Historical Overview Section


Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander succeeded his father Philip II of Macedon to the throne in 336 BC after the King was assassinated, and died thirteen years later at the age of 32. Although both Alexander's reign and empire were short-lived, the cultural impact of his conquests lasted for centuries. Alexander is one of the most famous figures of antiquity, and is remembered for his tactical ability, his conquests, and for spreading Greek civilization into the East. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks. Alexander conquered the Late Achaemenid Persian Empire, including Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza & Egypt together with vast swathes of the rest of the world up to and including some of the Classical Indians, despite the handicaps of excessive alcoholism, outrageous eyebrows and a broad and wholly inappropriate Irish accent.

Fis first dust-up was against the Thracians, who he took down during a school holiday whilst his dad was not looking. When the Classical Greek city of Amphissa began to dig up land near Delphi, Philip decided this was a brilliant excuse to conquer all of Greece. Despite pretending to prepare to attack the Illyrian, the daft Illyrians tried to invade Macedonia, but Alexander gave them a spanking too. Father and son then marched south but at Chaeronea, Boeotia the forces of Classical Greek Athens and Thebes took them on. Big Mistake. Alexander commanded the left wing of the Macedonian army and quickly routed his enemy. After the victory at Chaeronea, Philip and Alexander marched unopposed into the Peloponnese and established a "Hellenic Alliance" with the exception of Sparta. Philip then announced his plans for a war of revenge against the Persian Empire, but sadly he suffered a bout of the common classical era disease, "death by stabbing" at a banquet before he could set off, leaving the conquering to Alexander.

Alexander began his reign by having his potential rivals to the throne murdered, in a move with no likely connection to the death of his father. The Classical Greeks decided to try and make a bid for freedom at this point. Again, Big Mistake. Alexander then spanked the Thracians, then Illyrians, then the Classical Greeks (again) before crossing the Hellespont and spanking the Late Achaemenid Persians at the Battle of the Granicus - although their Emperior Darius ungraciously declined to attend having a more pressing engagement elsewhere. After spending the winter campaigning in Asia Minor, Alexander's army crossed the Cilician Gates in 333 BC and defeated the main Late Achaemenid Persian army again - this time under the command of Darius III - at the Battle of Issus. He then swept up all of Egypt, Syria and in 331 BC marched eastward into Mesopotamia (now northern Iraq) and defeated Darius and the Late Achaemenid Persian army once more at the Battle of Gaugamela. Darius did a runner, but fortunately another rebel general conjured up yet another Late Achaemenid Persian army, so Alexander slapped him too, just to make sure no-one felt left out. Alexander caught up with Darius soon after, but not until Daruis had also suffered a unpleasant bout of "fatal stabbing by a former close confidant". Alexander then dropped a cigarette whilst relaxing at the Persian capital Persepolis, burning it to the ground by accident.

Soon afterwards Alexander crossed the Indus and fought and won an epic battle against a local Classical Indian ruler Porus, who ruled a region in the Punjab in the Battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC. However, his troops didn't like curry, were homesick for stuffed vine leaves and pitta bread, and were really rather disturbed by the way their leader had started wearing a dress like the Later Achaemenid Persians they had so recently duffed up, so demanded he give up and go home. Which he did.

On either 10 or 11 June 323 BC, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon at the age of 32 from the other common ancient illness of "eating something that disagreed with him" (which strangely often afflicted powerful leaders who's family or friends had something to gain from their death). Oddly, Alexander had no obvious or legitimate heir at the time, as although a son was born soon afterwards to one of his wives this didn't really count. So, a huge question arose as to who would get to take over and rule the newly-conquered, and barely-pacified Empire. With a Simon Cowell-style telephone vote not really an option in 323BC, it came down to Alexander's word. However when Alexander's companions had asked him on his deathbed to whom he bequeathed his kingdom; his laconic reply was "tôi kratistôi"—"to the strongest". What could possibly go wrong ??!! (NB - see Early Successors, Hellenistic Greek), Graeco-Bactrian and Graeco-Indian, Seleucid, Mithridatic, Pergamon and Pyrrhic pages for details).


