Original subtitles

(powerful orchestra music)

Alexander the Great.

The shining light of ancient Greece.

The prince from remote Macedonia

would become the greatest (yelling and clanking)

conqueror of all time.

No one would have thought

that someone would try to conquer the whole world.

And that he would almost succeed.

(powerful orchestra music)

He was the first European

to establish an empire

that stretched from the Mediterranean

to the end of the known world.

(yelling)

Fame on the battlefield was dearer to him than his own life.

He turned his war into a holy mission.

He entered the stage as a liberator

and he dreamed of an empire where the peoples

lived together in peace with him being at the top.

Only a very few people had as much influence

on History as Alexander the Great.

(powerful music)

(lightning sizzling)

Alexander's story starts with a legend.

(lightning cracking)

(woman panting)

It is said that the gods announced his birth

with natural phenomena.

(thunder roaring)

(woman panting)

It must have been the night of July 20, 356 B.C.,

when Olympias went into labor.

The royal family was hoping for a son.

They needed an heir to the throne.

(thunder clapping)

(hopeful music)

(baby wails)

Alexander was only the second born,

but it was clear from the start that Olympias' son

was destined to lead Macedonia into a bright future.

Alexander.

Live up to your purpose.

(dramatic music)

In the fourth century B.C.,

Greece was undergoing radical change.

While some still believed in myth and divine providence,

others were already seeking scientific reasoning.

The big cities facilitated these new trends,

above all, Athens, which had established democracy.

There the citizens determined the politics.

Alexander's home was far away from the modern centers,

north of Mount Olympus in a rural area.

Macedonia had long been a simple peasant state,

a kingdom that had long been economically irrelevant

and politically in dire straits.

Only Alexander's father, King Philip II,

showed what he and his country were capable of.

He reorganized his forces, developed new weapons,

and turned the cavalry into his strongest attack formation.

He extended his sphere of power in several battles

and he forged alliances.

However, the four biggest cities turned against

the victorious leader.

They claimed that Macedonia was barbarian,

although the kingdom did everything to modernize itself

according to Greek standards.

Philip promoted progress,

especially in the Macedonian capitol Pella.

The king turned the humble settlement

into a stately seat of government.

(music darkens)

This was where Alexander grew up.

In a time of great upheaval,

the heir to the thrown enjoyed an elite education.

On a daily basis, he practiced close combat

and the handling of weapons.

His education prepared him for a tough reality.

Whoever wanted to rule had to be able to fight.

(boys grunting)

His father, Philip, lived by it.

(crowd cheering)

He was mostly at war,

while Olympias took care of their son's upbringing.

(boys grunting)

Come on, Alexander!

Earn your companion's respect!

(exciting music)

(boys grunting)

You can't even defend yourself.

Come here.

Leave me alone.

What's going on, son?

I'm sorry, father.

I have--

Never show your weakness.

You have to be the best!

Always.

Stop it.

He's still a child.

That's not your business!

Macedonia needs warriors!

And what do I get?

My first son is a moron and the second one a loser.

You've ridiculed me.

Alexander!

Show him what you have learned!

I've seen enough for today.

To understand the relationship

between Philip and Alexander,

it is important to take into account

that although Philip was married to seven women,

he only had two sons from these marriages.

And his second son, Philip Arrhidaeus,

didn't live up to his expectations.

He might have had a physical impairment.

Sometimes he's even characterized as moronic.

Hence, Alexander was the only son

that Philip could present to the world.

(ethereal music)

Alexander not only had to live up

to his father, but also to his divine descent.

A mosaic from Pella shows him with a lion.

He looks like Heracles, a son of Zeus.

The lion symbolizes Alexander's royal descent

and Heracles symbolizes his god-like status.

He was born into it.

(moves to dynamic music)

Alexander's parents also believed in their divine descent.

This form of fictional pedigree

wasn't uncommon in ancient times.

Many royal families justified their claim to power with it.

The belief in gods was taken seriously in Macedonia.

No one doubted that the heir to the throne, Alexander,

had inherent super-human skills.

(scraping)

But it was Olympias' religious beliefs

that influenced Alexander.

(clanks)

She engaged in religious rituals

and kept telling the boy that he wasn't of this world.

(ethereal music)

Come to me, my darling.

Don't listen to your father.

His heart is made of stone.

I do as he wishes!

Why is he always disappointed in me?

Come on.

No.

He's not disappointed, he's jealous.

Because your blood is more royal than his.

Mother, please, you don't really believe that.

I'll tell you a secret.

