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A war is coming.
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A battle so fierce,
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so apocalyptic,
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it will split the world in two.
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Charge!
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Ripped apart
by the ferocious rivalry
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between two men.
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Alexander the Great
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and Darius, king of kings.
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Two bitter enemies
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worlds apart,
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but both sides of the same coin.
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A young Macedonian prince...
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...fighting for country and glory
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and a Persian king determined to defend
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the greatest empire on Earth.
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Locked in a war of wills...
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...that will reshape the world...
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...in fire...
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...and in blood.
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But who will be victorious?
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Who will prevail?
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Only the gods can decide.
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{\an8}Alexander just grips the imagination.
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{\an8}He is someone who is
this shining moment of history.
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{\an8}Alexander was
the greatest military mind of all time,
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{\an8}and yet at the same time,
he was a poet, philosopher.
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He was a scientist, he was an inventor,
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and he was a builder of empire.
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So it's no wonder that after 2,000 years,
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we are still obsessed with him.
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Alexander founded Alexandria,
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and this became
one of the greatest cities in the world.
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And now Dr. Pepi Papakosta
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is actually uncovering
the remains of Alexander's great city.
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Oh my God.
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{\an8}This is an architectural bar.
This is very important.
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{\an8}It's a new surprise.
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{\an8}Every day, we have a surprise.
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It's a very good gift for us.
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By excavating in
this great city,
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I feel myself closer to my hero...
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...because in Alexandria,
Alexander is alive.
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He's everywhere.
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Dr. Pepi has dedicated
almost two decades of her life
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in search of ancient Alexandria.
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And so she has been digging down
through the different layers
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in an effort to find this.
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We started
the excavation here long ago
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by a small trench,
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and now we have uncovered
thousands of square meters.
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All by hand.
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I am an archaeologist,
and I'm working with Miss Papakosta.
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{\an8}And I'm very proud to be
one of the members of the team.
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I am working here
in the excavation since 2007.
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You can say it's my life.
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Every day of work
gives us more objects,
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more evidence about Alexander.
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We have a lot of impressive findings,
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a lot of important discoveries.
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{\an8}But the most beautiful and interesting
of all we have unearthed here
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is a unique marble statue of Alexander.
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It was like a miracle.
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People are still
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looking for any traces
they can find of the real man himself.
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They're looking for his statues,
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his inscriptions,
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his coins.
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You found it.
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It's important to remember
that the Alexander the Great
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at the end of the story,
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the icon, is far from being
the Alexander we have at the beginning.
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We first encounter him
about 336 BC.
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A year before that,
he has gone into voluntary exile
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into a place called Illyria.
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He's a 20-year-old prince
who has fled his father's kingdom.
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This is play. Yeah, Alex?
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And I think
what he's trying to do in this place
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is to find out
what's his role in this world.
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Alex!
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Histe!
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Get back!
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Histe, Alex!
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I said stop!
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I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry.
87
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It's okay.
88
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It wasn't me you were fighting.
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It was your father, wasn't it?
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Hey, wasn't it?
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I thought this was play?
92
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So can we just play?
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Alexander grew up
with two close companions.
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And one of these, Hephaestion,
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really was not just a cherished companion,
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but perhaps his greatest love.
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Same-sex relationships were quite
the norm throughout the Greek world.
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The Greeks did not have
a word for homosexuality
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or to be gay.
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It just wasn't in
their vocabulary whatsoever.
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There was just being sexual.
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Alex, are you sure
about going home after all this time?
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I have to face my father at some point.
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Besides, you'll be by my side, right?
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Till the bitter end.
106
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If we're seeing the king,
I suggest doing it with clothes on, no?
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Come on.
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Ptolemy was
a very close confidant of Alexander
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and, at this time,
Alexander has a cadre of companions
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that have been in the royal court,
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{\an8}and those two friends seem
to have been Hephaestion and Ptolemy,
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both of whom stay with him
and maintain that relationship
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over the course of his campaigns.
