Alexander 17: Only the [Great] Die Young"

Unexpectedly, though not without signs from the gods, in 323 BCE and at the age of thirty-two, the great Alexander died. Perhaps he died from malaria, worn down from too many years of marching and warfare. Perhaps he died of a cold or the flu caught after a night of drinking too much unmixed wine. The pseudo-Callisthenes even suggests that Alexander was poisoned, which may simply reflect the disbelief that he was mortal and therefore susceptible to human illness.

Alexander died in Babylonia far from home. It was originally intended for Alexander to be brought back to Macedonia. However, his body was interred, and remains to this day, in Egypt. Alexander never returned home.

Alexander’s death left yet another power vacuum in the Macedonian Empire. Next in line to the throne was Alexander’s half-brother Arridaeus, another of Philip II’s sons. But, Arridaeus was judged unfit to rule because he was mentally handicapped. To fill the power vacuum and avert civil war, Perdiccas, one of Alexander’s most trusted military commanders, was selected as regent for king Arridaeus. However, Alexander’s mother Olympias had this half-brother killed.

After Arridaeus in the line of succession was Alexander’s unborn child. Roxane, Alexander’s first wife, was pregnant when Alexander died. She gave birth to a son, Alexander IV. When Roxane’s son was born, Perdiccas became regent to the baby king, a post to be held until the baby reached the age of majority. Alexander's second wife Barsine (Statira) was murdered, presumably by order of Perdiccas, who was engaged in a power struggle with other military commanders in Alexander’s army. To ensure loyalty after he was declared regent, Perdiccas appointed the other generals as satraps in the settlement at Babylon in 323 BCE, described in Arrian’s Anabasis.

Constant infighting among Alexander’s generals, the new satraps, ruined any chance that the immense, unwieldy empire could remain united. Regents for the child Alexander IV repeatedly were murdered in various plots for power. In 317 BCE, Olympias seized power for herself and claimed that she was the regent for the young boy. Alexander’s line ran out later that year. A man named Cassander murdered Olympias, Roxane, and young Alexander IV. Cassander set himself up as king and took control of the throne that Alexander and his father Philip had made so powerful.

In "Great" Company

Cyrus the Great (550-529 BCE)
Cyrus the Great was a Persian king and the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty. He was skilled in warfare and brought the territories of Medes, Lydia, Babylonia and Asia Minor under his control. He respected local customs and did not require that conquered lands conform to his culture, which won him great respect.

King Herod the Great (40 BCE)
Initially installed in power by Marc Anthony, Herod became known as "The King of the Jews." Realizing the shift in power that was happening between Marc Anthony and Augustus, Herod changed his allegiance to the up-and-coming Octavian, who reaffirmed his power as the King of Judaea. Herod's reign was tumultuous and riddled with political plots and Herod's assassinations of his own heirs and family members.

Constantine the Great (306-337)
Constantine the Great became the emperor of Rome. His reign is thought of as a time of growth for Christianity because he removed the stigma from the religion. After he convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, Constantine allowed for the overt practice of the religion.

Theodoric the Great (455-526)
King of the Ostrogoths, Theodoris the Great invaded Italy and tried to unite the Ostrogoths and the Italians. When he was not successful, he eventually tried to ally with the Visigoths and the Franks. After Theodoric's death, Italy was invaded by the Byzantines and the Ostrogoth society disappeared.

King Alfred the Great (871-899)
Alfred the Great was the King of England. He defended the country against the Danes and, because of his military successes, gained the moniker "the Great." We know of King Alfred the Great's deeds because they were recorded by a Welsh monk, Asser, who wrote a Life of King Alfred the Great.

Canute the Great (1016-1035)
Canute the Great was King of England, Denmark and Norway. He respected the power of the Church, which helped to solidify his power. A story tells that he, fed up with flatterers who claimed that he could command nature itself, showed how he could not turn back the waves of the sea, proving that all men have limits.

Akbar the Great (1556-1605)
Ruler of the Mughal Empire of India, Akbar the Great is thought of as the strongest and most powerful of the Mughal leaders. Like Philip II of Macedonia, Akbar reunited his once powerful land that had splintered into smaller factions before he came into power. He attempted to establish a community that tolerated religious differences and venerated learning.

Peter the Great (1682-1725)
Ruler of Russia, Peter the Great brought progress to the land and made it on par with the European powers of the time. He modernized Russia and strengthened the army and navy. He changed the calendar to make it the same as that of other European nations and even required that his courtiers dress in a European fashion.

Frederick II the Great (1740-1786)
King of Prussia; he remains one of the most famous German kings; fought the Seven Year War successfully against France, Russia and Austria; like Alexander, Frederick II was a masterful warfare genius who was able to gain success against larger enemies; he strengthened Prussia into one of the most powerful European states of the time.

Catherine the Great (1762-1796)
Catherine, originally from Prussia, married Peter III of Russia, who was the heir to the Russian dynasty. Six months after he ascended to power, Peter III was murdered and Catherine was proclaimed the Empress of Russia. She admired Enlightenment authors and become a paradigm for "Enlightened Monarchs."

(NB: Dates mentioned refer to dates of reign or political power)