Alexander the Great: Duo of Coins

Alexander the Great

The son of Philip II ascended to the Macedonian throne in 336 BC and quickly liquidated potential rivals in order to consolidate his political power in Greece. Schooled in war and politics by his father and in everything else by the legendary Greek philosopher Aristotle, Alexander was a remarkable person who combined military skill and political vision with literary bent, some romanticism and a taste for adventure.

While only living a short thirty-three years, Alexander was able to conquer the Persian Empire, carry Macedonian arms to India and lay the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms. In his astonishing career, he never lost a battle but won smashing victories over forces superior in number. By taking control of almost the entire known world, his people and troops admired him as godlike and invincible. Alexander the Great changed the world in several significant ways: he brought the Greeks a new way of fighting, he taught the Persians the Greek way of life and everyone in his empire a view of the wide world. His sudden death in 323 BC is still shrouded in mystery until today.