S8 Ep622: 1. Alexander the Great’s Divine Ambition and the Birth of Alexandria Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt began with the brutal siege of Gaza, where he mirrored the mythical wrath of Achilles by dragging the city's governor to his death. Seeking div
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
1. Alexander the Great’s Divine Ambition and the Birth of Alexandria Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt began with the brutal siege of Gaza, where he mirrored the mythical wrath of Achilles by dragging the city's governor to his death. Seeking divine legitimacy, Alexander journeyed to the remote Siwa Oasis. There, the Oracle of Zeus Ammon confirmed his status as a god incarnate, a pivotal moment that elevated his identity from Macedonian king to world ruler. Before departing, he founded Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast, envisioning a global commercial and intellectual hub that looked outward toward the sea rather than inland toward the Nile. (1)
Transcript
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| 0:34.4 | with Indeed. |
| 0:43.4 | This is CBS Eye on the World. |
| 0:45.5 | Here's John Batchelor. |
| 0:49.9 | This is CBS. I on the world. |
| 0:51.1 | I'm John Batchelor. |
| 0:53.4 | I welcome Professor Toby Wilkinson. |
| 0:59.9 | His new book, The Last Dynasty, Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra, |
| 1:05.1 | is a sweeping presentation of two worlds, |
| 1:10.4 | the Macedonian from Alexander and the Egyptian from the pharaohs. |
| 1:15.1 | It's a blend that the professor makes a very good case, |
| 1:20.4 | leaves it too late for Egyptologists and too early for Roman historians. |
| 1:25.8 | Well, these 300 years tell us everything about the Mediterranean world as Rome was gathering its might before it conquers everything. |
| 1:32.3 | We begin, however, with Alexander. |
| 1:35.3 | Alexander conquers the world, but when he gets to Egypt, there are moments where he thinks about why and how he got to be so powerful. |
| 1:47.4 | Professor, a very good day to you. |
| 1:49.8 | Thank you very much for this. |
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