests!
One could say the image of Alexander has shifted to represent what humanity thinks of itself. You could even say the image of Alexander has been so iconic through the centuries and millennia that he is akin to a god in terms of impact on the greater world. Megas Alexandros or the Greatest of all Alexanders certainly had that kind of impact and legacy.
@@Darius-_ perhaps, but it's comparable.
One could not say that
@@Darius-_ Name is Darius... disagrees....
mmmmmhhh
Interesting observation. Definitely some food for thought.
Eagerly waiting for this superb and high quality Alexander documentary.
I just want to say this is a good example of a"great" documentary narrated by a great narrators!
Perhaps the best Alexander the Great documentary I have ever watched
That's quite a coincidence that I'm now reading Adrian Goldworthy's book on Filip II and Alexander. This video will be a great complement.
Happy Holidays everyone.
I was literally about to look up the series on Alexander and start rewatching them when i got the notification for this video. Excellent timing Kings and Generals 👌
Literally 3 or so hours ago while I was at work, I randomly thought that i need to rewatch the movie. It's so bizarre that got a notification for this as soon as I got home and comfortable on the couch.
@@turkeysnest5402 Their timing on it really was amazing. It's like an early Christmas Gift lol
He was offered 45 billion dollars, but what is money compared to your accomplishment being paraded on Kings and Generals 2300 years later. The rest is history
Y’all are like secretly the most valuable RUclips channel to humanity it’s wild. I greatly appreciate the way you research and present your information. Also the pace y’all work is nuts.
After winning a battle, Alexander split all the pray to his soldiers. His Generals asked him:
-What are you going to keep for yourself? And he replied:
-The hope, only the hope.
The parts about Memnon of Rhodes were pretty interesting to me. Some huge historical what-ifs here. Alexander's campaign could've been cut very short if the Persians had taken Memnon's advice about launching a scorched-earth campaign in Asia Minor, or if Memnon hadn't fallen ill and died just as his naval invasion of Greece was getting going.
Congratulations to K&G team for this amazing production ! Two monumental works regarding the legacy of the Ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedonia, by prominent Historian Ian Worthington, are:
“Alexander the Great. Man and God”, Pearson, Harlow 2004 and
“By the spear. Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the rise and fall of the Macedonian empire”, Oxford University Press.
Truly masterpieces.
Incredible documentary on Alexander's conquest of Persia! The storytelling and visuals truly highlight his remarkable achievements. Great job!
This is like watching an epic Total War campaign, then you realise it actually happened. Best channel ever!
Peter greenes book Alexander of Macedon is phenomenal. Learned so much about what the ancient sources really say about iskander. Great videos love this channel
Thanks for your hard work KnG! Love these long videos! cant wait for part2!
Thank you for this. This was brilliant just like the others. You guys have come a long way! Congratulations and much gratitude to your entire team. This is just mind blowing stuff.I love the unbiased aspect whilst giving us all versions available of certain events ❤❤❤
Danke!
In a parallel universe...
Memnon of Rhodes: "Look guys, you got big land, big fleet, bad army. So just do some scorched-earth and attack his rearguard with the fleet"
Western Satraps: "Makes sense. Let's do that"
*Credits roll*
"And when Alexander looked upon the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds left to conquer." - Hans Gruber, West German historian
@@guidancetoimmortality3175 hes an amazing commander kinda overrated tbh sucked as a ruler as Cyrus's bigger and older empire seems more impressive which he won piece by piece that lived on for centuries. also I think Napolean is far more fearsome Commander millitary wise. Alexander's big thing is the propaganda similar to those Pharaohs who some how kept winning wars closer to the capital
@@guidancetoimmortality3175there aint no afghanistan in the time of alexander lmao. also indian record are insignificant when compare to alexander who influence the whole world.
@@guidancetoimmortality3175You imagine history. Where he was defeated in Afghanistan ? Let alone the rest bs
@@guidancetoimmortality3175 He conquered Afghanistan way before he died. In addition he never burned any temple or was against any religion.
Bro, Alexander wasn't genius, but Darius was a terrible leader. Alexander wasn't great, but it was Darius' weakness that made him look great.
