Within a year of his accession, Alexander extended his dominions northward toward the Danube River and westward towards the Adriatic Sea. He then turned his attention to Greece where Thebes and Athens were threatening to bolt the league with weapons purchased with Persian gold. Also, Athens and Thebes were to unite in war against Macedon. In 335 B.C. Alexander decided to punish the city for what he regarded as treachery; .The city was destroyed and its people sold into slavery or killed. All of the city_s buildings were destroyed except for temples and the house of Pindar the poet. Pindar was long dead, but Alexander wanted to prove that even a Macedonian conqueror co

Realizing that his soldiers were doubtful in following his authority, Alexander himself began to change. His soldiers reported that he became more violent in times of explanation; meaning he became upset if someone couldn_t see something his way. _increasing loneliness of a growing impatience with those who could not understandthe Alexander of 324 was not the Alexander of 334._ Alexander became obsessed about losing the support of the gods and that his Macedonians would grow weary of their expedition. He became increasingly suspicious of his close friends and switched from emotions of fear and intense anger. Despite the resent experiences, Alexander turned south and he added into India. Nearly two centuries before, in the reign of Darius I, the Persian empire had included part of that subcontinent. Determined to recapture it Alexander crossed the Hindu Kusk mountains, followed the Kabul River down to the Indus River and crossed overland to the Hydaspes River. It was here where Alexander would fight one of the most difficult battles of his entire career. His opponent was the Indian King, Porus, whose army was several times larger than Alexander_s and superbly trained. It included war elephants which reduced Alexander_s striking power because his horses would not go near them; however Alexander devised a technique that transformed them into a hazard to their own masters. The elephants were positioned fifty feet from the Indian front line. Alexander launched a two-phase cavalry charge against the horsemen and chariots on Porus_s own wing first. When Porus committed horsemen from both wings to an attack against what he thought was Alexander_s entire cavalry, hiding horsemen would suddenly appear having Porus_s horsemen in a trap. These tactics enabled Alexander_s infantry, who had been specially trained for the purpose, to deal with the elephants when the enemy was in a state of confusion. Alexander_s men would strike the elephants with two headed axes, making them run around uncontrollably crushing friend and foe. Although victory was inevitable for Alexander, Porus was determined to see it through until he suffered a serious shoulder wound. He, like Darius was forced to retire his elephant from the battlefield. After the battle Porus requested that he meet with the victor. Upon his reconvienience, Alexander asked Porus how he wished to be treated. Porus responded; _Treat me, Alexander, like a king. Alexander was delighted by his response. Despite the victory, Alexander suffered personal loss. Bucephalas, Alexander’s famous steed died of wounds suffered in battle. He was thirty years old , but the two had been through crisis and triumph for most of their lives. A city, Bucephala, was founded in the horse_s name on the west bank of the Jhelum.

As the campaign of Persia was ending, Alexander_s plan expanded. Originally his purpose had been simply to destroy the Persian army. He had decided to take over the whole Persian empire, and he went on to achieve this without losing a single battle. If Alexander thought of the Persian empire at all, he thought of it simply as a source of wealth. However, as he took o ver more and more territory, he saw that he could not hold the empire without governing it. To govern it effectively, he had to merge it with the Greek world. _Alexander proved to be as skillful at statecraft as he was at military matters Since his main concern was to keep the empire functioning , Alexander tolerated many local religious, and social customs. He even, to some extent, permitted each country to keep its national institutions. At the same time he introduced Hellenic ideas. The most important being the Greek city state. As Alexander traveled and conquered he founded many cities, most of which bear his name (Alexandria) The first and most famous one was an Egyptian city, which later (a century) became the center of the Hellenistic world. As his empire grew Alexander saw that Asia could not be administered simply

Some topics in this essay:
Greeks Spartans, King Porus, Greek Persian, Unfortunately Tyrians, Princess Roxanne, Alexander Persian, Gaugamela Alexander, Egypt India, Alexander Alexander, BC Alexander, persian empire, victory alexander, alexander porus, world alexander, empire alexander, macedonian army, bc alexander, 331 bc, hellenistic world, persepolis alexander,