In The Footsteps Of Alexander The Great; 101; Son Of God

The. Hello I'm Michael Wood and I'd like you to join me on a great television adventure. This is the story of a 20 mile journey from Greece. To India. In the Footsteps of one of the greatest figures in history. It's a. Country. On the tail of Alexander the Great.

At the age of 25 Alexander conquered the Russian empire. In Egypt and they declared him Pharaoh and some of. Its deeds helped shape the world. This is a 2000 year old war. FROM THE HEART OF THE NATION. The story of the first fateful meeting between east and west. A.

A. Alexander the Great was born here in Macedonia in northern Greece in the shadow of Mount Olympus. The home of the gods. And the gods are as important characters in his story as he is Zeus Apollo Hercules were real to him. He even proclaimed with Zeus the king of the gods was his father. This is not the tale of an ordinary person. Thought in an ordinary way.

Like everyone has been fascinated by his legend. I suppose I set out hoping to discover the truth about the man who conquered much of the world before he was 30. After all it's one of the most famous stories in all history. To this day no one has traced the hull of Alexander's great journey on the ground. That was my plan.

The key problem on this journey would be untangling the facts from the. Alexanders tale we've been told by the Greeks Iverson's. And the legends were right about one thing in particular that Alexander had extraordinary patterns. His father Philip was a unique character. He created the Macedonian state in a matter of 20 years. He was a small man in his later years he had one eye in a gammy leg he was an inveterate womanizer had seven wives. He was a bit you will drunkard and yet he was a brilliant organizer and leader in war. Alexander's mother Olympias was only about

12 years old when Philip fell in love with her. She was beautiful and intelligent but she was also manipulative possessive ruthless. She was addicted to weird religious cults gave us up with wild abandon to ecstatic dancing. It was even said that she slept with snakes. So. It's not surprising then that the young Alexander grew up with an unshakeable sense of destiny. Yes there's a famous story about his childhood. One day the horse was brought to his farm. It was called Blue carefulness ox head. No one could tame it but the 10 year old boy bet his father he could. Die. Finally he did. His father laughed. Find yourself another. Macedonia's not big enough for you.

His father was right. Macedonia was a small place. So what was it that inspired Alexander to take on the might of Persia. Revenge. One hundred fifty years before the Persians had marched across these plains to devastate Greece. Alexander grew up dreaming of a war of revenge. This scene was a hunting scene. We hear that Alexander's image has been identified on the remains of a banqueting catch from his father's tomb here together. Our Father and Son. This is Alexander as a young. Yes. Yes. So this is before. This is beef. This is an exam there. 19 or 20 years old.

He's the younger. He is the son of the king but he's not. They want to know he's not Alexander the Great. Here the Alexander the sound of Philip the Second here. And Alexander Alexander would have seen this because they have bet on the finalists. So here seeing this portrait and the only only portrait of he's lifestyle. That is the important thing. All the others are copies. This is this is really an example to release very young. Alexander It's a sensitive face. You might think. Look at this. He is age to around 30. The world ruler. He looks to me like a troubled man. Disillusion. So what happened to him.

When Alexander was 19 his father was murdered here in the theater at veg aina. Suddenly unexpectedly Alexander was king and head of an army which had already crushed southern Greece in spring 334 B.C.. He settled for pressure on his war of revenge. And we set off in his footsteps. From the little station below Vicki. Came to follow him as closely as we could. The journey would take us almost as far as China. For much of it we had no idea what to expect. No perhaps did he. As he

left Mount Olympus behind. He would never see his homeland again. In my own back to. Alexander's army was very to cross the Dardanelles from New York to a ship. In the transport ships. You have 35000 troops. Thanks. Meanwhile Alexander himself sailed on down the street on a pilgrimage to a place sacred in all Greek hearts and especially his. Troy. He was the first to go ashore. Alexander waded ashore in full ceremonial. Blues on his

