The Ancients Alexander the Great | Rise to Power
Feb 5, 2026
Dr Adrian Goldsworthy, historian and author of ancient military history, guides a vivid portrait of Alexander’s rise. Short takes cover his upbringing under Aristotle, the Bucephalus legend, early battlefield fame at Chaeronea, Philip II’s politics, the assassination fallout, and how Alexander consolidated power before turning east.
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Macedonia's Peripheral Power
- Macedonia sat on the fringe of the Greek world and lacked the dense civic life of southern Greece.
- Its resources and frontier position made it ripe for a strong leader like Philip to transform it into a regional power.
Rule By Companions
- Macedonian royal rule relied on kinship and personal loyalty rather than civic citizenship.
- The hetairoi (companions) system tied aristocratic followers to the king through reciprocal obligations.
Taming Bucephalus
- A young Alexander tames the wild horse Bucephalus by turning it toward the sun to hide its shadow.
- Philip famously remarks 'Macedon is too small for you' after the feat, foreshadowing Alexander's destiny.