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{\an8}Alexander's year in exile ends
in 336 BCE
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{\an8}when he receives
a royal summons from his dad
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to return to the Macedonian capital
at Aegae to attend a royal wedding.
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The wedding is between
Philip's daughter, Alexander's sister,
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and one of the neighboring warlords.
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This was a typical policy of Philip's,
to marry off individuals
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to powerful men on his borders.
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Basically, so that he could
strengthen the alliance
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that he was trying to build up
for a war with Persia.
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Mother.
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So formal, agapi mou.
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I mean mamá.
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Illyria has not been kind
to your complexion,
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but still as handsome as ever.
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Welcome home, my love.
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Home?
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Hardly a triumphant return.
131
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It is... simply a precaution
until we restore our status at court.
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I think my father clarified my status
last time we spoke.
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All will be made right soon enough.
You shall see.
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Besides, doesn't everyone love a wedding?
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Now, quickly. Come with me.
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Alexander's mother, Olympias,
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she's one of the great
movers and shakers of history.
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She was born a foreign princess.
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She was one
of the seven wives of Philip II,
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but she held supreme status over
all the other women of the court
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because early on in the marriage,
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she'd given birth to the presumed heir
to the throne, Alexander himself.
143
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And suddenly, years later,
she finds herself almost unwanted
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when Philip, going through
a kind of classic midlife-crisis thing,
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finds for himself a young bride,
marries her,
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this Macedonian princess,
and there's every possibility, of course,
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that this girl will give him
heirs to the throne, boys.
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And Olympias will be made redundant,
Alexander will be pushed out.
149
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So there's a great tension
in the air already,
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and it all comes to a head,
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as it always does,
at the wedding reception.
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I didn't realize this wedding would have
such fascinating entertainment.
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Who do you mean?
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Us.
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The spurned queen and her poor exiled son.
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Why did you bother sending for me?
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Although, I didn't.
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He did.
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The king.
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My father?
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Mamá, what's really going on here?
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Alexander had fled
the Macedonian court a year ago
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because his father Philip
had tried to kill him.
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There was a huge banquet
going on in Macedon,
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and, of course, as the evening progressed,
everyone was getting more and more drunk.
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And in the drunkenness,
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General Attalus basically insulted
Alexander by saying,
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"You're a bastard. You're not
the rightful heir to the throne,"
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and Alexander was furious.
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And Philip, his father, instead of saying
anything in Alexander's defense said,
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"Ooh, you've insulted my best friend,"
and basically tried to kill Alexander.
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Alexander left the court,
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not so much, probably,
that he was in fear of his life,
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but more because his father
had not defended him.
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Ah, Alexander. You haven't been avoiding
your father, have you?
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Your king.
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Well, that depends.
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Are you going to embrace me or kill me?
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A year in the wilderness
and you're still smarting.
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You humiliated me.
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- Attalus was only drunk.
- But you sided with him.
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It was horseplay, that's all.
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Besides,
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blood is thicker than water.
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But not wine in your case?
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What's going on?
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Does Alexander need me?
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You know, Hephaestion,
you mother him more than I do.
189
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Attalus may be one of my finest generals,
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but you are my son, and that matters.
191
00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:14,160
Our man seems tense.
192
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He's fine, Ptol.
He just needs to remember who he is.
193
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Or drink until he forgets.
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Always works for me.
195
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If I am to take on the old enemy,
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I want you with me.
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I'd be honored to fight alongside you
like we used to.
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When do we leave for Persia?
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Let's talk of war later.
200
00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,360
Another important part
of this wedding is the reconciliation
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between Philip and Alexander.
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Uh, the rest of the Greek world
would've been aware of the fact
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that there had been a break
between these two men,
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and so Philip could use this wedding
as an opportunity to show
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that his relationship with his son
and the potential heir of Macedon
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was firm and solid
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and there was nothing
that the rest of the Greek states
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could take advantage of.
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Silence.
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00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,280
Thank you, but my role today
is merely ornamental,
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to bless this happy union.