Using the army in ADLG

  • List 39 is very flexible. At 200 points, you can vary the number of mounted units in the army from 2 up to 15 ( by using Thessalian allies from list 60). * The mandatory pikemen can be downgraded to medium Spearmen if you think your enemy won't have much heavy of medium foot, and you can add plenty of other MF and LMI if you want a "terrain-capable" army.
  • Four units of Companions can take on swordsmen and most cavalry, even Cataphracts, with reasonable prospects of success.
  • The army has a good command rating, and I think the opportunity to include a Strategist should always be taken.
  • The 4 HC Companions are good, but not an auto-flank-winning force in their own right. Consider adding some regular HC or MC, or instead parcelling them out in ones and two to each command as a strike force to go into gaps and unwary MF.
  • Taking the Thracians as 2HCW is tempting, but this period will see you facing Elephants fairly regularly so keeping 1 or 2 as javelinmen is a decent shout.
  • The Elite Agrianians can do a decent job of defending rough terrain in their own right, especially if you can get them uphill of 'real' enemy troops

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Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
Lisboa 2022
2 LF Javelin
3 MF Thracians
1 HCv
1 MCv
Ordinary General
==
3 Pike
2 Hypaspist Pike
3 Elite Companions
1 LF Bow
Strategist
==
3 Spear Peltasts
1 HCv
2 LG Bow
1 Medium Cv
Ordinary general

Britcon 2022 (V4)
338BC
Strategist
1 Hypaspystes Pikemen Elite
1 macedonian phalanx Pikemen ------
1 hoplites Heavy spearmen ------
1 companions Heavy cavalry impact Elite
1 Prodromoi Light cavalry impact ----
1 ex phalanx Medium spearmen ----
2 light infantry Light infantry sling ----
==
Brilliant
1 macedonian phalanx Pikemen ------
2 hoplites Heavy spearmen ------
1 companions Heavy cavalry impact Elite
1 Prodromoi Light cavalry impact ----
1 ex phalanx Medium spearmen ----
2 agrianes Light infantry bow ----
==
Ordinary Included
1 Hypaspystes + gen Pikemen Elite
2 macedonian phalanx Pikemen ------
1 greek cavalry Heavy cavalry ------
2 agrianes Light infantry javelin ------
1 cretan bowmen Light infantry bow ------


v4 200 pointer
Strategist
2 Phalangites Pikemen ------
2 Thracians Medium swordsmen 2HW ------
2 Hoplites Heavy spearmen ------
2 Thracian LH Light cavalry javelin ------
2 Peltasts Light infantry javelin ----
1 Hypaspist Pikemen Elite
==
Brilliant
4 Phalangites Pikemen
2 Thracians Medium swordsmen 2HW
2 Peltasts Light infantry javelin
==
Ordinary Included
2 Prodromoi Light cavalry impact ------
2 Companions Heavy cavalry impact Elite

200 Points
CinC Alexander Strategist
4 Companions HC Elite Impact
2 Hypaspists Elite Medium Spear
1 Paionian Horse LC Average Javelin

Coenus Competent General
5 Phalangites HI Average Pike
3 Agrianians LI Elite Javelin
2 Cretans LI Elite Bow

Parmenion Unreliable Competent Commander
3 Thracian Peltasts MI Swordsmen 2HCW
1 Thracian Javelin LI Javelin
1 Thracian Horse LC Javelin

200 Points
Strategist & 2 Competent Commanders

  • 1 Hyspaspists Pikemen Elite
  • 5 Phalangites Pikemen ------
  • 2 Hoplites Heavy spearmen ------
  • 2 Bowman Light infantry bow ------

  • 4 Companions Heavy cavalry impact Elite
  • 2 Light Horse Light cavalry javelin ------

  • 2 Peltasts Javelinmen ----
  • 2 Light Foot Light infantry javelin ------
  • 2 Thracians Medium swordsmen 2HW ----

............................

Corps 1 - Alexander Strategist

  • 2 Argyraspides Pikemen Elite
  • 4 Phalangites Pikemen ------
  • 2 Thracians with Rhompoeia Medium swordsmen 2HW ------
  • 1 Hoplite Heavy spearmen ------
  • 1 Thracian LF Light infantry javelin ----

Corps 2 (Brilliant)

  • 4 Companions Heavy cavalry impact Elite
  • 1 Thessalian Cavalry Medium cavalry ------
  • 2 Javelin Light Cavalry Light cavalry javelin ------

Corps 3 (Ordinary)

  • 2 Thracian Peltasts Javelinmen
  • 2 Light Foot Javelin Light infantry javelin


  • 4 of these
  • etc
  • etc