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Alexander the Great was the first Conquer Called Great
Alexander and Bucephalus
Every country has
had great leaders. The United States had George Washington, Abraham Lincoln,
Roosevelt, heroes by way of deeds. Greece had Aristotle, Socrates, and
Alexander. Alexander the Great was the son of Philip, king of Macedonia.
One autumn day,
when Alexander was a young boy, a horse dealer offered to sell to Philip, at
the low price of only twenty dinars, a horse. Philip asked his horse trainers
to break in the horse so as he could decide if he wanted to buy the horse, but
after many attempts; the men weren’t able stay on the big black stallion.
Philip ordered the horse to be led away since he would be of no use.
Young Alexander,
who was standing nearby, had been an interested observer of the many attempts
that were made to subdue the horse.
“That is an
excellent horse but they don’t know how to manage him,” he said.
When he kept
repeating what a great horse it was his dad finally said, “Do you think you can
manage the horse better than any of my men?”
“Yes, I’m certain
I can.”
“And if you do
not, what price will you pay me?”
“I will pay the
price of the horse.”
The people
standing around listening to the twelve year old talking to his dad burst into
subdued laughter at the boy’s remark. They all looked forward to more
amusement.
Alexander had
noticed the problem... The horse seemed to be afraid of its shadow. When the
bets were all settled between his dad and other betters, Alexander walked into
the coral and taking hold of the bridal reins turned the black Arabian stallion
to face the sun. The shadow moved behind them. For a time he patted and talked
to the horse while the King’s and his entourage looked on. The horse gradually
calmed down under Alexander’s voice, and touch. Within ten minutes Alexander
raised his hand for the gate to be opened. He leaped upon the stallion. He
stuck low to the horse as it raced through the arena gate out into the
Babylonian country-side.
With the reins
hanging loose, the horse ran free for more than 500 furlongs. Then Alexander
turned back, out of sight of the King, and his subjects. Atop of the stallion
at a slow parade walk, just as any conquering king would do, rode toward the
crowd. Everyone cheered. Philip, with tears of joy, kissed his son.
“Macedonia will never
be big enough for you and your horse, “he declared. “After I’m gone you will
seek out a kingdom worthy of you.”
And so it was.
Alexander
named the horse Bucephalus meaning “Father I Go.” The two of them subsequently
went forth in the same year his father was murdered; he was nine-teen years
old. With the “Kings Home Corps,” he made his first destination Persia. The
Persia king had an 800,000 army against Alexander’s 50,000. Alexander led his
Army brilliantly by being in the front lines, speed, attack and divide, the sun
in the enemy’s face. The king of Persia fled back to Damascus and soon went
insane over the loss of his men.
Alexander went on conquering, with fifty-two
major battles. Winning all fifty-two. Eventually he conquered India, thought to
be the end of world. Bucephalus and Alex had saved each others lives many
times. No human in all history, before or since, has conquered as vast an empire. Shortly
after the two of them reached Southern India, Bucephalus died. Alexander
honored his Black Stallion by naming a Providence in Northern Persia, Wallace,
oops…I mean Bucephalus.
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.