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And may you both
find the happiness I have
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with my beautiful wife, Eurydice.
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Hear!
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00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:01,520
But it is also a time
to reinforce the ties that bind us all.
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- Are we a happy family once more?
- Like our couple here...
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00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,640
I'm to join him in a war
against the Persian Empire.
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00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,320
- ...bound together in...
- To be by his side.
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00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,960
- ...tolerance, and above all...
- Well, that is a surprise.
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00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:14,040
...loyalty.
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Let us honor the bride and groom
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and pray for a son!
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No!
224
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Guards!
225
00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:30,760
Lock those doors. Nobody leaves!
226
00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,120
Philip was murdered by Pausanias,
227
00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,960
who was a member
of his very trusted bodyguard,
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00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:41,920
but we don't know who paid Pausanias
to take on this gruesome task.
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00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,600
Nobody leaves!
230
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- Let us through!
- That's an order!
231
00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,280
It's a wonderful
Agatha Christie mystery, really,
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00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:53,800
because you've got all these contenders
for it. Olympias, Alexander,
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00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:59,320
dozens of other Macedonian generals
who could have stepped in at any time.
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00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,240
Now is the moment.
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Heph, retrieve my father's sword
and crown now.
236
00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,160
But I see Olympias's hand,
237
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the shadow of it at least,
behind Philip's assassination.
238
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Silence.
239
00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:45,280
I said, silence!
240
00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:00,400
We are under attack.
241
00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:04,800
Our king...
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00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,560
...my father, lies dead.
243
00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,400
And the hand of Persia is to blame.
244
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,320
But I promise you in blood and fear,
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00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,080
they will pay for this evil.
246
00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:24,600
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
247
00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,760
And our new king will free us.
248
00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:27,680
Yeah!
249
00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,080
Free us
from Persian tyranny.
250
00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,720
All hail Alexander, King of Macedon!
251
00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:39,400
Alexander!
Alexander! Alexander!
252
00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,720
One thing Alexander does in
the immediate aftermath of Philip's death
253
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:53,160
is lay the blame, or at least involvement
in it, at the door of the Persians.
254
00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:57,080
It's really important to frame
what an ambitious choice this was.
255
00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,120
The Persian Empire was massive.
256
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,080
It was the largest empire
the world had yet known.
257
00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,760
And Macedonia was
this really small, little kingdom
258
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:10,520
in the northern part
of what is now modern Greece.
259
00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,600
And now, all of a sudden,
they're planning to take on
260
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,840
a well-ordered, well-structured,
incredibly powerful, well-financed empire.
261
00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,600
It was something like
two million square miles,
262
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,000
and it housed
between 50 to 150 million people,
263
00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:33,120
which, at that time,
was almost 50% of the world's population.
264
00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,400
The Persian Empire was enormous,
265
00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:40,320
and in order to govern it, it was broken
into basically provinces called satrapies,
266
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,400
each one headed by a satrap.
267
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,720
The Persians had all
of their funds flooding into Babylon,
268
00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,600
which is where they ran their empire from.
269
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:56,480
And so Babylon was really, basically,
the large bank for the Persian Empire.
270
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,360
Babylon was
the hub of civilization.
271
00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:06,400
It was the center
of world culture at the time.
272
00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:07,880
It was a theological center,
273
00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,400
a center of learning,
of astronomy, um, of the arts.
274
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,120
It was, without doubt,
the jewel in the Persian crown.
275
00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,920
And it was here in a vast palace
276
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,880
that Darius III
and his queen, Stateira, held court.
277
00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:27,720
It's stunning, my love.
278
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,440
Restoring the temple would not only be
a fitting tribute to your reign,
279
00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,680
but the perfect centerpiece for Babylon.
280
00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,440
Indeed, the world.
Wouldn't you agree, Governor?
281
00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:49,000
It will be my city's jewel
for all its people, my queen.
282
00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:51,680
Generations to come.
283
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,960
And, if it pleases you,
284
00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,840
my king, the building can commence
as soon as funding is in place.
