Alexander in the Central Asia
Alexander in Central Asia
The Persian king was no longer in control of his destiny, having been taken prisoner by Bessus, his Bactrian satrap and kinsman. As Alexander approached, Bessus had his men fatally stab the Great King and then declared himself Darius' successor as Artaxerxes V, before retreating into Central Asia to launch a guerrilla campaign against Alexander. Darius' remains were buried by Alexander next to his Achaemenid predecessors in a full regal funeral. Alexander claimed that, while dying, Darius had named him as his successor to the Achaemenid throne. The Achaemenid Empire is normally considered to have fallen with the death of Darius. Having paid funeral honours to the deceased Persian czar, Alexander proceeded with pursuing Bess as a traitor and usurper. To resist the Macedonian czar Bess adopted Akheminids throne name, Artakserks, and managed to rally under his banners Baktrians, Sogdians and nomads who lived beyond the Yaksart (Syr-Darya). They all took up the call to repulse the Greek conqueror. However, when the Greek and Macedonian armies approached, Bess withdrew his followers away to Central Asia. Haunting Bess, Alexander found himself at a threshold of an uncharted world, because the Greeks believed that oykumena – inhabited world – was Europe, Asia and Africa. Alexander, now considering himself the legitimate successor to Darius, viewed Bessus as a usurper to the Achaemenid throne, and set out to defeat him. This campaign, initially against Bessus, turned into a grand tour of central Asia, with Alexander founding a series of new cities, all called Alexandria, including modern Kandahar in Afghanistan, and Alexandria Eschate ("The Furthest") in modern Tajikistan. The campaign took Alexander through Media, Parthia, Aria (West Afghanistan), Drangiana, Arachosia (South and Central Afghanistan), Bactria (North and Central Afghanistan), and Scythia. In early spring of 329 B. C., having managed
The Persian king was no longer in control of his destiny, having been taken prisoner by Bessus, his Bactrian satrap and kinsman. As Alexander approached, Bessus had his men fatally stab the Great King and then declared himself Darius' successor as Artaxerxes V, before retreating into Central Asia to launch a guerrilla campaign against Alexander. Darius' remains were buried by Alexander next to his Achaemenid predecessors in a full regal funeral. Alexander claimed that, while dying, Darius had named him as his successor to the Achaemenid throne. The Achaemenid Empire is normally considered to have fallen with the death of Darius. Having paid funeral honours to the deceased Persian czar, Alexander proceeded with pursuing Bess as a traitor and usurper. To resist the Macedonian czar Bess adopted Akheminids throne name, Artakserks, and managed to rally under his banners Baktrians, Sogdians and nomads who lived beyond the Yaksart (Syr-Darya). They all took up the call to repulse the Greek conqueror. However, when the Greek and Macedonian armies approached, Bess withdrew his followers away to Central Asia. Haunting Bess, Alexander found himself at a threshold of an uncharted world, because the Greeks believed that oykumena – inhabited world – was Europe, Asia and Africa. Alexander, now considering himself the legitimate successor to Darius, viewed Bessus as a usurper to the Achaemenid throne, and set out to defeat him. This campaign, initially against Bessus, turned into a grand tour of central Asia, with Alexander founding a series of new cities, all called Alexandria, including modern Kandahar in Afghanistan, and Alexandria Eschate ("The Furthest") in modern Tajikistan. The campaign took Alexander through Media, Parthia, Aria (West Afghanistan), Drangiana, Arachosia (South and Central Afghanistan), Bactria (North and Central Afghanistan), and Scythia. In early spring of 329 B. C., having managed