I started watching the Netflix series on Alexander and within 5 minutes I turned it off and went straight to this. What an amazing, well-researched and most importantly, well presented documentary!
You should check out the film, pretty good 👍
The editing in this video is top-notch. I can't wait to see more videos like this
I love the thumbnail reference to the “Battle of Issus Mosaic” in Pompeii ❤️. Great job!
Phenomenal work. This is incredible, and I will be watching this multiple times over. Alexander the Great is the GOAT
This perhaps the best documentary I have seen about Alexander the Great. You did a great job KG keep it up
Love Alexanders story. As a panjabi we are raised with pride that Porus valued his oath as satrap to the Achaemenids. Then we are raised with pride of how his army met a wall in our lands.
Then we are honoured with ‘sikander’ showing respect to Porus in his dealings.
I bear no ill thought towards figures of ancient history or take any credit for the actions of ancients. I name this only for context.
Alexander’s story is tragic but beautiful. I followed the history of Seleucus deeply as a youth and still delve into it from time to time.
Great video. Love the total war clips and block army movements.
(Nb: I watched this during my honeymoon 😂)
thank you for such a well presented video
The greatest son of Europe, King among kings and the only truly worth the title of Great. Thanks for this video, and happy Yule/Merry Christmas to you all who have worked so hard to help teach and entertain us.
I would put a few of the Roman emperors and some French, German, and Russian leaders on his level. Sweden also had two kings who nearly rivalled him, but ended up falling short.
He wasn't European though
@@lunaticcultist9741Yes he was you goof
@@beepbop6542 "he's European even tho he didn't live in Europe and has Greek" - you
@@lunaticcultist9741 He literally was born and lived in Europe. Also Greece is European and Greeks are European. Stop being a moron.
These long form compilations are perfect for when I'm working on homework, in lab, or at work. THANK YOU!
Καλά Χριστούγεννα Kings and Generals and thanks for this glorious treat!
I always love a video that uses Rome total war in order to give us a better understanding of how the battles went, how the formations were kept and how strategy and tactics played a huge role in Alexander's campaign! RTW is truly an amazing game that could teach us how the great minds of the past were faced with unfavorable challenges and still managed to overcome those challenges with their brilliancy! this is a well made video! keep up the good work!
Greatest Greek to ever walk the earth.
Ewwww
@@pinchevulpesThey too were Hellenic tribes. Leave.
@@pinchevulpes No, I just understand how the 'elite' mentality works, that's all. I'm sure I'll find a few 'elites' living in Athens today, calling my Thessalian ass a 'part barbarian'. Fake elitism works this way even to this day.
😂😂😂 albanian University @@pinchevulpes
Macedonian
Ptolemy the Saviour, one of Alexander's generals would found the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt and established the Ptolemaic dynasty. The most famous descendant of Ptolemy the Saviour would be Cleopatra the 7th.
His dynastic family was the Ἀργεάδαι / Argeadai dynasty which colonized Macedonia from Argos around 750 BC, 400 years before Alexander the Great. This was also the name his ancestor Alexander I used to prove to the hellanodikai, the judges who decided if you were Greek, to prove that he was.
As a Dorian he also would have said he was part of the Ἡρακλεῖδαι / Heracleidae, the sons of Hercules/Heracles.
Lastly he also was known as Φιλιππίδης, Filipidis, the son of Philip which was his Father's name. This was really common, even Zeus was called Κρόνιδης / Kronidis.
Argeadai, Heracleidai or Filipidai is the attic version of -ιδης -idis such as Αργεάδης / Argeadis as ιδης is the doric suffix. Macedon had be influenced by Attic Greek around 150 years before Alexander so they probably said their name in both ways, one way to the Doric speakers like Spartans, Argives, Corinthians, everyone from the Peloponnese and Epirotes. While using the other version with Athens and the Ionian city states.