285
00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:04,880
We have the money, Mazaeus.
It arrived from Egypt yesterday.
286
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,200
The Egyptian satrap
is paying you an honor.
287
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:13,040
Then why can't he pay his taxes
like normal people in gold bars?
288
00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,600
The most important satrapy
was, in fact, Egypt.
289
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,760
Egypt did not only
produce agricultural wealth,
290
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,120
but it was also a source of gold.
291
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,400
And this gold was then taken
by the Persians to Babylon,
292
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,920
and there, it was used to fund
the might of the Persian Empire.
293
00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,800
The scarab is their hallowed symbol
of transformation.
294
00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,800
- It's an insect that eats dung.
- And you should respect it anyway.
295
00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:40,760
And the satrap too.
296
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,680
If you want to keep the gold flowing,
297
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:47,800
it's time you granted him an audience.
298
00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,360
Stateira, please.
299
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,200
The gold flows for one reason.
300
00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:55,080
Persia's total dominance.
301
00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,640
Darius came to power
302
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,400
just at the moment
Philip was assassinated.
303
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:07,560
Oh. I'm sure it's nothing.
304
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,600
What is broken can be remade, yes?
305
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:12,920
It's almost as though fate
306
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,960
is waiting to bring
Darius and Alexander together
307
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,240
because, really,
they both mount the throne
308
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,000
within weeks, months of each other.
309
00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,160
At that point, the world holds its breath
310
00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:35,040
to think about, "Okay. What's the outcome
gonna be of these two new, young powers?"
311
00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:40,120
Any change in royal regime
involves violence,
312
00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,600
and this is because
the new ruler has to eliminate
313
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,240
any real or perceived threats
to their right to be on that throne.
314
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,720
In the case of Alexander,
his mom may have gotten involved as well.
315
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:04,280
Philip has a daughter, a young daughter,
with Eurydice, named Europa,
316
00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:09,840
and even after Philip's death, they seem
to have been a great threat to Olympias.
317
00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:11,600
And we're told by one of our sources
318
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:16,440
that Olympias drags the young baby
over a bronze vessel filled with fire,
319
00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:21,080
and after having seen this horrible event
occur to her daughter,
320
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:22,880
Eurydice kills herself.
321
00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,040
Whether her death was self-inflicted
322
00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,960
or came from an external source,
that we don't know.
323
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:35,400
But it did remove
a very real issue for Alexander.
324
00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:44,480
Well, she wasn't bestowed
with the gift of the mind,
325
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,680
but she certainly was
a sight for feasting eyes.
326
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:52,720
What have you done?
327
00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,400
Secured that crown in your hand.
328
00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,880
She held far too much power at court
and threatened your succession
329
00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:02,600
when you have always been
the rightful heir.
330
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:04,800
Mother...
331
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,800
Oh, we're being formal again, are we?
332
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,000
She ended her life
with her very own hand, agapi mou.
333
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:18,160
I did nothing.
334
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,800
This only makes my reign
look illegitimate.
335
00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,520
- Nonsense.
- They looked at me like I was a sham.
336
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,520
Then prove to them you are not.
337
00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:30,080
Alex, we need...
338
00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:32,960
We need to go.
339
00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,800
No more killing, you understand?
340
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:41,480
This...
341
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:44,280
This does not help.
342
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:55,680
Alexander inherits the throne
at the age of about 20 via a bloodbath.
343
00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:59,760
And what's interesting is, if we cast
our eye over to the east in Persia,
344
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,480
we see that Darius III...
345
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,680
or Darius or Darayavayush,
it's all the same name,
346
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:12,680
he has also inherited a throne
via murder and mayhem too.
347
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,840
{\an8}He comes at a time when two
of his predecessors have been poisoned.
348
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:18,200
{\an8}It's not a good look.
349
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,240
{\an8}It's not a good look for the dynasty.
It's not a good look for stability.
350
00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:26,920
On me! On me!
