Few figures in history spark the imagination quite like Alexander the Great. By the time he turned 30, he had conquered most of the known world. His name lived on not just in history books, but in stories and legends passed down across cultures — from Greece and Rome to Ethiopia, Persia, India, and beyond. Each culture shaped its own version of Alexander, often casting him in the image of its ideals. In Ethiopia, for example, medieval writers imagined him as a Christian king on a divine mission, even though he lived centuries before Christ. His myth grew so large that it transcended time, religion, and the geopolitical boundaries we know today.
Alexander’s path to greatness started long before he became king. His father, Philip of Macedon, turned a rugged northern kingdom into a dominant Greek power. At just 18, Alexander fought at the Battle of Chaeronea, helping Philip secure control over all of Greece. His education came from none other than Aristotle, who introduced Alexander to philosophy, science, and Homer’s Iliad. It is said that Alexander carried a copy of the great tale with him on every campaign.
When Philip was assassinated in 336 BC, Alexander inherited both a throne and a mission: to conquer the Persian Empire. And conquer it, he did. Victories at Granicus, Issus, and Gaugamela brought the Persian Empire to its knees. At Gaugamela, his 47,000 troops overcame a Persian force several times larger. Alexander’s entry into Egypt and Babylon wasn’t just a military success, it captivated the imagination of everyone who witnessed it and those who heard about his amazing feats of glory.
In Persia, he seized the royal treasury at Persepolis, a massive hoard of wealth built up over centuries. Ancient sources say he needed 10,000 mules and 500 camels just to carry it all. From this treasure, millions of coins were minted — silver drachmas and tetradrachms that would fund his armies, his cities, and his legacy.
Over 2,000 years later, Alexander the Great's story continues — this time through the rare surviving coins that bear his name.