helmet shield on his chest the Gorgon's head whose image was supposed to turn onlookers into stone. And his first act. Was to throw his gear. To the shore. Claiming that a show was his by right. One by the spear. What a photo opportunity. He walked up from the beach with his dearest friend and lover to sacrifice at the graves of the Greek heroes killed in the Trojan War. And the two young men ran naked around the tomb of his ancestor Achilles. Below the hill of Troy. They saw where Achilles had dragged Hector's body behind his chariot. Then they visited the old town of Troy. Since he was a boy Alexander had hero worshipped the Greek warriors who'd fought and died on these walls a

thousand years before. Their deeds here had won them eternal glory and Alexander thirsted for that above all things. Says the historian. On top of windy Troy. They went into the temple of the Goddess Athena. Inside the temple Alexander was shown weapons which were said to have been used by the heroes in the Trojan War. He left his behind and took them with him including a shield which was said to have been Achilles which was taken with him all the way to India. Coming here and honoring sacrificing for the heroes giving blood to their ghosts. Alexander was trying to co-opt them to have their heroes fighting for him in his war against Asia. The Persian Empire was the largest which had yet existed on Earth. The Persians

ruled from Ethiopia to the Black Sea from the AGM to India. Their king Darrius was Lord of the world. This was what Alexander was taking on. Alexander soon defeated the Persians local governor and opened up the coast. All the way down the western seaboard of Turkey. There were Greek cities under Persian rule powerhouses of Greek civilization. Alexander's tutor Aristotle had taught here. And in many of these cities Alexander was seen as a liberator. We picked up his part south of the meander river. You had passed the ruins of my letus which Alexander St..

No one goes up to the old road anymore. It is. The only person. In our place in the hills. Meets up with the sacred way. In about a quarter of a mile. And then. From then on you just walk all the way to the Romero road. Off. Alexander came along this path to the temple. A did a man. Just as he had enlisted the help of the heroes of Troy he now saw the support of one of the most powerful of the Olympian gods Apollo whose Oracle had once drawn pilgrims here from all over the Greek world. Yeah.

We knew you. Believe in oracles like did Emma and their ability to tell the future was part of Alexander's religious faith. It's easy to dismiss it today as the villagers do it as ancient superstition. Or even modern presidents use soothsayers or anyone in Manc office or they are coming from my latest one you've got a problem in your stand there and he goes that's absolutely amazing. Yeah yeah. So you don't believe in fortune telling them. Alexander did this was a war of revenge and in his mind the war would be fought on the level of the gods to Gods who shrines have been desecrated by the Persians. Back in the time of the great Persian War the Persians had sacked its sacred spring had dried up its prophecies ceased. But to Alexander Apollo was still here.

He went down into the shrine. And as the historian Calista nees told the tale. As if by magic the spring came back to life. However it happened. The Oracle had found a voice after 150 years and it said Alexander would triumph over the Persians. As the Macedonian army marched on south. The problem for Alexander was that the Persians controlled the sea. Ice area. Alexander now took a very daring and controversial decision which was contested by some of

his high command. He disbanded his fleet. You had a hundred sixty ships the Persians had about 400 so he couldn't engage them in an open battle and they were costing him a fortune they were provided by his Greek allies. So he decided to have done with them the war he thought could be won on land by denying the Persians their naval bases. So he turned his attention to their main base on this coast. Barge up the ancient town of Halicarnassus. The Persian stronghold was on the site of Bodrum castle. They were led by a mercenary Memnon of Rhodes one of many Greeks who hated Alexander. He prepared for a long siege. From where Alexander stood. The city rose from the sea in a great curve like an amphitheater. It was surrounded by strong walls. Alexander had all the latest technology

mobile timers catapults Rams but he couldn't break through. And. Then one night a bizarre incident happened which I tried to imagine in the crowded streets of today's holiday time. I like old army American don't you. You doubt all rank before battle. Sorry. I drank half the battle. Celebrate I just drank. And most of them were young man with all that energy to burn off on this night in particular one of the fire light brigade infantry. Camped outside the walls. It was getting dark. And they were getting into posting about each other. The many Koreans were there. To have them. Put on their weapons. Mark. Decided to attack Walt. The sins of the father come out. In the confusion both sides threw in more troops and both took heavy losses. Next day humiliatingly Alexander had to ask for the return of his dead.

