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he then used to conquer his neighbors and create a Macedonian
empire.x When Philip was assassinated in 336 B.C., Alexander succeeded
to the throne at the age of 20. The young king quickly secured
his position, getting the army to swear an oath of loyalty to
him personally, killing any who might be potential rivals, and
suppressing several revolts.The Opponents
x At the time of his death, Philip had been planning an expedition
against Persia’s westernmost regions, ostensibly in revenge for
Persia’s invasions of Greece more than 100 years earlier. Alexander
now took up this plan, and in the spring of 334 B.C., he crossed the
Hellespont into Asia at the head of a Macedonian-Greek army of
approximately 45,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry.
x The Persian Empire at the time of Alexander unquestionably
remained the superpower of the region. The current king of kings
was Darius III, who had come to the throne in 336 B.C. The ancient
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portraits of Darius, with most depicting him as weak and indecisive.
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rebellion in Egypt.The Macedonian Army and Its Technology
x In revamping the Macedonian army, Philip made a number of
innovations to the successful model of the Greek hoplite phalanx:
o He equipped the Macedonian phalanx with an extra-long spear
called a sarissa, rather than the shorter spear of the hoplite.
o He lightened the soldiers’ armor, particularly reducing the size
and weight of the shield.x Maintaining order in wielding these weapons required considerable
drilling and discipline; thus, Philip made his army a permanent,