Alexander the Great forged one of the largest empires of ancient history. But his early death, aged 32, ensured that it came crashing down within decades of his passing. In many ways, the story of this extraordinary conqueror’s early demise is more fascinating than that of his life.
Over the years, lots of legendary stories became closely entwined with Alexander’s early death, written centuries after his passing by those eager to mythologise his story with an abundance of romantic, wondrous tales. So what’s the fact and what’s the fiction? Did Alexander die of illness? Or was it murder? And did he really leave his empire ‘to the strongest’.
History Hit’s Tristan Hughes tells the story of Alexander the Great’s final days and addresses some of the myths around his passing. He also examines the aftermath of Alexander’s death and how this conqueror’s corpse ultimately ended up in Egypt.
Up Next in Alexander the Great Collection
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Alexander the Great in Egypt
History Hit's Tristan Hughes travels to Egypt to explore its extraordinary links to one of the most famous names from antiquity, Alexander the Great. Of all the lands in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is Egypt that has the most fascinating - and enduring - connection to this ancient conqueror.
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Charting History: Who Was Alexander t...
In this video, we chart the rise and fall of Alexander the Great's extraordinary empire, which stretched from Macedonia in modern day Greece to the borders of the Indian subcontinent. Alexander's empire would not outlive him, but his achievements would make him one of the most famous generals in ...
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Ancient Greece
Did the Ancient Greeks really invent the olympics? What did they wear? How did they party? What did Ancient Greek music sound like?
Host of 'The Ancients' podcast, Tristan Hughes, answers the most searched Google questions about Ancient Greece.
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