Bucephalos

Alexander went to a cattle market with his father as a kid. There was one horse, Bucephalos, admired by many and feared by all, because it was too feisty and no one could ride it. Alexander bet with his father that he would be able to ride the horse, and his father promised to buy the horse for him if he would. Alexander had seen the horse was skittish because of its own shadow, and turned the horse with its head into the sun. Then Bucephalos allowed Alexander to ride it. The horse accompanied Alexander on his campaign, until it passed in the Punjab (Pakistan). Alexander founded the city of Bucephala on the location where his horse had passed. Historians identify modern-day Jhelum with the ancient city of Bucephala.

On the night of Alexander's birth a big fire destroyed the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. It was one of the most famous temples in its days and was set on fire on purpose, so the name of the arsonist would go down history -which is why we won't mention his name here. The Ancients joked that Artemis was so busy attending the birth of Alexander the Great, that she didn't have the time to protect her own temple.

When Alexander was a youngster a Persian embassy visited the court of his father, king Phillipos II. Young Alexander hounded the Persians and asked them hundreds of questions about the empire they came from. 15 years later Alexander would overthrow the Persian king and rule the Persian Empire.

One of Alexander's first teachers was Leonidas, a family member of his mother. Leonidas focused on Alexander's physical and moral education, and stressed the importance of discipline, endurance and frugality. When one day Alexander lit a decent amount of incense Leonidas scolded him; "do not waste incense until you conquer the countries that produce it". When many years later Alexander conquered Gaza, the center of the spice trade, he supposedly sent 18 tons of incense and myrrh to Leonidas, telling him to stop being so stingy with his offerings to the gods.

Early in his campaign the newly crowned Alexander went to Corinth, where he knew the philosopher Diogenes lived. Diogenes was famous for rejecting societal conventions and renouncing material comfort. He famously lived in a big barrel. When Alexander visited the philosopher he offered him to grant any wish he might have. The philosopher was obviously unimpressed and just said: "stap aside, you are in my sun".

At the beginning of his reign Alexander found several city states organising against his rule, secretly supported by Athens. One of his main opponents was Thebes, hoping in vain to get support from the Athenian army. Alexander needed to prove himself and committed a massacre in Thebes. We can see Alexander literally with blood on his hands, and he is eye-less because he was so ashamed he couldn't face anyone.