Alexander XI Poliorketes
| Alexander IX Basileus Theos | |
|---|---|
| Basileus of the Alcaenian Empire | |
| Reign | 349 – 315 BC |
| Coronation | 348 BC |
| Predecessor | Philip IV Ktistes |
| Successor | Alexander XII |
| Born | 23 July 370 BC Pella |
| Died | 315 BC |
| Spouse |
|
| Dynasty | Aegaid dynasty |
| Father | Philip IV |
| Mother | WIP |
Alexander XI Poliorkete (23 July 370 BC - 9 September 315 BC) widely known as Alexander the Great, the Besiger of cities was the 2nd Emperor of the Alcaenian empire, (and 47th monarch to reign over what is now modern Mesogeia). His reign of thirty-four years is unprecedented in the history of Mesogeia, because for the entirety of his reign he waged numerous wars that expanded and increased the power and prestige of the Alcaenian Empire. He waged a lengthy war with the Voreiastanians in an attempt to subjugate the whole of Voreia under his rule.
The legacy of Alexander IX is far reaching on modern Mesogeian society. Modern historians have cited his reign as a major turning point in the history of Mesogeia for a number of reasons; most notably its impact on Mesogeian culture, society and history as whole. Alexander left a lasting legacy on the landscape of Mesogeia, from the various cities bearing his name, to the monuments that he constructed, to the cities that he destroyed in his wars of conquest. Furthermore Alexander IX is hailed as a military genius and his tactics and military strategies are taught in military academies in Mesogeia and throughout the world. He is often ranked relatively high in lists of the most important monarchs of Mesogeia.
Early life
Divine birth
Alexander was born 23 July 370 BC, in Pella, the capital of the Mygdonian kingdom, then a vassal state of the larger and more expansive Azgartian empire. He was son of Philip IV and his fifth wife Berenice. Myths surrounding his birth claim that his mother dreamed a thunderbolt struck her womb. While his father Philip IV dreamt that his wife bore a lion in her belly that would consume the world.
The court astrologers at the time concluded that the young prince was of divine parentage and that he would conquer the world. A birthmark in the shape of a thunderbolt on his shoulder was believed to be the mark of the god Hormisdas his actual father. The twenty-third July 370 BC was considered to be an auspicious day as a result of a number of good omens. in the midst of a victory at Potidea, Philip IV received word of the birth of a son, the defeat of a Azgartian army at the kingdom's southern border.
Simultaneously the great temple of Drvaspa in Apasa burned down; people later claiming that the goddess of childbirth was too busy with attending to the birth of the great Alexander to save her greatest temple.
The following year in 369 BC, a combined army of Alcaenian city-states, led by the King of Mygdonia decisively defeated the Azgartian Emperor at the battle of Azgarta, sacking the city and killing the Emperor. The Alcaenian leagues and the various peoples of the fallen Azgartian empire proclaimed Philip sovereign of the newly established Alcaenian empire.
As was tradition Alexander was raised in the Gynaikeion among the women of his father's harem until the age of seven after which time his education and upbringing was entrusted to a male caretaker.
Education
After his education was entrusted to a trusted male advisor of his father Alexander left the gynaikeion to live in the mens quarters commonly referred to as the Andronaion. In regards to his education Alexander was educated in the manner of an Azgartian prince, learning to read, write, play the lyre, ride a horse, wrestle, hunt, and above all honesty.
When Alexander reached the age of 13, his father chose PLACEHOLDER, the leading Mesogeion philosopher of the day as a personal tutor to his son. Under PLACEHOLDER's tutelage Alexander learned philosophy, religion, art, medicine, music, as well as Azgartian-Mesogeian literature.
Accession
Alexander XI became emperor in 349 BC upon the death of his father Philip IV, at Chrysopolis. After consolidating his rule he was crowned in a traditional Azgartian ceremony at Azgarta in 348 BC.
Northern Campaigns
Southern Campaigns
Publicly the Emperor returned to the capital a triumphant victor, but privately he felt himself a failure at having failed to restablish imperial rule over northeast Scipia.
By the time he ended his southern campaigns Alexander's family had grown significantly, he had four wives along with several concubines, and a total of six children. During the remaining eighteen years of his life his wives bore him ten more children. In fact weeks after their return to the capital, his wives Roxana and Stateira each delivered a child, Princess Olympias and Prince Darius respectively. The birth of two healthy children was seen as good omen.
Later reign
Administration
In 332, the aged Craterus, governor of Mygdonia died leaving the Mygdonian governorship vacant. Alexander XI appoints his eldest son Prince Mithridates to the office, then a boy of eighteen. The following month in 332 BC, Alexander appointed his trusted general Ptolemy to the position of Dioiketes, the chief minister of the empire.
Palace intrigue
During the last few years of his reign, Alexander devoting his time to life of luxury and leisure; spending his days feasting, hunting, and indulging in the pleasures of his male and female concubines. The unimaginable orgies that took place in his harem are recorded in the annals of the Imperial chronicles.
The years between 322 and 321 were devastating for Alexander and his family. 322 BC started with the death of the young princess Eurydice, this tragedy was followed by the death of the Emperor's mother Berenice later that same year. The court mourned the death of the Basilometor for several months. Magnificent funeral games befitting a monarch were held in Mithradat-Alcaeia. After her body was embalmed the emperor's mother was entombed in the imperial mausoleum at Farsargadai. The final tragedy occurred in 321 BC. when the crown prince Mithridates died from a sudden illness.