351
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,360
- Hit me!
- Hyah! Go! Now!
352
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:41,560
Come on!
353
00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:43,680
On me! On me!
354
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:46,680
Keep up!
355
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,440
Darius wasn't
from the royal noble line.
356
00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,440
He was able to really achieve legitimacy
357
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,040
by marrying a noble Persian woman,
358
00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:06,280
and that is Stateira,
359
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,360
who has the pedigree of royalty.
360
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:12,280
General Memnon.
361
00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:15,360
{\an8}Through this marriage, it enabled him
362
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:20,680
{\an8}to be considered as
the legitimate king of the Persian Empire.
363
00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:22,680
My king.
364
00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:26,960
Surely you're not going
to play wearing that.
365
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,560
- My husband's right.
- Stateira.
366
00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:32,800
That outfit will not help your game.
367
00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,480
Nor is taunting your fellow players.
368
00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:37,160
I have news from Macedon.
369
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:39,320
You remember King Philip?
370
00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,280
Oh, yes. Of course.
371
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:43,720
Is he still asking for my painful death?
372
00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,160
No, not anymore.
He was assassinated by his own bodyguard.
373
00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,080
Those barbarians.
374
00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,520
His son, Alexander,
all of 20 years old, succeeds him.
375
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:54,400
And now a boy king?
376
00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,000
Well, they never learn either.
377
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,280
Although... General.
378
00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:08,600
Do they already have troops on our soil?
379
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:11,840
Two divisions
out near Magnesia in the west.
380
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:13,360
And who is commanding them?
381
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,200
Generals Parmenion and Attalus.
382
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,800
Although we hear news that the new king
had Attalus's niece murdered.
383
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,640
Oh dear. Can't imagine
that will improve his morale.
384
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,520
No. Not at all.
385
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,000
We will take advantage.
386
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,800
General, assemble your mercenaries
and attack immediately.
387
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,480
- Sir.
- We can purge them.
388
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:42,320
Once and for all.
389
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,920
Of course, it's important to realize
that Darius himself
390
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,520
doesn't take part in this campaign,
391
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,880
and that's because I think
he just sees it as a skirmish
392
00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,560
on the western front of the empire.
393
00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,920
It's not really anything
to take notice of.
394
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,040
He dispatches his very trusted
right-hand man, General Memnon,
395
00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:06,360
and Darius thinks it'll all end there.
396
00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:13,440
So Memnon marches his army through
Mesopotamia, right the way across Anatolia
397
00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,080
to the far west
of the empire in Asia Minor,
398
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,920
and there they clash
with the Macedonian forces,
399
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:24,760
led by two of Alexander's generals,
Parmenion and Attalus.
400
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,120
And Alexander's nowhere to be seen.
401
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,520
That's because he's actually
still back in Macedon,
402
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,240
trying to quell the aftermath
of the assassination of Philip.
403
00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:36,800
You saw the letter
from Attalus and Parmenion.
404
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:37,920
It was slaughter.
405
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,160
Only because you were busy here
restoring order to our lands.
406
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:44,920
Yes, but now
the remaining troops are in full retreat,
407
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,240
and the generals are awaiting my orders.
408
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:52,080
You said it yourself, mamá.
I need to... prove myself.
409
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:58,480
And just perhaps, your destiny is bigger
than you could ever imagine.
410
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,440
But, yes, it is time to prove your worth.
411
00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:18,480
Please.
412
00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:21,200
This is a sacred place.
413
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,360
I was never allowed in here before,
so why now?
414
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,040
Because it's time
for the truth...
415
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:30,600
about your real father.
416
00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:41,000
It was standard practice
across the whole of the ancient world
417
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:46,760
to use intoxicants,
hallucinogenics in religious practice.
418
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,920
Because it was a way
in which you could lose yourself
419
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:58,520
and enter a state of being in which
you could receive dreams and omens,
420
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,520
which was a very important part
of the communication system
421
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,440
with the spirits of the dead,
your ancestors.