Dynastic names were definently popular amongst the royalty and rich people. A good example of this outside of the diadochi like the Ptolemies, Seleucids, Antigonids, Attalids etc. were the deme tribes (familial groups) of Athens like:
The Ἀλκμαιωνίδαι, Alkmaionidai which is the dynastic name of Pericles of Athens. As well as the deme of:
Ἐρεχθηΐς, Erechtheis
Αἰγηΐς, Aigeis
Πανδιονίς, Pandionis
Λεοντίς, Leontis
Ἀκαμαντίς, Akamantis
Etc. And there were a lot, over 139 demes when Cleisthenes merged a lot of them such as when he merged the demes of Cholargos, Eiresidai, Hermos, Iphistiadai, Kerameis, Kephale, Poros, Thorikos, Eitea, Hagnous, Kikynna, Prospalta and Sphettos into Akamantis.
So technically his full name would be:
Αλέξανδρος Φιλιππίδης Αργεάδης Ήρακλείδης ό Μέγας
Although no one probably ever called him all that at once.
*Macedonian
@@sap4596Indeed, Macedonian Greek. Stop making a fool of yourself, you are Vardaskan and speak Bulgarian. You are the laughing stock of Europe.
@@sap4596*North Macedonian
@@sap4596King Alexander, undeniably, he was Greek, and all the historian community on this planet agrees on that!
@@iordanistzivas4902 I suggest you read a few of the most read books on this topic. Most historians are not Greeks, which you prefer to read I guess.
Thanks!
a 3 hour video on Alexander on xmas? best present ever
Teşekkürler.
5:07 Por esta razón me suscribi a este gran canal ,King and generals es mucho mejor que el actual History Chanel,Gracias por dejar en claro vuestra posición y por ser un gran divullgador historico ,sinceramente history channel deberia contratarte lastima que los ejecutivos de ese canal no sen visionarios y pierdan el tiempo hablando de Alien y negocios sin sentidos.
Saludo desde Argentina y feliz navidad.Good Night Usa
That's a really good work !
As a persian Im respect him
In persian we say strong enemy is better than weak friend
Thanks
once again, absolutely great video :)
I tend not to comment on RUclips very often but I just wanted to say that this documentary was fantastic; thank you guys for all of your hard work! The Siege of Tyre especially blows my mind; with a display of tactical ingenuity like that, it almost seems inevitable that Alexander would conquer Persia afterwords.
Thanks!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all, what a delightful present from Kings and Generals!
תודה!
Coffee is hot, blankets are warm, total war is on and listening to kings and generals. Let's go boys!
What a great exposition of Alexander’s initial eastward conquests. Well done, Kings & Generals team, well done.
Man, best possible Christmas present! Amazing work👏👑
I love using these longform videos to go to bed to, your voice is so soothing homie. Keep up the good work guys! Merry Christmas!
I would like to see more video about Alexander The Great
Another mainstream worthy documentary,it's taken me 4-5 days to fully watch due to busy days. Its 25 to 2 in the morning and I'm away to start the India campaign.... Brilliant work K and Gs
Merry Christmas to all! ✝️🎄🎅
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this documentary possible. Your dedication and work is deeply appreciated as you are offering an invaluable education to both myself and others. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
For centuries, the Greeks had more opportunities than any to conquer the known world, but instead rebelled, backstabbed, and rebelled some more whenever their rulers or generals simply stepped foot from home. It wasn't until Philip and Alexander that they were (forcefully) united; otherwise it didn't happen unless they were flat-out conquered.
That's so accurate. But you only see that when taking the big picture view of their civilization
I just want to say thank you for this channel. I am a huge history buff man. You have taught me sooo much more than I ever thought I knew. It's awesome.
I also love the way you break the battles down. Reminds me of the board game "Risk". Lol.
I find myself captivated for hours and my attention is super hard to keep. I especially loved the ones on the American Civil War. I live in NC and there was an old Union encampment in and around my property. I have found bullets and other items from that era metal detecting. I look forward to seeing your next one. Thanks a lot for the hours and days of informational fun!!!
2:02:33 I would just like to point out that the term 'Palestine' would not be used to describe (what was then semi autonomous Judah/Yehud) in the Satrapy of Eber Nari, as well as some other areas untill like 400 years after Alexander the Greats death.
