The Extraordinary Journey of Alexander the Great Quiz

Answer: true

The Argead Dynasty was a powerful Macedonian dynasty. The house presided over Macedonia from 700 BCE to 310 BCE when Alexander's principal wife, Roxana, and their son Alexander were murdered by one of Alexander's successors. The Argeads claimed that they descended from the Temenids of Argos in the Peloponnese.

Their great ancestor was Temenus who coincidentally was also the great-great grandson of the legendary demi-god Hercules. Then on his mother Olympia's side (who belonged to the dynasty of Aeacids) Alexander claimed descent from Neoptolemus, who was the son of the legendary Achilles.

Answer: His own shadow

Alexander and Bucephalus history started when Alexander was thirteen. Plutarch tells the story that Bucephalus had been brought to Philip II (Alexander's father) to be bought for a sum of thirteen talents, however no one could tame the horse, so Philip wasn't interested. Alexander himself, though, was. He promised his father he would pay for the horse himself if he failed to tame it. Alexander then surprised them all when he managed to tame the horse by turning him toward the sun so he could no longer see his own shadow. It is reported that when Philip saw this he remarked, "O, my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee."

According to Plutarch, Bucephalus died when he was thirty. Alexander named a city for him called Bucephala.

Answer: true

Plutarch reports that at the wedding of Philip and Cleopatra Eurydice (the niece of Attlalus), that Attalus in his cups made a speech and reportedly prayed to the gods that Philip and Cleopatra's marriage would be graced by a true Macedonian heir. This enraged Alexander who reportedly said to Attlalus, 'You villian. What am I then? A bastard?' This in turn enraged Philip and taking the side of Attalus went to attempt to run his son through, but that in his rage he tripped and fell to the floor. Alexander looking at him scornfully said 'See there. The man who makes preparations to pass out of Europe into Asia, overturned in the passing of one seat to another'.

Later Alexander fled from Macedonia with his mother Olympias to Epirus.

Answer: Roxana

Roxana was Alexander's first wife and after he married her, he became married two other women to cement his position in Persia. The women's names were Stateira II and Parysatis II. Stateira was Darius' own daughter and Parysatis was the daughter of one of the Persian nobles.

It is reported that after the sudden death of Alexander, Roxana ordered the killing of both Stateira and Parysatis in order to cement her position. Roxana and her son Alexander, were later executed in 310 B.C.E by Cassander, one of Alexander's successors. Olympias was Alexander's mother who was known to have been quite protective of her son.

Answer: Thebes

Pella is where Alexander was born in 356 B.C.E. Interestingly, Alexander was born on the same day that the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed by a fire. Athens was one of Alexander's cities. Olympia was the name of Alexander's mother.

Answer: Aristotle

Aristotle tutored Alexander from when he was thirteen until he was sixteen. Plato was the tutor of Aristotle and Socrates was the tutor of Plato. During the three years he was Alexander's tutor, Aristotle not only gave Alexander an education in literature and rhetoric but also stimulated Alexander's interest in medicine, science and philosophy.

Hephaestion was a Macedonian nobleman who was a close and lifelong friend of Alexander's and also a general in his army.

Answer: Carthage

Alexander succeeded his father Philip II of Macedon at the age of twenty and by the time of his sudden death thirteen years later his enormous empire included Greece, parts of modern day Bulgaria, Persia (modern day Iran), India, Asia Minor (which included modern day Turkey), Syria, Pakistan and Palestine (modern day Israel), also Egypt, Mespotamia (Iraq), Bactria and Sogidana (Afghanistan and parts of Uzbekhistan).

Answer: Zeus

According to legend on the eve of the consumnation of her marriage, Olympias dreamed of being struck by a thunder bolt that spread far and wide before dying away. According to Plutarch this could be interpretated as Zeus being the father of Olympias' child.

Indeed Philip himself later declared that he had dreamed of seeing himself sealing his wife's womb with the image of a lion engraved upon it. Dionysus was the god Olympias worshipped and Ares is known as the Greek god of war and Hermes as the messenger of the gods.

Answer: Julius Caesar

Hannibal the Carthagian was considered like Alexander as one of the greatest miltary commanders of his time and one of his most famous achievements perhaps was, during the Second Punic War, he marched an army from Iberia in the Pyrenees into Italy which included war elephants. Over the following three years he won three dramatic victories in Italy. Octavian was one of the successors of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra was one of the lovers of Julius Caesar.

Answer: Attalus

Attalus was the uncle of Philip's (Alexander's father) last wife Cleopatra who once insulted Alexander publicly while in his cups. Cassander was one of the successors of Alexander's who later killed Alexander's son and his wife Roxana. Hephaestion was a life long friend of Alexander's and one of his generals. Antipater was the regent for Alexander's son Alexander IV.