Ancient History

There is no way I can talk about Alexander the Great in one short article. He was called Great for a reason. However, I can talk about his deeds, his life, and his conquests over through a series of posts. My friend, BlogSire, requested some information about Alexander, so I’ll do it from time to time.

Alexander was born around 356 BC, to King Philip of Macedonia. Alexander’s mother, Olympias, was a princess from a neighboring province called Epirus. She was always seen as an outsider in Philip’s court, and it was said that Alexander was fathered by the great god, Zeus, rather than Philip. Legend says that one night Philip came to his wife, only to find a serpent slithering around her. Shortly thereafter, she became pregnant with Alexander.

At the age of 13, Alexander gained a new teacher named Aristotle. The great teacher/philosopher installed a love of literature in Alexander, as well as knowledge of science and medicine. By the time Alexander was 16, he was ruling Macedonia as regent, while his father fought in distant wars. He was always seen as an intelligent and worthy replacement for his father.

Around Alexander’s 20^th year, King Philip married a Macedonian woman. Her uncle remarked that the king could now produce a legitimate heir to the throne, which sent Alexander into a rage. His father, tried to attack Alexander for throwing such an outright fit, but tripped and fell due to his drunken state.

Shortly thereafter, the king was assassinated by a nobleman. Some say the young man killed the king because of the new bride’s uncle, while others say that Alexander and his mother paid the nobleman to kill the king. Either way, the nobleman was murdered almost immediately for his deeds. However, because the king was dead and had not produced a fully Macedonian heir, Alexander the Great became Alexander III, King of Macedonia.

Canute was a Viking king who ruled the first truly unified England. He came to power in 1016 AD, defeating the Anglo-Saxon king Aethelred. A year later, Canute married Aethelred’s widow and fathered 2 children with her. Being a Viking ruler, Canute kept the vikings from invading England and brought about a time of peace and prosperity.

Canute was a devote Christian and allowed Christianity to flourish during his reign. He was attributed as having many new churches built as a way to atone for the evils done by his forefathers. He also brought beautiful artwork to the forefront of English society of the time, and kept the English justice system in place.

Canute died in 1035 at the age of 40, leaving his united kingdom in the hands of his sons. Harold, a son from an English mistress, became king for only five years before his death. That left his youngest son, Harthacnut, to rule as king. Harthacnut died after only two years of rule and was only known for the impossible taxes he had imposed on his people.

Because none of Canute’s heirs had children of their own, the country was passed on to the oldest child of Canute’s wife from her first husband, Aethelred. He would come to be known throughout history as Edward the Confessor.