It never existed in the first place.
@@stephenrusso6019yes it did idiot, Hadrian renamed the whole area Syria palestina then it was renamed Palestine for almost 2k years. Much longer than any Jewish state that existed before that idiot.
@stephenrusso6019 Yeah the animator is muslim. Obviously the channel is appeasing modern politics with basic historical knowledge.
I’m sure I’ll get some great gifts tomorrow, but none as Great as this.
Cheers, everyone 🍻 🎄
Really love this channel and the ancient greek era in particular. Would really enjoy seeing you guys cover Xenophon and the march of the ten thousand as me personally find that to be an almost equal astonishing incredible feat as alexanders conquest was. Happy holidays and look forward to future videos!
This is the greatest Christmas gift anyone could ask for. Thank you K&G!
Appreciated! O Alexandre tou Fillipouie! Basilias ton Ellinon 🇬🇷
Just excellent, as a fellow student of history im impressed with the clarification on the different sources throughout the episode :)
Thank you!
Fantastic, amazing, wonderful!!! Merry Christmas and happy new year from Milos 🇬🇷
this is getting me soo hyped for the diadochi, 10/10 video!
Incredible video. I will never fail to be amazed by Alexander's exploits after all these years. The sheer stubbornness and ingenuity it took to convert Tyre from an island into a peninsula alone, without a fleet, in spite of all factors, beggars belief. The fact you can still see the remnants of his causeway underneath the Roman aqueduct, now flanked on both sides by kilometres of sand, speaks to how limitless his legacy will remain. No doubt Alexander's forgotten engineers and officers all deserve a lot of credit for such feats, but it always seems like they were enabled by Alexander's unearthly, demigod-like conviction. Then of course you have the Battle of Gaucamole or woteva it's called, which is more than just simple hammer and anvil tactics. Bloke had the foresight to entice a whole flank, then to swoop on Darius with the smallest window of opportunity one can imagine, and hope it was enough to test Darius' resolve. Just the impossible bravery of the guy, doing such things after turning down a peace treaty which any lesser man would've gobbled up in a heartbeat. He's the definition of a larger than life character who singlehandedly shaped human history
Happy Christmas!!!!! Thank you Santa!!!
Alexander’s self-confidence is legendary. However the project actually originated with Alexander’s father Philip, who was far less of a romantic (or, if you prefer, megalomaniac). Philip was nothing if not calculating, so it’s worth asking what would convince a cautious, cynical old manipulator like him that the project was doable.
There were probably two distinct considerations that made Philip think a war against the Great King could be a profitable venture.
The first is simply Persian politics.
The Persians famously learned how to exploit the factionalism of the Greek world towards the end of the Peloponnesian war. Persian gold was the arbiter of Greek politics from about 415 BC down until the rise of Thebes around 370 BC. However the next decade was a period of rapid changes in Greece - and in Persia. In Greece, the Thebans overthrew the Spartan empire (which was, effectively, the Persian proxy in Greece). Meanwhile Persia had begun to show some of the same fissures that Greece had endured for centuries: the Great Satraps' Revolt of 366-360 showed that Persians were not universally loyal to their emperor and that they, too could be motivated by money and greed.
Young Philip - who took the throne in 359 - could not help but realize that Persia was not really the terrifying monolith which Greeks historically believed. He hosted more than a few refugees from the Persian power-struggles at his court, providing himself with valuable intelligence on the real political situation inside Persia. Alexander’s famous willingness to cut deals with the Persian nobility reflects his insight into the fact that the “barbarians” were anything but a faceless other: they were just as corruptible as the Greeks.
The other big change in the odds on the ground was military. This, too, hearkens backs to Philip’s youth.
Around 370 (while Philip was still a hostage in Thebes, observing the revolutionary military innovations of Epaminondas), the Athenian general Xenophon published his Anabasis - the story of his career as a Greek mercenary fighting on behalf of the rebellious Persian prince Cyrus the Younger. Xenophon’s mercenary army- the famous “10,000” - accompanied Cyrus deep into Mesopotamia. where they formed the heavy infantry core of the pretender’s army. On the field of Cunaxa, in 401, the Greeks won the field - but Cyrus dies on the battlefield, leaving his supporters stranded about 50 miles from Babylon in the heart of the Persian empire.
