Alexander the Great's Partner in Crime

Have you ever had a best friend, or someone that you can't live without? Well, then you have something in common with Alexander the Great. Alexander was the son of King Phillip II and had an inseparable bond with a horse named Bucephalus. Bucephalus was a beautiful black horse with a white star on his forehead. Alexander’s life was greatly impacted by this one horse.

            When Alexander the Great was young, his father, King Phillip II, was brought a horse by Philoneicus of Thessaly. The horse was much about three times more expensive than horses were usually sold for. The horse was also very wild and unmanageable. The king, thinking he wouldn’t be able to tame this beast sent it away and refused to purchase it. However, Alexander believed that he could tame the horse and said he would pay for it himself. When Alexander approached the horse, he realized why it was acting so wild. The horse was able to see its shadow which was scaring it. After Alexander was able to move the horse so it couldn’t see the shadow anymore, it calmed down and Alexander was able to mount the horse and ride it. Alexander’s perseverance and confidence when trying to tame the horse led his father to believe that he could rule a large kingdom one day. Many historians also feel that this is a turning point in Alexander’s life and career because it showcased traits that would make a great leader, including confidence, determination, etc. Soon after this event, Alexander and his horse became inseparable. Alexander took Bucephalus into all of his battles and even threatened to “fell every tree, lay the countryside, to waste, and slaughter every inhabitant in the region,” when Bucephalus was kidnapped after Alexander helped defeat Darius. This large threat can give us a better idea of how important Bucephalus was to Alexander. However, horses don’t live forever and one day Alexander and Bucephalus had to part. Bucephalus was said to have died of old age by Onesicritus. Alexander was heartbroken over this loss and to honor Bucephalus, he named a city Bucephala in his honor so he could always remember his incredible horse.

            As you can see, Bucephalus had a huge impact on Alexander’s life. He helped him to show how great of a leader he could be, and he was his partner in every battle. Alexander and Bucephalus’ legacies will go on forever in Grecian history as one of the most powerful duos ever.

Works Cited

Trentin, Summer, and Debby Sneed. “Alexander and Bucephalus.” Classics, 15 Aug. 2019, www.colorado.edu/classics/2018/06/19/alexander-and-bucephalus.

Wasson, Donald L. “Bucephalus.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar. 2020, www.ancient.eu/Bucephalus/.

 Trentin, Summer, and Debby Sneed. “Alexander and Bucephalus.” Classics, 15 Aug. 2019, www.colorado.edu/classics/2018/06/19/alexander-and-bucephalus.

Wasson, Donald L. “Bucephalus.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar. 2020, www.ancient.eu/Bucephalus/.

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