(mythical music)

The night you were conceived, I heard thunder

and I felt that lightning struck my body.

But you were unharmed.

Don't you understand?

Zeus made you.

Zeus is your father.

Philip knows it and is jealous.

(peaceful music)

That Zeus was Alexander's father

is another spectacular story.

These stories are usually told

when it comes to the circumstances of conception

of famous people from ancient times.

Their mothers suddenly have spectacular dreams.

Gods appear in the form of animals

and father these children in a dream or in reality,

who then have an inherent heroic aura.

(rhythmic music)

The heroes of Greek mythology

were Alexander's role models.

Like them, he wanted to be the best and exceed them all.

His biggest hero was Achilles from the myth

about the Battle of Troy.

(yelling)

Achilles is the main figure.

He is invulnerable and the bravest warrior.

Patroclus, his loyal friend, fights by his side.

Both die in combat but their deeds make them immortal.

(men screaming)

(peaceful music)

Aristotle, one of Greece's biggest thinkers,

has a transcript of the story made for Alexander.

The king's son was only 13

when Aristotle agreed to educate the prince in Pella.

(stylus scratching)

He taught Alexander everything about Greek culture.

Drama, geography, sciences,

as well as literature and philosophy.

But most importantly, he studied Homer's Iliad.

The story was compulsory reading.

Every Greek knew it.

Can you remember what Achilles' father told his son?

He should always be the best and outdo everyone.

My father could have said this.

Your father might be wiser than many think.

Did Achilles manage?

Achilles' ambition is unlike normal people's ambition.

He was driven by holy wrath.

Because he took revenge for Patroclus

and had his murderer dragged through the mud for days?

That's right, but he also showed benevolence

in having him bedded in dignity.

Achilles had a choice.

Between a long life that would sink into oblivion

or a short life and eternal glory.

I will never achieve that.

Why not?

My father won't leave anything to me.

Before I can prove myself,

he'll have conquered all of Greece.

Come here, I'll show you something.

Come on.

(papers rustling)

Let him have Greece.

You've got the whole world left.

From the Persian Empire all the way to India.

(mystical music)

Hundred years ago, their king attacked Greece.

He destroyed our cities and burned the Acropolis of Athens.

What happened then?

The Greeks united and drove the Persians out.

What is left for me, then?

The Persians are still a constant threat.

Their soldiers are stationed across the Hellespont.

They are right at our doorstep.

Even Achilles' grave is in the hands of these barbarians.

Do you want eternal glory?

Unite the Greeks and lead them against the Persians.

That would indeed be a heroic act.

Aristotle was a polymath

who knew his way around all topics.

He was the son of a doctor.

He taught Alexander medicine, science, and of course, Homer.

Alexander was hungry for knowledge.

His education was important in his later life

as an explorer and admirer of Homer.

There is this famous quote of his,

"Philip gave me life, but Aristotle gave me the good life."

(mystical music)

Aristotle's school was located

in a remote Nymph sanctuary.

An ideal place to devote one's self

to the search for wisdom and insight.

(falcon cries)

Nature's got many secrets, but you will not be able

to unlock them purely by thinking.

You have to observe the world.

You have to feel it, taste it,

smell it, and discover it with your senses.

Come on, try it.

Huh.

Observe it and understand it.

(inquisitive music)

Look, there's a feather.

(birds chirping)

There's the nest.

Hey, let's fetch an egg. (foreboding music)

We'll never get one.

The bird will attack us.

You scare him away and I'll get the egg.

That's far too dangerous!

Achilles and Patroclus weren't afraid.

Come on!

Alexander's courage was proverbial.

(dramatic music) He took on every challenge.

(rock clacking)

(wings fluttering)

And he had Hephaestion, his friend.

He was always by his side.

Alexander, the bird is coming back!

Come down quickly!

(falcon screeches)

Hey!

(falcon screeching)

(grunting)

Bravo! Woohoo! Bravo!

(mysterious music)

There is a fine line between courage and foolishness.

Every venture has to be considered.

Only then will it be rewarded.

Remember that.

The egg proves that I wasn't foolish but courageous.

Your words are wiser than your actions, Alexander.

But if you just follow your passion,

you act without sense.

(inquisitive music)

That's the end of the lesson.

After three years, Alexander was ready

for being a sovereign.

Most of his preparation came from Aristotle.

They didn't always agree,

but the scholar remained one of his closest advisors.

The best known legend from Alexander's childhood

is the taming of Bucephalus. (horse squealing)

What's your father doing here?

He's looking for horses for the royal guards.