Xenophon’s book has been famous ever since as a ‘boy’s-own-adventure’ tale, showing how the Greeks kept themselves together as a fighting force in the middle of an hostile, alien environment. But it was also, in some ways, the death-knell of the Persian empire. Xenophon’s tale showed, quite vividly, that Greek infantry alone, without allies (apart from the occasional shifty Persian satrap who wanted to use them against his rivals) could march from from the heart of Iraq to the coast of the Black Sea - a six month’s march of more than four hundred miles - and survive. Of the 10,000 Greeks who survived Cunaxa, more than 6000 returned to Greece. The Great King’s vast armies could not stop them.
There’s a reason that one popular ancient account of Alexander’s conquests borrowed the title Anabasis.
So: those were the two calculations that convinced Philip that Persia was not invincible. His enterprise was still a colossal gamble - a roll of the dice greater than any in Greek history - but it was not just a grand romantic gesture. Like everything Philip did, it was cannily calculated. Alexander added glamor and chivalry - and a touch of battlefield charisma that Philip could not match - but the ultimate blueprint really belongs to his father.
Alexander deserves his own 9,999,999 hour video though.
This channel is cooking with the long form videos. Big thx and great work
I do believe all the echo issues are fixed that i listed, so im gonna enjoy this again
Your team never ceases to amaze me. These are wonderful videos. I have to say, I really enjoy the long-form here. Also, the maps and graphics are terrific. Keep up the good work guys!
I absolutely adore this channel, especially its content related to the ancient Greek era. I would greatly appreciate it if you could explore Xenophon and the incredible journey of the Ten Thousand, which I find equally astonishing as Alexander's conquest. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and eagerly anticipating your upcoming videos 🏴✨
They have, the journey of Xenophon and the Ten Thousand are among the channel members videos
@@Anders_Lund That's fantastic to hear!
Alexander was Macedonian
@sap4596 Indeed
Macedonian Greek - just like Athenian Greek, Spartan Greek, Theban Greek.. and so on
@@ritapita1126 No such thing as Macedonian Greek. There is Greek, then there is Macedonian, two different nationalities.
Thank you for making this glorious video.
His father Philip II is arguably as great as his son. Macedonia was a splintered and poverty stricken region before he was able to consolidate it into a stable kingdom. It was his planned invasion of Persia under a "Hellenic Alliance" of Greek states. Also, Persia itself was fractured from infighting and civil wars (mostly in the east) which made it easier for Alexander to defeat Darius and other warlords in succession. Similar to how Napoleon would later split up opposing allied armies to defeat them in turn.
If you analyze the campaign you would see that it was the strategy and Leadership of Alexander that took the conquests so far. Philip intended a much more limited campaign, and Persia was not as fractured as you believe. I suggest you look at this more critically rather than just make a conclusion and disregard how actually hard it was for Alexander and his army to conquer Persia.
@klaudioabazi4478 Nothing I said was false, I only stated that Philip isnt as recognized for his achievements and that Alexander had advantages during his campaign. I could have written a proper APA formatted paper like I did when I wrote about Alexander and his life in college, but this is the RUclips comment section.
