7 The 100 Most Influential World Leaders of All Time 7Alexander had advanced to the Hyphasis (probably
the modern Beas) River when his army mutinied. On find-
ing the army adamant, he agreed to turn back. Alexander
then proceeded down the Indus River, with half his forces
on shipboard and half marching down the two banks, bru-
tally pillaging as they went along.
Consolidation of the Empire
In the spring of 324, Alexander was back in Susa. There
Alexander held a feast to celebrate the seizure of the
Persian Empire. Attempting to further his policy of fusing
Macedonians and Persians into one master race, he and 80
of his officers took Persian wives. This policy of racial
fusion brought increasing friction to Alexander’s relations
with his Macedonian people, who had no sympathy for his
changed concept of the empire. His determination to
incorporate Persians on equal terms in the army and the
administration of the provinces was bitterly resented. The
issue came to a head later that year at Opis, when
Alexander’s decision to send home Macedonian veterans
was interpreted as a move toward transferring the seat of
power to Asia. There was an open mutiny involving all but
the royal bodyguard; but when Alexander dismissed his
whole army and enrolled Persians instead, the opposition
broke down. An emotional scene of reconciliation was
followed by a vast banquet with 9,000 guests to celebrate
the end of the misunderstanding and the partnership in
government of Macedonians and Persians. Ten thousand
veterans were sent back to Macedonia with gifts, and the
crisis was surmounted.
Also in 324, Alexander demanded that he should be
accorded divine honours. At this point, he seems to have
become convinced of his own divinity and demanded its
acceptance by others, a symptom of growing megalomania