But on the Persian side the Greek mercenaries were now seriously worried. Meanwhile back in Memnon as walk cancelled the mercenary commanders were getting a little nervous. Things weren't going according to plan. The Athenian mercenary general f yachties was on I was on his Wanted list I probably hated him. He didn't think they should even let him have his dad back. You can picture the scene. Why should we care. That little stone age this tyrant of Greece. Memnon however still wanted to play things coolly. Let him have his day back. Effie outers then spoke up again. The situation he said was now serious. Two stretches of curtain wall and two towers have been broken down by their battering rams on the eastern side. We've put a brick defense behind but it's only a matter of time before they break through that as well.

We have to seize the initiative now. We can't just sit here and let them take us captive. They came up with a plan that would lead a daring dawn raid with 2000 commandos to burn Alexander's mobile towers and their battering rams. The first group of a thousand commandos rushed out of the walls bearing flaming torches carrying buckets of pitch anything that would burn. Their job was to set fire to the siege engines. The Macedonians counterattacked Memnon then brought his reserve in and for a moment it looked as if the Macedonians might even lose this battle. But just then the Macedonian reserves who were the veterans the old men who'd fought under Alexander's father Philip brought themselves into the action show the young man how to do it and it was they who pushed the attackers back inside the city man's last throw had been lost. The Persians knew now that Alexander had won.

That night. Memnon evacuated his forces by sea to the island of Kos. The following winter. Alexander campaign through the mountains of Southwest Turkey. And one story from that time became famous. The main army had cut inland from the coast. Alexander took a short cut with a smaller force along the sea shore. He came along the beach here until he reached this row of Rocky headlines. The sea was running high but he wouldn't turn back. It was nearly a disaster. He ordered his men to march on through the water. There were probably a few thousand of

them with backpacks. Like most of them Alexander was a lot shorter than me and he couldn't swim. We greet your group of very very very moving. That's a very you know I mean when most of the day walking through the water. Here. You. Know. All right. Finally the wind changed and the shivering troops were able to get out of the water. The expedition historian can list the names claimed the sea had bowed to Alexander. I learned three things about Alexander that day. But he didn't always think things out ahead. But he was an obstinate man. And also and

most important of all. He was lucky. That beach walk was the first hint that going precisely in his footsteps might reveal more than just where he'd be. But it's hard to pin down people in history. Because like us they're always on the move as we constantly reinvent them to suit our own times. Yeah.

We followed him north into the plains of central Turkey and entered an older world more akin to the one he knew. Only cared about not a good a lot of his native village where we stopped at a night that people pointed out and I want the caravan here therefore father said it's a great it's Canada. Alexander had come so this is the old Baghdad road. Have you had a wonderful job where you are told You have to go get your GI and you'll be more than a year. So the road is called The Road of the scandal. This is Alexander's road. Or you'll get a ship. Right in the middle of Turkey stands the ancient town of gaurdian.

Alexander came here to meet reinforcements from Greece but he was also drawn by a strange legend. The Americans have been excavating here for nearly 50 years in the place forever associated with the tale of the Gordian knot. I'm in the dig hut we celebrated Alexander's birthday the 20th of July. As guest of honor. I was awarded the golden hat decorated with not and saw. Now the legend said there was an old cart in the temple here whose shaft was tied with the most intricate knot. Whoever did it. So the story went would become a lot of Aisha.

You know Marion says that when they got here Alexander conceived a path for us. You know. Sire to go up to the Acropolis to see this extraordinary card. When he got out presumably goes to the gate and then there's a temple of the Greek so it was to Zeus and nearby a nearby this ancient come out of prison being preserved. There isn't anything archaeologically that suggests that nothing like that. All we get are just little. We would like it if we were both. You know that with hindsight quite a significant moment in his career I wasn't coming here. That's what's really interesting. I mean the whole story that he came to this place which was such a big place anymore when that happened and he still came here to make a symbolic gesture. It was just a cheap farm cart. The Greeks sat like the ones you still see in Turkey today.

