Alexander the Great Finds His Destiny

HISTORY This Week

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🗓️ 11 November 2024

⏱️ 30 minutes

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Summary

November 14th, 332 BCE. Alexander the Great has conquered an unprecedented amount of territory in a relatively short amount of time. At just 24 years old, he's in control of Macedonia, much of Greece, and now, a huge part of Egypt. But Alexander doesn't want to just conquer each of these places - he wants to rule. And in a rare move for Macedonian royalty, he wants to rule in a way that honors local customs, allowing him to be seen as not just a king, but in some areas, as some kind of divine figure. So today, the ancient Egyptians will crown Alexander as a pharaoh. This is one in a long line of victories for Alexander the Great. However, in his often-overlooked later years, his luck starts to change. As Alexander continues his quest to reach the end of the known world, and his ambition reaches mythical heights, how will his unparalleled success come to an end? Special thanks to Rachel Kousser, professor of Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology at the City University of New York and author of Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great. To stay updated: historythisweekpodcast.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History Channel, original podcast.
0:04.6	History this week. November 14th, 332B.C.E.
0:11.8	I'm Sally Helm.
0:17.2	Memphis, the cosmopolitan capital of ancient Egypt.
0:21.6	It's a bustling city, home to a wide range of different cultures.
0:25.6	There are spice markets, temples, a vast palace orchard growing things like olives and dates.
0:32.6	For about a decade now, Memphis has been under Persian rule, part of the largest empire in the world.
0:41.2	But today, a new conqueror will rise to power.
0:48.2	Alexander the Great is just 24 years old, but he's already a legend in his time.
0:55.9	In the last four years, he's been king of the Macedonians and much of ancient Greece.
1:02.0	And he has recently invaded the Persian Empire, which spans over 2 million square miles.
1:09.6	Alexander has conquered city after city, and now he has come to Egypt, a place that, in his mind,
1:18.2	has an almost mythical status.
1:21.1	The young conqueror is actually greeted in Memphis as a liberator,
1:32.1	because he's defeated the hated Persian king, Darius III.
1:38.5	And perhaps also because he's shown respect for Egyptian religious traditions.
1:42.6	And today, he receives an incredible honor,
1:50.9	one that will change the way Egypt sees Alexander and the way Alexander sees himself.
1:58.1	Here, in Memphis, Alexander is declared Pharaoh of Egypt.
2:04.7	One account describes the scene. A red and white crown is placed on Alexander's head, a crook and flail placed in his hands. As Pharaoh, he's a political ruler, but he's also
2:13.5	the closest thing to a divine being on earth.
2:19.1	This moment seems to be a turning point in Alexander's inner life.
	...

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