Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-07-15
THE WORLDS
GREAT EVENTS
ALBERT PAYsoN TERHUElE


The boy was Alexander, king q
the little northern Greek state q
Macedonia. He Is known as Alexan-
der the Great.
In spite OF the brave resistance al
Marathon and elsewhere the barbarouz
world-power OF Persia. after conquer
ing practically all Of Asia. had again
turned Its hordes against Greece.
sweeping the whole luckless country
and well-nigh stamping out the last
moldering sparks OF civilization. This
outrage Alexander determined "a
avenge. His father. King Philip. had
made himself practical master Of
Greece. and Alexander himself. com
Ing TO the throne at the age Of twenty,
had completed that subjugation. Then
he set himself TO the task Of crushing
Persia. The plan was laughable tn
It's audacity. Alexander's army OF In
vasion consisted Of barely $4,000 men.
The Persian emperor, Darius could
put into the field millions Of soldiers
Nevertheless. with his well-drilled
$4,000 Alexander crossed the Hell
lespont In 8S4 B. @. and marched bold
ly into Persian territory.
From the flrst he thrust aside the
mighty but ill-organlxed resistance OF
the Persian armies and, as he adj
Vanced, his name spread terror among
his foes and made his progress easier.
He arrived at the ancient city Of
Gordium. There he was shown
chariot, whose pole was fastened to
it's yoke by a curious and intricate
knot He was told that. according to
prophecy. the man who could undo
that knot should become lord OF all
Asia. Many had tried and failed.
With one blow Of his sword Alexander
slashed the Gordian knot In two. The
prophecy was considered fulfilled and
he was hailed as the coming Asian
ruler.
Meantime. Darius. with q host OF
100000 men. marched against the
youthful conqueror. Alexander lured
him into the narrow valley Of Issus,
and there, where there was no room
for the huge Persian army 10 deploy,
be fell upon and routed IT.
Onward marched Alexander. con-
querIng everywhere, SEEKING Syria and
Egypt and pushing ahead toward the
Persian capital. Darius. with another
Incredibly huge army. opposed him at
Arbela, but the Persian host fed at
AlexaAder's first charge. The con-
queror continued on his triumphant
way, capturing all Persia and pushing
forward to India. After stubborn re-
sistance from the native king, Porus,
he subdued the whole land.
Persia, as in the time OF Marathon,
was a more or less barbarous country.
Greece was stiIi the stronghold OF eul-
ture and education. Wherever Alex
anders conquests went civilization
and learning went also.
Alexander was for continuing his
onward march after the conquest Of
India, but his wearied soldiers refused
to 60 farther into the unknown. When,
he turned back, ENJOYS
from nearly every country IN the
world met him. offering submission.
Now that, as master Of the world, |
he could rest, the less worthy side of /
nature cropped out. He
declared that no mortal man could |
have achieved all that he had and that
he must therefore be g god. the son of
Jupiter. BE went on TO assert that as
mankind must, after his death, wor-
ship him az a god they might as well
begin at once. Callisthenes, one Of his
wisest counselors. opposed the plan,
seclaring II blasphemous Alexander
had him tortured and killed. AS
lad Alexander had had three tutors.
One had taught him TO believe himself
! deity. Another had disciplined him
severely and had striven to teach him
The third (Aristotlel had
Impaired TO him the love Of learning.
Having practiced the precepts Of the
Iecond and third tutors and thereby
the world. he now turned to
he mad teachings Of the first
He declared himself a god and be-
ieved II. He tried TO make his army
him as son Of Jupiter.
7e took to drinking heavily, and In
lis cups would boast loudly Of his
,wn greatness. On one Of these 0cca-
ions he claimed credit not only for
What he himself had done, but for
Ieroic feats performed By others long
'efore he was born. His dearest
riend, Clitus. demonstrated with him
or these lies. and Alexander, snatch
ng a spear from a guard, ran him
through. Sobered by his own terrible
eed the unhappy monarch declared
imself. with some truth, not At to live
nd tried 10 starve himself to death.
Soon after he was found weeping
iolenfly. A courtier asked:
why should the divine conqueror
Z the world shed tearsTp
Because there are no more worlds
, conquer =" sobbed the king.
A three-day drunken orgy at Baby
"a IN s28 B, @. threw him into a vio-
mt fever. and after q brief Illness
e died. He was barely thirty-two
ears old and had relgned but twelve
cara Ia that time he had conquered
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