Alexander took a long hard look of this impossible. He couldn't for the life of him see how he couldn't do. It was probably rather like the kind of knots we call Turks heads not a big knot with all the ends tucked up inside so you just can't see where to begin. By now it was quite a crowd gathering. Local people from guardian who were always interested to see someone make a fool of himself trying to solve the riddle and the Macedonian officers who were worried now they wished Alexander and not attempted this what happens if he fails. They were thinking this would be a really bad omen. What happened next we don't know for sure. Some say that Alexander told that. The people that held the shaft in the yoke together loosened the knot so he could pull the yoke out. According to others though Alexander pulled out his soul said it doesn't matter

how the knot is undone and he slashed the knot open to reveal the hidden and inside of Eric Alexander way of doing things. That night thunder unlike Russia ever go to the gods were with him. In that moment. Is the beginning of the myth of Alexander the Great. But for us how to sort out fact from fiction. The problem grows more acute from this point in the story. Look at the two historians who are our main guides on this journey. But first I've already mentioned Arian. He was a Greek he wrote about 400 years after his own was born a military man provincial governor well-known often a decent chap you could

imagine him being a special columnist for The Daily Telegraph The Washington Post today basically heavings Alexander who is a noble spirit. And I'm supposed as a leader in human history. There's another tradition that is represented by courteous courteous was a room he wrote about 300 years after Alexander and he had a great time for a story he was interested in the scandal the murders the war crimes the plots courteous knew that man a motivated by lust for power and sex. He knew that cruelty was inherent in human nature and he also knew that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And there you have it. The sources disagree and they give us two radically different Alexanders.

Both perhaps could be true. I don't. Read what you. Write. Songs and yet another Harlow has sole power to. Do. The prince among men and the tyrant across a show that's still a folk story version of Alexander Jekyll and Hyde. The question here they still call him the two because legend says he really had to move. When his bulbous found out he killed. The last secret until he could bear it no longer

shouted it down a well. Alexander's God he's the devil. But at the bottom of the world one reads used influence. Yeah they sent the secret around a while ago. The King of Kings Darrius himself and as the story. Descended from the line of Persian rulers going back to Cyrus the Great a Persian hero. As the Macedonians marched down from Ankara to the Mediterranean Darrius left Babylon with an army twice the size of Alexander. He circled round Alexander's back and cut off his line of retreat. He would crush the upstart once and for all.

The kings met at the little town of Issus. This is today doesn't look much like a place of destiny. But one of the decisive battles of history took place here. Darrius lined up along the banks of the river pious between the mountains and the sea. In his center along a line of cranks he had 20000 Greek mercenaries. These were to repel Alexander's Fallon's troops by the sea had massed cavalry forces to overwhelm Alexander's left wing. But up on his left by the mountains Darrius had placed untrained infantry protected by Archers. A sure sign he feared they couldn't cope on that. He saw the Persian plan it was not flawed so much is obvious he

knew this was the weak point because of the terrain and the archers and as soon as he had seen those archers in front of the infantry he knew this was where to attack the autumn light was failing fast. The wise head said wait till tomorrow. But Alexander would not get there. And you can imagine standing here as Alexander rides along his lines and we're told in the source's encourages the troops. You know he appeals to the Macedonians and the cry goes up he's singling out officers and men for their bravery in the Macedonian regiments are shouting and he goes along. The Greek allied contingents insights we are defeating the great king of Persia we are going to avenge Persian humiliations of Greece. He goes to his Thracian and Balkan allies and says Enemy Killed booty and of course they understand that no problem. These guys are in here for the more fun aspects. After the battle and all of the army is really worked up to a fever pitch the Persians now are so nervous they're waiting for the charge. And then Alexander gets charged

down they come. These troops. Oh my God they're after me personally. We're going to kill me. They they let loose a volley which we're told is so bad that it the arrows hit each other it's completely ineffective. They turn around run into the infantry let me through let me through they're trying to muscle themselves. This throws the infantry into a panic in seconds Alexander's cavalry is coming down into the river is on top of him. The entire Persian dissolves and the battle is lost in the first few minutes. First. Alexander had smashed right through to Darrius his chariot Darrius had to flee for his life. This is the moment preserved on the great mosaic from Pompei. Alexander storms into the history books like a hurricane. Wild hair and wide. Darrius the noble king of the world stares in disbelief shaken by