With the death of the Basilometor Berenice, the Emperor's wives Stateira and Parysatis began scheming to place Stateira's eldest son Alcaeus on the throne in the place of Alexander's older sons Mithridates and Alexander. Two factions with opposing views as to who should succeed to the throne formed at court. One faction was centered on Mithridates and later Alexander and composed of Basilissas Cleopatra and Roxana, the Dioiketes Ptolemy, and the Amyntoros family.
A second faction composed of the Basilissas Stateira and Parysatis, the Satrap Antigonus, and the eunuch Bagoas supported prince Alcaeus as a potential candidate for the throne. It was rumored that members of this faction poisoned prince Mithridates while he was in the capital.
Wives, concubines, and issue
Alexander XI like his predecessors kept a harem consisting of both women and young men. A number of his wives and concubines are known to historians including, Cleopatra, Roxana, Stateira, Parysatis, and Thais. He is said to have fathered 17 children by his various wives and concubines.
In 352 BC, few years before his father's death he married Cleopatra his full-blooded sister keeping with ancient custom to keep the imperial line pure. The couple had three children (one son and two daughters).
- Mithridates (b. 350-321) BC; married Arsinoe, died suddenly while at court, had issue)
- Berenice (b. 341- 262 BC; married an Antigonid, one of the leading ladies at court during successive reigns
- Cleopatra II (b. 338-281 BC; married her half-brother Alexander XII, Empress consort)
Nine years after his accession, Alexander married Roxana a Voreian princess in 341 BC and raised her to the rank of Basilissa alongside his sister-wife Cleopatra. It is said that while Alexander married his other wives for political reasons he married Roxana for love. The couple had five children (three sons and two daughters).
- Xerxes (Born and died 340 BC; born stillborn while his father was on campaign)
- Alexander XII (b. 338-296 BC; succeeded his father as Emperor, married Cleopatra, Arsinoe, Barsine, Atossa, Amestris)
- Roxana (b 336-276 BC; married Tiridates)
- Demetrius (b. 334-260 BC; married Apama, and had offspring)
- Olympias (b. 333-278 BC; married Ptolemy, had offspring
Later on in 338 BC double wedding to Stateira and Parysatis his cousins and the heiresses to the deposed Emperor Telephus IV. From those marriages Alexander had offspring. Stateira bore him four children (two sons, and two daughters);
- Alcaeus (b. 337-312 BC; born while his father was on campaign, killed in battle attempting to seize the throne)
- Darius (b. 333-312 BC; supported his brother Alcaeus's bid for the throne, later strangled along with his mother)
- Amestris (b. 330-259 BC; married to her half-brother Alexander XII)
- Sisygambis (b 320-260 BC; married an Troianian nobleman and had issue)
Parysatis bore him five children (three daughters and two sons).
- Artaxerxes (336-312 BC; born while his father campaigned, executed for treason)
- Atossa (331-290 BC; favored wife of Alexander X
- Cassandana (330-264 BC; married a Amyntoros nobleman, had issue)
- Eurydice (331 BC-322; died young
- Tiridates (328-283 BC; spared from execution as a result of the pleas of his sister Atossa)
He is also believed to have kept a concubine by the name of Thais by whom he had son named Heraclius.
Alexander kept male companions as well, and a male bedmate by the name of Bagoas is recorded in the Imperial Annals. It is rumored that he carried on a very intense and passionate affair with his senior courtier Artas. Their love is celebrated in the annals of Padishahnama (the Mesogeian Chronicle of Emperors), a work of literature written during the late ninth century that is to this day one of the most influential pieces of Mesogeian literature.
Death and succession
On 6 September 315, Alexander IX died in the imperial palace in Mithradat-Alcaeia, at the age of 55. At his death the people of his empire are said to have mourned for a year.
The sacred fires at the three major great fire temples within the empire's heartland, as well as the four fire temples of the four corners of the empire were all ceremonially extinguished only to be relit at the coronation of his successor. The body of the late Emperor was carried to Chousa where a grand funeral ceremony was held. His body was returned to the capital where it was entombed in the temple dedicated to his worship in Mithradat-Alcaeia known as the Alexandreum. His funeral was followed by magnificent funeral games that were Chrysopolis.
Legacy
Modern historians have described the reign of Alexander IX as one of the most influential periods in the history of Mesogeia. Alexander is considered to be a military genius in modern Mesogeian society for various reasons because of his thirty years of near constant campaigning. The legacy of Alexander IX extends far beyond his various military conquests to include various economic, political, cultural, and religious aspects.
Politically Alexander's reign has left a lasting legacy on modern Mesogeia. While the Mesogeian peerage system was only formalized in the high medieval age, several kingdoms were awarded to Alexander's most trusted generals; with several of them eixiting at present and being held by the descendants or reported descendants of those original descendants.
Culturally Alexander is still lasting figure, despite having lived over two thousand years ago. Over the centuries many legends and myths have sprung up surrounding the life of Alexander. Legend claims that he will rise again when the empire has need of his strong hand. In modern Mesogeia his name is invoked by people for a number of reasons; for instance the following phrase is used to invoke prosperity and signs of goodwill
- "In Alexander's name may God smile upon you
Religiously the ancient gods of the Mesogeians continued to be worshiped like they had for thousands of years. The Azagartian (and later Mesogeian) Emperors were considered to be divine, and at his death in 315 BC the Imperial Cult expanded to include the worship of Alexander Poliorketes, as a God King. Mentioned earlier Alexander's reign is the origin of the modern Mesogeian peerage system as many of the constituent kingdoms of Mesogeia emerged during his reign or shortly adfter. The kings of the various kingdoms awarded to Alexander's generals followed the practices of Alexander adopting patron gods as the protectors of their houses.
A quarter of the population of modern Mesogeia continues to follow the ancient religion, that includes the worship of Alexander and the reigning sovereign as a living God.