422
00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:08,680
But also, if you were lucky,
with the gods themselves.
423
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:12,800
What is it?
424
00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:14,360
Please.
425
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,960
Look. Can you see it now?
426
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,280
That's Mount Olympus,
home to the gods.
427
00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,160
It is time you know
your true identity, Alexander.
428
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:03,400
You are the son of Zeus.
429
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:09,080
Do you believe me now?
430
00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:15,000
Do you see? Whatever you endeavor,
however grand, you shall never fail.
431
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:17,920
So, go.
432
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,600
Lead your men where Philip never could.
433
00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:28,680
Conquer Persia and beyond.
It is your destiny.
434
00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:43,600
Mamá.
435
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:46,320
Mamá?
436
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:54,320
I think throughout his life,
Olympias had drip-fed Alexander
437
00:31:54,400 --> 00:32:00,160
the notion that he was the son of Zeus,
the most supreme of all the Greek gods.
438
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,200
And, you know, in Alexander's mind,
that's perfectly feasible.
439
00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,040
As far as he was concerned,
like all Greeks and Macedonians,
440
00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:09,880
the gods walked amongst men
441
00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,880
and potentially, a man could become a god.
442
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,520
That stands in real stark contrast
to what's happening in Persia.
443
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:24,320
Darius III had no conception
of himself as a god.
444
00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:28,280
No Persian king ever thought
of himself as a living deity.
445
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:30,440
They served the gods,
446
00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:35,440
and the gods were not guaranteed
to support the king in everything he did.
447
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,720
- Hmm?
- Do the stars seem dimmer tonight?
448
00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:10,800
What might that mean?
449
00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:14,720
Usually, a change is coming.
450
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,800
The Persians were
what we might call superstitious.
451
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:25,960
Night after night, Babylonian astrologers
would be scanning the skies
452
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,040
for omens from the heavens.
453
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,760
These were taken very, very seriously,
together with all sorts of other omnia.
454
00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,840
The movement of birds, ants, and insects,
455
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:41,840
all of these kinds of things played on
the Persian mind for interpretation.
456
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:46,080
It was almost as though the gods
used the whole of creation
457
00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:50,080
to send messages to their mortal subjects.
458
00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:53,400
Are you worried about the model,
459
00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:56,160
the piece that broke?
460
00:33:57,680 --> 00:33:58,960
Could that be a sign?
461
00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,200
Oh, I would say definitely.
462
00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:05,880
Of what?
463
00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,480
An architect with slippery hands.
464
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:15,680
But...
465
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,800
...if you still have concerns, then...
466
00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,080
use that Macedonian general
to your advantage.
467
00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:28,800
Attalus, yes?
468
00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:32,680
He must hate that boy king.
469
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:40,280
We could make him an offer.
470
00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:42,680
- Mmm...
- Yes...
471
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,960
Attalus is in
a particularly awkward position.
472
00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,880
He's stationed at the brink
of the Persian Empire,
473
00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:01,960
ready to lead the Macedonian troops
and sort of carry out Philip's plans.
474
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:05,440
But who does he support now?
Does he support Alexander?
475
00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,920
Is he receiving overtures
from the Persian Empire
476
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,880
who might see Attalus
as a weak link they can exploit?
477
00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:12,680
He has to make a choice,
478
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,080
and the choice is gonna have
far-reaching consequences
479
00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:16,400
for his own survival.
480
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,960
We're looking at
over 4,000 souls lost.
481
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:23,720
Plus 1,000 wounded.
482
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:33,000
Something to share, Attalus?
483
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:34,680
Nothing of note.
484
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:40,080
So Darius reaches out to Attalus
as someone who he can basically bribe.
485
00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:45,200
This is a tried-and-trusted method
of dealing with these recalcitrant Greeks.
486
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,560
How do you deal with them? Bribe them.
487
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:52,120
You know, keep them happy
by sowing division. Divide and conquer.
488
00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:54,720
Standard operating practice for empires,
489
00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,400
and the Persians were
extremely good at it.