I can't wait for us to fight by the king's side.

Maybe, but I don't think my father

wants to have me by his side.

What have you got today?

A horse befitting only a king!

This is Bucephalus, my best horse.

(horse squealing)

But Bucephalus means ox head.

(chuckles) Some think it's because of his branding.

Others think it's because he is stubborn like an ox.

(laughs)

A proud horse.

What does it cost?

Thirteen talents.

That's a high price.

Let me have a look at him.

According to the sources,

many tried but nobody could

ride the stallion. (horse squealing)

(enigmatic music) (horse squealing and snorting)

(horse clomping, squealing, and blowing)

Only Alexander understood why the horse was in a panic.

(horse squealing)

I know why Bucephalus is nervous.

Why?

Wait!

I've got enough wild mares.

I don't need a stubborn stallion.

Father, I can ride him.

Don't be too sure.

If a grown man can't do it, why should you?

Let me try it.

Please!

If I can't tame him, I'll pay you back.

Okay, I'm offering six talents.

(seller scoffs) I don't want my son

to be heavily indebted so young.

Don't be afraid.

You're afraid of your own shadow, right?

Turn around.

(emboldened music)

Calm down.

Look at him!

That's my son!

(crowd claps)

Look for a suitable kingdom, my son!

Macedonia's too small for you!

(crowd cheering)

With this story, Alexander's conquests

became providential and his horse

became the most famous animal of ancient times.

The connection between the stallion

and the prince was unique.

No one but him was ever able to ride Bucephalus, they say.

These stories are attempts

to explain something very special.

They are told so that we can understand

a special historical event

or an outstanding historical figure.

There is this young boy who seems to be a horse whisperer.

He tames the horse using psychology

so that the horse obeys on its own accord.

This story essentially describes

Alexander the Great's captivating charisma.

(mellowed music)

However, Alexander's childhood

ended abruptly when he was 16.

The crown prince had to face a big task.

King Philip's aggressive expansionism

resulted in a new conflict.

Bloody clashes were imminent.

(tense music)

Philip went to war.

In his absence, Alexander was supposed to rule the empire.

I entrust my empire to your care.

From now on, you are my co-regent.

(dramatic music)

An attack at the Dardanelles

caused the crisis.

Philip captured a shipload of grain

that was meant to go to Athens.

The powerful state was furious

and remembered an outrage from the distant past.

When the Persians burned the temple of the city

150 years earlier,

the Macedonians were allies of the Persians.

The reconstruction of the temple was a symbol

of Athens' triumph over the Persians.

Eventually, they managed to fight off the enemy.

(triumphant music)

At peak times, 80,000 people

lived at the foot of the entrenched upper city.

Athens has had a long history of democracy.

The citizens decided on important matters.

Sovereigns like those in Macedonia or Persia

had long been abolished.

Demosthenes was Philip's main adversary.

With a passionate speech, the politician encouraged

the council to put Macedonia into its place

by military means.

Not with words, but with deeds,

our predecessors turned us into free Greeks.

With their blood, they saved us from Persian tyranny.

But now, Athens' freedom is threatened again by Philip,

King of Macedonia.

But it was the Persians who destroyed our city back then,

not the Macedonians.

We should regard them as friends, not as a threat.

We should form an alliance with them

to destroy the Persians.

The Macedonians are not Greeks, but barbarians!

Like the Persians, they are full of malice.

An alliance with them means

having the enemy in our own home.

(foreboding music)

The situation escalated

into a war about Delphi.

The temple wasn't only the Greek's most sacred place,

it played an important political role too.

Those who reigned Delphi held the power in the heartland.

Athens guarded the sacred place,

but other Greek cities also wanted to control Delphi.

The Macedonians saved the sacred temple from the invasion.

Athens felt humiliated when the barbarians

were made custodians of Delphi.

In all of Greece, they looked for allies

who would fight against the hated King Philip.

The battle took place near Chaeronea .

This time Alexander and his companions were also present.

For most of them, it was their first big battle

in the royal army.

Only the best men fought alongside the Macedonian prince.

Cleitus, for instance, who was said to be experienced.

Parmenion, an old general.

He had a son, Philotas.

He and Ptolemy were Alexander's childhood friends,

just like his closest confidant, Hephaestion.

(strong orchestral music)

The Macedonians knew that the victors

of the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 B.C.

would decide the future of the Aegean World.

With 34,000 soldiers each, both armies were equally strong.

Alexander led the cavalry.

It was to be decisive.

It was about glory and honor, life and death,

all or nothing.