pity and fear. The world has changed. To each other we followed him on south down the Lebanese coast. With the help of the UN. Most cities here surrendered without a fight but the time refused him. The city stood on half a mile off shore infuriated by its resistance. Alexander decided to build a Kohls way out to it across the waves but you can feed off that. Now the funding going to come up with a high rise building evacuated because of the filtering of. The feet fall fire with helicopter effect. Which. Thankfully joined the army of a laugh I have.

It took an exam to seven months to build the causeway 800 yards long and seventy wide. It was a new and sobering insight into his character. Nothing would be allowed to stand in his way. No one will be given mercy if they defied him. Twenty three thousand people were trapped on that more than half of them women and children. After the walls were breached Arian says the people crowded into the temple of Hercules where the Christian church stands today. There they prayed for deliverance. Thirteen thousand women and children were captured and sold into slavery. They had resisted. Those were the rules of war. As for the men Arian says the leaders were spared.

But according to courteous all 2000 survivors were crucified along the shore. Who's right. It depends on which Alexander you believe in. I think I was level with on. I think this is an OK game example when when on me. Yeah yeah but there were no i had to produce my copy of Arian to persuade the Israeli border authorities we were coming through to cover a 2000 year old war. I know the case well that is an unbelievable. No they don't. Believe it is not going to go on. There's always going to. Be. So yeah. We drove along the ancient highway which has been used throughout history.

It. Was destroyed by an example because its people resisted. They've been resisting ever since. God has had a lot of great conquerors coming through in this doesn't it this is all of them since the beginning of his study. Many of them old if at night I met some leading Palestinian historians and we reflected on their long and violent history month for almost the entire US that isn't yet imperiled then that Gallup's and this is the land of battles as abusive but we did most of the good it was in the world from the selves and the ABC until now both of us.

Then one of the guests pulls out his copy of the Muslim holy book the Koran. Well exactly. Womanhood into the cloud nine is meant year by Alexander. This is the two the two who knew or knew that about the thought. And there again of course to haunt Alexander can name him in one of the archangel Gabriel is a revelation as to the Prophet Muhammad. Yeah believe in Sonny's Oh come on. So they are rehearsed you I'll tell you something this story. Yes verily we established his power on Earth them we gave him the ways and the means to all ends. So God made him the first man of the year there are no here with powers and wonderful. And so in December 332 BCE Alexander entered Egypt. The

most ancient and glamorous civilization fell without a fight. The Persians have been hated here because they didn't respect the Egyptian gods. And Alexander was welcomed as a liberator. Oh. For three thousand years Egypt had been an inward looking civilization. Now Alexander opened it up to a wider world. On the west of the Nile delta he himself marked out the site for a great new harbor. It was called after him Alexandria. Ever since it's been Egypt's greatest port. And to Greeks everywhere. The capital of memory.

Alexander. Was the greatest importer on the market place of the world. Their wealth of that accumulated was made very good use of. First. Building a magnificent city. With wonderful. Street structural. Drainage system water supply. Great temples palaces palaces upon publicist as Homer said. And above. Or a center of world culture. To compete with Athens itself. With an enormous amount of. Wealth and money. They invited the best minds in the world. Come and said. Even when he was on. In the third century be seen within one century after its foundation. Alexander. Claim they could take names of.

