Legends of the Ancient World: The Life and Legacy of Alexander the Great

*Includes paintings and busts depicting important people, places, and events in Alexander's life.*Discusses both common legends and little known facts about Alexander's life and legacy, including his mysterious death and whether he is mentioned in the Qur'an.*Includes a Bibliography for further reading.*Includes a Table of Contents.There is nothing impossible to him that will but try AlexanderA lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of historys most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors Legends of the Ancient World series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of antiquitys most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Over the last 2,000 years, ambitious men have dreamed of forging vast empires and attaining eternal glory in battle, but of all the conquerors who took steps toward such dreams, none were ever as successful as antiquitys first great conqueror. Leaders of the 20th century hoped to rival Napoleons accomplishments, Napoleon aimed to emulate the accomplishments of Julius Caesar, but Caesar found inspiration in Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.), the Macedonian King who managed to stretch an empire from Greece to the Himalayas in Asia at just 30 years old. It took less than 15 years for Alexander to conquer much of the known world. As fate would have it, Alexander died of still unknown causes at the height of his conquests, when he was still in his early 30s. Although his empire was quickly divided, his legacy only grew, and Alexander became the stuff of legends even in his own time. Alexander was responsible for establishing 20 cities in his name across the world, most notably Alexandria in Egypt, and he was directly responsible for spreading Ancient Greek culture as far east as modern day India and other parts of Asia. For the ancient world, Alexander became the emblem of military greatness and accomplishment; it was reported that many of Romes greatest leaders, including Pompey the Great, Augustus, and Caesar himself, all visited Alexanders tomb in Alexandria, a mecca of sorts for antiquitys other leaders. Legends of the Ancient World: The Life and Legacy of Alexander the Great provides an entertaining look at the facts and myths surrounding one of historys most famous men and conquerors, while exploring the lasting legacy he left on the ancient world and todays world. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Alexander the Great like you never have before, in no time at all.