Didn't you say your father wouldn't leave any glory to us?

I was mistaken.

Get ready!

At my command!

Ho!!

Alexander and his men

faced a fierce challenge.

The cavalry was supposed to lead the attack.

Just like Achilles and Patroclus.

(men screaming)

Under Alexander's command,

the cavalry defeated the Thebes,

the dreaded elite troupe.

(men screaming and metal clanging)

The Athenian foot soldiers were lured into a trap.

They ran into a wall of deadly spears.

(men yelling)

(yelling)

(men yelling)

The battle was won.

Macedonia was the new military superpower in Greece.

And Alexander was the hero of Chaeronea.

(yelling)

Being the commander of the cavalry,

it was Alexander who made victory possible.

It strengthened his standing with the Macedonians

and, to a degree, also with the Greeks.

It made him credible as a future king.

(building music)

After the battle,

Philip summoned all the cities' delegates to Corinth.

Sparta refused but they still formed an alliance

that forbade the Greeks to fight each other.

Macedonia suggested attacking Persia together.

Philip visited the Oracle of Delphi on his way back.

The sovereign wants to know his chances

against this mighty opponent.

The royal inquiry to the god Apollo

cost him a golden laurel wreath.

(mystical music)

The Oracle spoke through a priestess.

The Pythia went into a trance

in order to enter the world and wisdom of the gods.

That's what the ancient Greeks believed.

Poor people would only get a short answer, yes or no.

Rich men like Philip got exclusive prophecies.

She says the bowl is limited.

He will come to an end for the one who makes a sacrifice.

She talks about a sacrificial bowl,

a sign of the king's death.

But which king is she referring to?

The Persian king?

Or Philip?

(dramatic music)

As always, Pythia's prophecies were cryptic.

The priests decided upon their interpretation.

They held the true power in Delphi.

You wanted to know whether you defeat the Persians?

The oracle said, "The king will die."

Philip is in no doubt.

The signs point to a victory.

What's the matter?

We'll fight the Persians.

No, not us.

Father has decided.

Parmenion will go as an advance guard without us.

What?

Without us?

Has he forgotten who won the Battle of Chaeronea?

I think he fears that I'm better than him.

(chattering and laughing)

You should worry less about Philip

and more about his new wife.

He's always had many women.

Why would this one be different?

Don't be stupid.

Your father will let you down.

Mother, please.

His new bride is dearer to him than I could ever be.

Not because of her beauty,

but because she is a true Macedonian.

If she gives the king a son, he will ascend the thrown.

(ominous music)

A toast!

(cups clinking)

Let us drink to the royal couple!

To their health!

May they provide us with a crown prince

of pure Macedonian blood!

(crashing)

See.

What do you mean, huh?

Alexander!

He is drunk!

Don't bother

I am the heir to the throne!

Apologize, Alexander.

Mythalos is my guest.

I apologize.

If you pay me the necessary respect!

I am still the king.

I am still the king!

And it's still me who decides.

And you have to obey me.

Obey!

Obey you?

Look at you!

You want to fight the Persians,

but you can't even walk straight!

You fools!

Together you united Greece in battle

and now you argue amongst yourselves.

Come on.

We're not welcome anymore.

(strained music)

Just leave.

I don't want to ever see you again!

(dynamic music)

Alexander and his mother went into exile,

to Epirus, Olympias' home.

Endless months passed without any contact

between father and son.

Alexander was shunned.

But as he was needed for the war against Persia,

the Macedonian court eventually sent for him.

You called for me, Mother?

Alexander.

My old friend!

(laughs)

Demaratus was sent by your father,

who wants to reconcile with you.

Did he say so?

You know him.

An apology is even harder for him than praise.

But he regrets your dispute

and it is his most fervent wish

that his son return to him.

Hollow words.

Hasn't Philip humiliated you enough?

Instead of kneeling before him,

you should take what is rightfully yours

with a sword in your hand.

But he's my father.

Zeus is your father.

Please leave us alone.

Mother.

I've learned to tell courage from foolishness.

The Macedonian nobility is on his side.

Then earn their support.

Look at you, my son.

You are everything that Philip isn't.

He is coarse and you are noble.

He is a warrior, but you, you are a king.

Stop it!

I won't fight my own father!

He is not your father!

It is not his blood that runs through your veins!

(dark percussive music)

We don't owe him anything.

Olympias and Alexander have got common interests.

Olympias can only influence the situation via her son.

Her life could possibly depend on her son staying in power.

(mystical music)

Almost another year passed

without further events.

