Alexander the Great... and his horse!
Plus, Gordian Knot and his time with Diogenes
Dear Classical Wisdom Kids,
Nothing says a “Side trip” than literally going to the town of Side.
Beside the lure of bad puns (which was strong), we wanted to venture there because of a fantastically intact ancient city.
Founded by Greek settlers from Cyme in Aeolis in the 7th century BC, its strategic position, including a good harbor for small craft and natural geography, made it one of the most important trade centers in the region.
In 333 BC, Alexander the Great came and conquered without any struggle at all. Indeed, he left only one garrison behind... but that was sufficient to spread Hellenistic culture, which flourished from the 4th to the 1st century BC.
But Side is not the only place affected by the Macedonian King and conqueror... indeed, full regions still bear the evidence of his impact. So today’s lesson looks at the life and legacy of Alexander the Great.
Included is how he got his famous horse... how he dealt with the Gordian Knot (Frida’s favorite story)... as well as his time with Diogenes the Dog.
Classical Wisdom Kid Club Members, please enjoys today’s worksheets, printables (including a maze) and fun activities!
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom and Classical Wisdom Kids
P.S. After Alexander’s death, Side went to the Ptolemies of Egypt before being conquered by the Succledian empire in the 2nd century BC. Nonetheless, the small town continued to flourish under different empires and dominions until eventually coming under the purview of Rome.
Today, the great ruins are among the most notable in Asia Minor!
Alexander the Great
By Sean Kelly
Alexander the Great was one of the most important people who ever lived.
He was in charge of a huge empire, one of the biggest the world has ever seen! Even though he was a prince, and already had a kingdom, he always wanted more.
Alexander was from a place called Macedonia. His father was Philip II (Philip the Second), who was a great and important king. He wanted the best for his son growing up. So he arranged for his son to be tutored by Aristotle, one of the most important philosophers that ever lived.
Aristotle taught Alexander many lessons and the importance of wisdom.
Alexander also learned great stories about the city of Troy. Stories about Achilles were especially important to Alexander. He wanted to be like Achilles and leave behind a great legacy.
In fact, Alexander believed that he was descended from both Achilles and Hercules, two of the greatest Greek heroes of all.
Bucephalus
When Alexander was about twelve years old, a man offered Philip a horse. Philip wasn’t interested because it was very expensive, but Alexander was. The reason Philip wasn’t interested was because no one could tame the horse! Alexander and Philip ended up making a bet. Alexander bet that he would be able to tame the horse and so Philip agreed that he would buy the horse if Alexander could tame it.
Alexander was able to work out that the horse was scared of its shadow. He was able to direct him in a way so that he couldn’t see it anymore. The horse calmed down and was tamed.
Alexander named the horse Bucephalus, and he became one of his most important and best friends. They went on many adventures together and Alexander rode Bucephalus into battle lots of times!
Philip was so impressed by Alexander taming the wild Bucephalus, he said “Macedonia is too small for you!” Philip turned out to be very right. Even when he was still a young man, Alexander started winning important battles. He was famous for his cunning and clever strategies, as well as the strength of his armies.
In fact, Alexander never lost a single battle!
By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He founded more than twenty cities, with the most prominent being the city of Alexandria in Egypt. He named a lot of cities after himself, though one was named after his horse, Bucephalus! He spread Greek culture around his empire, but he also adopted a lot of local customs as he went. Many (though not all) saw him as a liberator.
The Gordian Knot
One famous story about Alexander is when he encountered the Gordian Knot. This was a knot that had been tied up in a very, VERY complicated way. There was a local legend which said that whoever was able to untie the knot would have a great destiny. Lots of people had tried to untie the knot, but no one had ever succeeded.
When Alexander came to the knot and heard the legend, he did something no one had ever thought to do before. He simply took his sword and cut the knot in half! He said, “The knot is untied.”
Alexander would think about problems in ways other people wouldn’t!
Diogenes
Alexander also met Diogenes of Sinope (also known as Diogenes the Dog). He was a famous philosopher who lived in a barrel and taught people how to question the world around them. Alexander was very impressed by his wisdom and the stories he had heard about him. Alexander always respected philosophers.
When Alexander met Diogenes, Alexander offered him anything he wanted in the world. Diogenes simply asked him to stay out of his sunlight! Alexander was so impressed by him, he said “If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes!”
Alexander changed the world, and his impact was felt for centuries afterwards. Many aspects of the ancient world were shaped by him. Alexander wanted to leave a great legacy, and that’s exactly what he did.
Be aMAZED: Help Alexander and his horse Bucephalus find India!
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