Alexander landed in Asia with 35,000 men. His first major battle was at the .
But the ultimate secret? He never lost a battle – but he lost his empire because he never taught anyone else how to win without him.
Upon Philip’s assassination, Alexander didn’t wait. He executed potential claimants to the throne and crushed the Theban rebellion by razing Thebes to the ground, selling survivors into slavery.
In modern-day Afghanistan, Alexander faced a guerrilla war. Instead of retreating, he married Roxana, a local chieftain’s daughter, adopted Persian dress, and introduced proskynesis (bowing to the king).
Tyre was a walled island city half a mile from shore. Alexander built a using rubble from the old city, then constructed siege towers. After seven months, Tyre fell.
Darius III’s massive Persian army pinned Alexander against the Mediterranean. Instead of retreating, Alexander used the narrow coastal plain to neutralize Persia’s numerical advantage.