The great mathematician Iraq. Boston is. The great best friend of mine here offered us the founder of anatomy Archimedes. Graces my view of the greatest library in the world with. A university library in the proper sense for the first night a prototype of the British Museum or. Maybe you would think nationality. This was in the mind of by the sound of it. And this is. His. Great to have someone to push it through a. History. Of. The city is still a cosmopolitan place today. It's one of Alexander's great legacies. The first of nearly 30 Alexandra's he founded between Africa and India. And only now archaeologists finding material evidence of the vision behind it. It shows a side of the Kings character we hadn't seen sir for not just a

warrior but a far sighted thinker. Faithful to his tutor Aristotle's vision of Greek civilization and its power to change the world. That's great thanks. Right under the streets of Alexandria the archaeologists have now discovered a network of canals designed to bring the city's water supply in from the Nile. Was all this Alexander's vision too. I wanted. A deeper still under the city. You can find another legacy in the catacombs in their exuberant mingling of Egyptian and Greek and Eastern

cultures. Could Alexander have foreseen all this in his wildest dreams. A day or two later we woke to a cool dawn in the western desert. Back on his truck and our first major expedition. In the winter of 332 B.C. Alexander surprised everyone instead of turning towards Persia. He left his army by the Nile and headed off with his close companions towards Libya. His goal was the distant oasis of seawall and the famous oracle of Amman.

He was still seeking songs from the gong. From the Nile Valley at 700 kilometers to see why. And the last stage goes straight into the desert for Alexander. Eight or nine days journey. He came through the little oasis of Gaza. We camped close by. This is the way to make that a lot. This is not exactly like this. Yes that's why this is sort of exams. I didn't like blood in everything. Yes we've loved. The U.S. I think it musta been a bit like this but at least on the. On the boys.

These are young young bloods that only men in their early 20s they've been on the campaign for two three years and now they've got a few weeks off in the middle of Egypt in the camping out at night lighting fires underneath the stars drinking a bit of date wine having a bit of fun. I think. The journey to see Will most of been exciting experience for them. This part of the journey the Greeks talk about a landscape without any features there wasn't a single tree all mountain by which we could get our bearings as they use the great ocean of sand. It was says the historian courteous as if they'd entered a vast sea and

their eyes looked around in vain for a sight of land. Two curious things happened on the way which the expeditions chronicler Calista knees made out to be omens. They ran out of water and were saved by a sudden shock. They lost their way. But birds appeared and let them back to the track. Finally they entered see what. Even today it's another world from the Egypt of the Nile Valley. Strange and magical place. It.

Stands in the middle of the desert but it's wonderfully fertile. Miraculously so. Not surprising then that for so long people came here expecting miracles. So here on the sacred Hill the god I'm on Zeus to the Greeks was believed to speak directly to mankind. Alexander and his friends approached on the sacred way they refresh themselves in a pool known as the spring of the sun. It's still here now. He set foot on the sacred path with her feisty him and his closest companions.

Their clothes still dust street from the desert. And what did he want to hear from the oracle. Arian says his burning desire was not to ask about his future fate. But to find out who his father really was. The Oracle shrine stands on top of the hill. It's perhaps the only place on earth where you can trace his footsteps right up to the door. He stood on this spot and looked in at the gilded barge and the strange gold statue of the God on mom whose eyes met his. Alexander stepped forward and asked his questions. The onset was delivered by the priests written on pious literally a letter from heaven. As they gave it to him.

They greeted him in Greek as the Son of God. That was all he needed to hear. I imagine Alexander and I have a feisty on and their friends celebrated that night like all Macedonian as they loved a good party. But was it all just a piece of cynical manipulation to legitimize him an Egyptian honest. To this day. No one notices that you may not believe. It wasn't like from the sauna that this was a not an obsessed with his own creating art as he went along and what happened here surely must appeal to his sense of destiny. Alexander now hurried back to rejoin the army. I suppose the seaward episode tells us

that Alexander always journeyed with one eye on the here unarmed and the other on the turnitin. He was an opportunist and a visionary rolled into one which made him very unpredictable and dangerous. The return from seaward was an epic in itself. Four hundred miles direct to the Nile across one of the worst deserts on earth. But NAR Alexander's confidence knew no bombs. Soon on the walls of the greatest Egyptian temples he would be shown like the pharaohs of the past. The successor of Khufu and Ramses the Great. And in Luxor in the holy of holies. The 24 year old Macedonian appears honoring his father and mine. And pouring libations over the phallus

of the Gartman. Son of a man beloved of RA king of the two lives. Alexander. It come a long way from his rugged northern land. But he'd only just begun. Ahead. Like Persia.