{"product_id":"2940012643148","title":"MAKERS OF HISTORY ALEXANDER THE GREAT","description":"CHAPTER I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHIS CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eB.C. 356-336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe briefness of Alexander's career.--His brilliant exploits.--Character\u003cbr\u003eof Alexander.--Mental and physical qualities.--Character of the Asiatic\u003cbr\u003eand European civilization.--Composition of Asiatic and European\u003cbr\u003earmies.--King Philip.--Extent of Macedon.--Olympias.--The young\u003cbr\u003eprince Alexander.--Ancient mode of warfare.--Ancient and\u003cbr\u003emodern military officers.--Alexander's nurse.--Alexander's\u003cbr\u003eeducation.--Lysimachus.--Homer.--Aristotle.--Alexander's copy\u003cbr\u003eof Homer.--Alexander's energy and ambition.--The Persian\u003cbr\u003eembassadors.--Stories of the embassadors.--Maturity of Alexander's\u003cbr\u003emind.--Secret of Alexander's success.--The story of Bucephalus.--Philip\u003cbr\u003econdemns the horse.--Alexander desires to mount him.--Bucephalus\u003cbr\u003ecalmed.--An exciting ride.--Sagacity of Bucephalus.--Becomes Alexander's\u003cbr\u003efavorite.--Fate of Bucephalus.--Alexander made regent.--Alexander's\u003cbr\u003efirst battle.--Chæronea.--Alexander's impetuosity.--Philip repudiates\u003cbr\u003eOlympias.--Alexander's violent temper.--Philip's attempt on his\u003cbr\u003eson.--Philip's power.--His plans of conquest.--Alexander's impatience\u003cbr\u003eto reign.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlexander the Great died when he was quite young. He was but\u003cbr\u003ethirty-two years of age when he ended his career, and as he was about\u003cbr\u003etwenty when he commenced it, it was only for a period of twelve years\u003cbr\u003ethat he was actually engaged in performing the work of his life.\u003cbr\u003eNapoleon was nearly three times as long on the great field of human\u003cbr\u003eaction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNotwithstanding the briefness of Alexander's career, he ran through,\u003cbr\u003eduring that short period, a very brilliant series of exploits, which\u003cbr\u003ewere so bold, so romantic, and which led him into such adventures in\u003cbr\u003escenes of the greatest magnificence and splendor, that all the world\u003cbr\u003elooked on with astonishment then, and mankind have continued to read\u003cbr\u003ethe story since, from age to age, with the greatest interest and\u003cbr\u003eattention.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe secret of Alexander's success was his character. He possessed a\u003cbr\u003ecertain combination of mental and personal attractions, which in\u003cbr\u003eevery age gives to those who exhibit it a mysterious and almost\u003cbr\u003eunbounded ascendency over all within their influence. Alexander was\u003cbr\u003echaracterized by these qualities in a very remarkable degree. He was\u003cbr\u003efinely formed in person, and very prepossessing in his manners. He\u003cbr\u003ewas active, athletic, and full of ardor and enthusiasm in all that\u003cbr\u003ehe did. At the same time, he was calm, collected, and considerate\u003cbr\u003ein emergencies requiring caution, and thoughtful and far-seeing in\u003cbr\u003erespect to the bearings and consequences of his acts. He formed strong\u003cbr\u003eattachments, was grateful for kindnesses shown to him, considerate in\u003cbr\u003erespect to the feelings of all who were connected with him in any way,\u003cbr\u003efaithful to his friends, and generous toward his foes. In a word, he\u003cbr\u003ehad a noble character, though he devoted its energies unfortunately to\u003cbr\u003econquest and war. He lived, in fact, in an age when great personal and\u003cbr\u003emental powers had scarcely any other field for their exercise than\u003cbr\u003ethis. He entered upon his career with great ardor, and the position in\u003cbr\u003ewhich he was placed gave him the opportunity to act in it with\u003cbr\u003eprodigious effect.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere were several circumstances combined, in the situation in which\u003cbr\u003eAlexander was placed, to afford him a great opportunity for the\u003cbr\u003eexercise of his vast powers. His native country was on the confines of\u003cbr\u003eEurope and Asia. Now Europe and Asia were, in those days, as now,\u003cbr\u003emarked and distinguished by two vast masses of social and civilized\u003cbr\u003elife, widely dissimilar from each other. The Asiatic side was occupied\u003cbr\u003eby the Persians, the Medes, and the Assyrians. The European side by\u003cbr\u003ethe Greeks and Romans. They were separated from each other by the\u003cbr\u003ewaters of the Hellespont, the Ægean Sea, and the Mediterranean,\u003cbr\u003eas will be seen by the map. These waters constituted a sort of\u003cbr\u003enatural barrier, which kept the two races apart. The races formed,\u003cbr\u003eaccordingly, two vast organizations, distinct and widely different\u003cbr\u003efrom each other, and of course rivals and enemies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is hard to say whether the Asiatic or European civilization was the\u003cbr\u003ehighest. The two were so different that it is difficult to compare\u003cbr\u003ethem. On the Asiatic side there was wealth, luxury, and splendor; on\u003cbr\u003ethe European, energy, genius, and force. On the one hand were vast\u003cbr\u003ecities, splendid palaces, and gardens which were the wonder of the\u003cbr\u003eworld; on the other, strong citadels, military roads and bridges,\u003cbr\u003eand compact and well-defended towns.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47078895681776,"sku":"2940012643148","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012643148_p0.jpg?v=1763571275","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012643148","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}