It was a wedding between the Macedonian royal dynasty

and Olympia's family that marked a turning point.

The dispute caused a stir in Pella.

Upon Philip's invitation, Alexander finally returned.

The men demonstrated their unity

(clapping)

in the best interests of their kingdom.

King Philip didn't suspect an assassin among his guests.

Behold!

Father and son reunited.

Father and son were reunited,

but not everyone seemed to approve of the reconciliation.

(gasps)

(knife blade sings)

(grunting)

(clanking)

(groaning)

(panting)

Father.

The king was killed by his own bodyguard.

Father!

Someone help him!

But it was too late for the sovereign.

He died at the age of 46.

King Philip is dead!

Long live King Alexander!

The way to the throne was opened.

Alexander took over without hesitation.

Long live King Alexander!

(chanting) Long live King Alexander!

Alexander and his mother

were suspected of being instigators.

Both had a motive, especially Olympias.

She felt humiliated by Philip's new wife

and she desperately wanted Alexander to be king.

Philip's murder was never solved.

If Olympias had given the impression

of wanting to keep her place at court

and support her son, Alexander,

then such accusations were bound to be made.

The next logical step for such a woman

was to be unfaithful or to poison her husband

or instigate murder.

(ominous music)

Alexander buried his father in Vergina.

According to Macedonian customs,

the burial chamber is under a hill.

Whether it really is King Philip's tomb

is unclear to this day.

The precious grave furnishings do suggest it.

The crown made of oak motifs is made from pure gold.

The larnax is also made of gold.

The lid is decorated with the Vergina Sun.

The 16-rayed solar symbol

is the emblem of Alexander's father, Philip.

(suspenseful music)

His legacy was a difficult one

for the new king of Macedonia.

Old opponents reappeared.

Like his father, Alexander had to assert his sovereignty;

if necessary, by force.

Alexander began from zero.

The Athenians used the change in power

to question Macedonia's leading role.

Again, Demosthenes was the spokesman.

The gods have heard our prayers.

They punished that tyrant Philip with his death.

We have to act now.

It's time to rebel against Alexander

and take vengeance for Chaeronea.

For the freedom of Athens, take up arms!

(dramatic music)

The tribes in the north rebelled first,

followed by the big city states led by Athens and Thebes.

No one wanted to miss out in the struggle for power,

but the battle still had to be fought.

(foreboding music)

Alexander quickly moved from the battlefields

in the north to Thebes,

but he tried to be diplomatic at first.

He promised to spare them if they surrendered.

And?

The Thebans won't give in.

They'd rather fight for their freedom

than surrender to a tyrant.

(sighs)

Some even believe you were killed in battle.

Then a dead man will teach them fear.

(dynamic music)

Alexander acted like a cold power politician.

Without hesitation, he made an example of Thebes.

His troupes conquered the city and flattened it.

More than 6,000 people died.

Neither friend nor foe was to be left in any doubt.

Alexander was determined to assert his leading role.

The survivors of the massacre were all made slaves.

The measures were approved by the League of Corinth.

He justified it with the claim that Thebes broke the pact.

The destruction of Thebes was a clear signal

to all cities in Greece

that opposed the supremacy of Macedonia

embodied by the King of Macedonia,

the commander of the League of Corinth.

The citizens of Athens wrote to Alexander,

King of Macedonia, the new hegemon of the League of Corinth.

We praise you and congratulate you

on the punishment of Thebes.

We renew our oath to your father.

We will stand by you

as you are the defender of freedom always.

Resistance was overcome and peace was secured.

Now, it was time for Alexander to focus on foreign affairs.

(??music)

The coast beyond the Dardanelles, in today's Turkey,

was his next destination in his campaign

against Greece's arch enemy.

Alexander prepared for battle against the king of kings,

the sovereign of the Persian Empire.

The most powerful empire in the world at the time

reached across three continents

and featured insurmountable mountain ranges.

It touched the Indian borders.

(soaring music)

(people shouting)

Even Babylon, the prettiest city of the East,

was conquered by the Persians and made their second capitol.

Their army was 300,000 men strong

and caused fear and terror everywhere.

(screaming)

King Darius was a mighty, powerful enemy.

Fighting a war against him

would be a battle between David and Goliath.

But the Macedonian didn't know fear.

Alexander was determined to imitate Achilles.

Just like the mythical hero,

he wanted to take revenge and bring victory to Greece.

In the spring of 334 B.C.,

one of the biggest invasions in history began.

Alexander risked everything.

(mystical music)