@@spookyboi8446 Don't get me wrong i meant no offense, but it is clear that some historians just gloss over Alexander's campaign as if he conquered a collapsing empire, far from the case, Persia was immensely wealthy, and had just as enormous manpower as it had in the Greco-Persian wars, so i disagree that it was fractured. The Fact that Alexander had to chase Darius for years shows how much authority the Great King had. Had Darius not been betrayed by Bessus, he would have made the campaign of Alexander an even bigger headache than he had to deal against tribal leaders who weren't united, and made it easier for him to defeat them. Philip II was a great king, and a diplomatic genius, but he had a different strategy and mindset than his son Alexander, he preferred negotiation, and taking it slowly, it is pretty clear that Philip did not intend to overthrow the Persian Empire, for one he was a bit old and wounded to embark on such a hard campaign, rather he wanted riches, and at best Asia Minor and parts of the Levant. You can see it from the behavior of veteran generals like Parmenion who constantly advise Alexander to negotiate, and Alexander constantly refuses. So my point is, yes Alexander had advantages, but it was his Leadership and strategy and ferocious ambition that pushed the Macedonian army to conquer Persia and up to today Pakistan. And finally, the thing that is most glossed over is that Alexander improved the army, particularly in logistics and siege capabilities, before Alexander, Philip failed to take cities such as Byzantium with his siege equipment, Alexander took Tyre, Gaza, and many more, which shows improvement as a result of him pushing the engineers and the army. So my point is that Alexander wasn't just a lucky boy king, he really was skilled in the art of war, so many times he could have lost it all, and yet because of his skills, and the loyalty he inspired in his men he kept winning. Alexander's faults were in the political arena. He neglected to produce an heir before he died, and the ambitious and jealous successors tore up the empire as soon as he died.
@@klaudioabazi4478 Nah The persia which Decimated the much larger greek army at Thymbra under the banner of Harpagus was an entirely different beast from the centuries later Persia from stagnation Revolts of strapies Civil wars and internal weaknesses. Alex beat Persia similar to How Muslims beat Persia and Rome. In a much weaker state after centuries of infighting and civil wars. Not to mention Persians themselves were not that good of fighters who also took over from the vacuum left after the fall of Assur and a weaker Babylon. I personally think both Cyrus the great and Alexander the Great are extremely overrated because they are quite old. and both were basically vultures feeding on a dying empire. Both got their shit rocked against a prime army Cyrus against the Scythians(if that story is true) and Alexander against the Indians(basically got spooked by the much smaller Porus and his generals later getting their ass handed to them by Chandragupta in Greek Indian wars).
@@silverspade8394 Sorry Dude, the Persia of Thymbra faced much less disciplined armies than the greek ones. You're just buying in the greek propaganda, and the lazy dismissal of any analysis of this particular era. I'll give you one example, Rome at it's height wasn't able to conquer Parthia which was weaker than Persia. So stop buying into the bullshit oh it was fractured and it fell, it's much deeper than that.
Ayyyee didn't expect to get an upload on my Fav person of antiquity. Thanks for the Christmas gift 🎁😌
I cannot describe my Happieness
This is a fantastic video thank you very much for the quality, the voice, the imagery to keep us entertained and the sheer level of detail. Well done 👏🏼
Even after 2,500 years, Ariobarzan is remembered as one of Iran's greatest heroes. When hope was all but lost, and even the king despaired, Ariobarzan and his sister, a formidable commander in her own right, made a valiant stand to defend their country. Tragically, their efforts were not enough. I suggest reading about their own story to truly understand their sacrifice.
No matter how often the title 'the Great' is added to his name, the army of Alexander inflicted one of the most tragic events in our history, killing and plundering as they pleased.
I urge you to learn about the fate of the last Achaemenian king, Darius III's daughters.
Womp womp
Damn bro let it go… it happened 2500 years ago
I love using these longform videos to go to bed to, your voice is so soothing homie. Keep up the good work guys! Merry Christmas!
All I want for Christmas is my own phalanx, and a bridge to Tyre :D
and a horse
This is why I love my name of alexander
P.S keep tye good work on and nice video
This is better than that film made in '04
Historical movies are really difficult to make, so I am hearting this because I appreciate the support and kind words. :-)
And it is 4K, delicious!
I agree, but please guys dont hate the movie 😞🙃. I think that visually it was great and the characters were well portrayed.
@@Kili2807 I never hated the movie I just really like this one
@@haldemarest 👍
Thank you for providing closed captions for such a long video! ❤️
😊9
Second time watching this and ill watch it a 3rd time!
Very nicely done! I had already seen all previous Alexander related episodes, and really like this enhanced summarization of the conquest up until the death of Darius. Kudos to the entire team, these episodes will become learning material for current and future generations!
Diadochi Wars Next?
Yes
@@KingsandGeneralsbrilliant