490
00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,920
It seems that our young royal majesty
is delayed.
491
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:04,320
Um...
492
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:06,320
Parmenion, can we be honest?
493
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:10,920
Do you really think he can lead our army?
494
00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,320
It doesn't matter what I think,
old friend.
495
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,000
He's the king.
496
00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:21,080
Indeed, he is.
497
00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,400
Loyalty is what Philip
would have expected, no?
498
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:32,840
Yes.
499
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:34,680
Yes, of course.
500
00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:41,400
Attalus is
at an interesting point in life.
501
00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:45,120
He had risen, of course,
under Philip II as his right-hand man,
502
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:46,880
trusted and loyal to him.
503
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,560
Um, he'd married off his niece to Philip,
504
00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,960
and, of course,
both of those had died in this bloodbath.
505
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:57,000
So now, Attalus is faced with Alexander,
506
00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:59,640
and there's no love lost
between them at all.
507
00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:04,520
Alexander had gone into exile
because of Attalus's machinations,
508
00:37:05,240 --> 00:37:09,480
and here they stand, kind of having
a face-off. What's going to happen next?
509
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:14,080
Well, the truth is Attalus has control
of the Macedonian army,
510
00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:16,600
and success is going
to be dependent on him.
511
00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:18,480
Yes, good boy, Bucephalus.
512
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:21,800
So, Alexander is in
a pretty precarious position.
513
00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,360
We have a long journey ahead of us,
old friend.
514
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,640
Get ready to mount.
515
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,920
So, you have word from the front.
516
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:36,360
A message from Attalus?
517
00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:38,040
I did.
518
00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:41,280
He sent me a letter
he'd received from King Darius.
519
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:42,880
It contained a bribe.
520
00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,680
The throne of Macedon
in exchange for his obedience.
521
00:37:46,760 --> 00:37:48,200
And he sent it to you?
522
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:53,400
Along with a letter rejecting it,
confirming his loyalty to me and Macedon.
523
00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:58,800
That shows you're winning the men over.
524
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,440
Right? If Attalus stays loyal,
so does his army.
525
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:03,520
That's the problem.
526
00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,520
He has that power over me
and a reason to use it.
527
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:08,400
Hey, hey...
528
00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:11,440
Hey, good boy.
529
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:16,640
What we see here
is the emergence of Alexander,
530
00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:18,680
a consummate politician.
531
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:21,560
And also the origins,
532
00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:22,720
I think,
533
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,560
of Alexander the tyrant,
534
00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:29,480
who is ruthless against any opposition.
535
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:31,880
Fine. What are you going to do?
536
00:38:32,720 --> 00:38:33,720
Alex?
537
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:36,000
What have you done?
538
00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:50,080
And so the first lines on a new map
are sketched in blood.
539
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:51,800
No!
540
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:53,520
No!
541
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,760
But not yet the blood of enemies.
542
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,640
I have been true to our king! I swear it!
543
00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:01,040
To the gods that watch us!
544
00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:03,360
- High treason.
- No!
545
00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:05,680
Bribery.
546
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:08,640
Collusion with the enemy.
547
00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:14,360
Only one punishment
befits this Persian puppet.
548
00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:16,720
No! No!
549
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,600
By order of Alexander...
550
00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:29,200
Death.
551
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,240
And so the first steps are taken
552
00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:39,200
towards an epic duel.
553
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:49,840
Cavalry, forward!
554
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:58,640
Battalions! On me!
555
00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:09,600
Two men...
556
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,680
worlds apart in their qualities
557
00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:17,400
and temperament.
558
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,680
Two bitter enemies.
559
00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:37,600
A world away from each other...
560
00:40:40,720 --> 00:40:42,400
...but not for long.
561
00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:02,400
News of Attalus defecting?
562
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:03,480
No.
563
00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:08,320
Will Macedon be ours?
564
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:10,400
Attalus is dead.
565
00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:13,280
And the boy king?
566
00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:16,200
He's coming.
44112
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