Breaking: Ukraine Takes Down Two A-50s; 🚨 Military Success - 04.23.24

Prepare for the unveiling of this historic revelation and its intriguing details. [wiseprofitstrategy] [line] Urgent Alarm: Ukraine’s A.I. Blitz Shatters Norms, Downs Russian A-50! [A-50]( Brace for impact as we unravel the pulse-pounding specifics of this historic… Military upheaval that has Russia scrambling and the world in shock. [The clock is ticking – dive into the urgent details now >>]( [Logo] WiseProfitStrategy.com brought to you ({EMAIL}) by Inception Media, LLC. Financial Educational Blog[.]( Let us know you better to create more relevant content! Pick themes that you prefer. You can choose more than one topic. - [Banks/Laws.]( - [General.]( - [Politic.]( - [Military.]( - [Digital/Tech.]( - [Crypto.]( We appreciate your feedback and inquiries at Inception Media, LLC. Please be aware that we are unable to provide personalized financial advice. This email should not be considered as financial advice, and any investment decisions you make are entirely your own responsibility. 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All rights reserved. 600 N Broad St Ste 5 PMB 1, Middletown, DE 1970 [wiseprofitstrategylogo]( Alexander III of Macedon Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος romanized Alexandros 20/2 July 356 BC – 0/ June 323 BC most commonly known as Alexander the Greatc was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedond He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20 and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia Central Asia parts of South Asia and Egypt By the age of 30 he had created one of the largest empires in history stretching from Greece to northwestern India He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of historys greatest and most successful military commanders23 Until the age of 6 Alexander was tutored by Aristotle In 335 BC shortly after his assumption of kingship over Macedon he campaigned in the Balkans and reasserted control over Thrace and parts of Illyria before marching on the city of Thebes which was subsequently destroyed in battle Alexander then led the League of Corinth and used his authority to launch the panHellenic project envisaged by his father assuming leadership over all Greeks in their conquest of Persia45 In 334 BC he invaded the Achaemenid Persian Empire and began a series of campaigns that lasted for 0 years Following his conquest of Asia Minor Alexander broke the power of Achaemenid Persia in a series of decisive battles including those at Issus and Gaugamela he subsequently overthrew Darius III and conquered the Achaemenid Empire in its entiretye After the fall of Persia the Macedonian Empire held a vast swath of territory between the Adriatic Sea and the Indus River Alexander endeavored to reach the ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea and invaded India in 326 BC achieving an important victory over Porus an ancient Indian king of presentday Punjab at the Battle of the Hydaspes Due to the demand of his homesick troops he eventually turned back at the Beas River and later died in 323 BC in Babylon the city of Mesopotamia that he had planned to establish as his empires capital Alexanders death left unexecuted an additional series of planned military and mercantile campaigns that would have begun with a Greek invasion of Arabia In the years following his death a series of civil wars broke out across the Macedonian Empire eventually leading to its disintegration at the hands of the Diadochi With his death marking the start of the Hellenistic period Alexanders legacy includes the cultural diffusion and syncretism that his conquests engendered such as GrecoBuddhism and Hellenistic Judaism He founded more than twenty cities with the most prominent being the city of Alexandria in Egypt Alexanders settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture led to the overwhelming dominance of Hellenistic civilization and influence as far east as the Indian subcontinent The Hellenistic period developed through the Roman Empire into modern Western culture the Greek language became the lingua franca of the region and was the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire until its collapse in the mid5th century AD Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mould of Achilles featuring prominently in the historical and mythical traditions of both Greek and nonGreek cultures His military achievements and unprecedented enduring successes in battle made him the measure against which many later military leaders would compare themselvesf and his tactics remain a significant subject of study in military academies worldwide6 Legends of Alexanders exploits coalesced into the thirdcentury Alexander Romance which in the premodern period went through over one hundred recensions translations and derivations and was translated into almost every European vernacular and every language of the Islamic world7 After the Bible it was the most popular form of European literature8 Early life Lineage and childhood Archaeological site of Pella Greece Alexanders birthplace This article is part of a series about Alexander the Great Early lifeEducationPersonal relationships Early rule Consolidation of powerBalkan campaign PeliumThebes Conquest of the Persian Empire Asia Minor GranicusHalicarnassus Syria IssusTyreEgypt Gaza Mesopotamia Gaugamela Persia Persian GatePersepolis Bactria CyropolisSogdian Rock Expedition into India Indian campaigns CophenAornosHydaspesMallian Death and legacy DeathTombHellenistic periodCitiesCult Cultural impact Legends Alexander Romance Historiography AnabasisChronology Cultural depictions Islamic theories vte Alexander III was born in Pella the capital of the Kingdom of Macedon9 on the sixth day of the ancient Greek month of Hekatombaion which probably corresponds to 20 July 356 BC although the exact date is uncertain0 He was the son of the erstwhile king of Macedon Philip II and his fourth wife Olympias daughter of Neoptolemus I king of Epirus2g Although Philip had seven or eight wives Olympias was his principal wife for some time likely because she gave birth to Alexander3 Several legends surround Alexanders birth and childhood4 According to the ancient Greek biographer Plutarch on the eve of the consummation of her marriage to Philip Olympias dreamed that her womb was struck by a thunderbolt that caused a flame to spread far and wide before dying away Sometime after the wedding Philip is said to have seen himself in a dream securing his wifes womb with a seal engraved with a lions image5 Plutarch offered a variety of interpretations for these dreams that Olympias was pregnant before her marriage indicated by the sealing of her womb or that Alexanders father was Zeus Ancient commentators were divided about whether the ambitious Olympias promulgated the story of Alexanders divine parentage variously claiming that she had told Alexander or that she dismissed the suggestion as impious5 On the day Alexander was born Philip was preparing a siege on the city of Potidea on the peninsula of Chalcidice That same day Philip received news that his general Parmenion had defeated the combined Illyrian and Paeonian armies and that his horses had won at the Olympic Games It was also said that on this day the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus one of the Seven Wonders of the World burnt down This led Hegesias of Magnesia to say that it had burnt down because Artemis was away attending the birth of Alexander6 Such legends may have emerged when Alexander was king and possibly at his instigation to show that he was superhuman and destined for greatness from conception4 In his early years Alexander was raised by a nurse Lanike sister of Alexanders future general Cleitus the Black Later in his childhood Alexander was tutored by the strict Leonidas a relative of his mother and by Lysimachus of Acarnania7 Alexander was raised in the manner of noble Macedonian youths learning to read play the lyre ride fight and hunt8 When Alexander was ten years old a trader from Thessaly brought Philip a horse which he offered to sell for thirteen talents The horse refused to be mounted and Philip ordered it away Alexander however detecting the horses fear of its own shadow asked to tame the horse which he eventually managed4 Plutarch stated that Philip overjoyed at this display of courage and ambition kissed his son tearfully declaring My boy you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions Macedon is too small for you and bought the horse for him9 Alexander named it Bucephalas meaning oxhead Bucephalas carried Alexander as far as India When the animal died because of old age according to Plutarch at age 30 Alexander named a city after him Bucephala20 Education Roman medallion depicting Olympias Alexanders mother When Alexander was 3 Philip began to search for a tutor and considered such academics as Isocrates and Speusippus the latter offering to resign from his stewardship of the Academy to take up the post In the end Philip chose Aristotle and provided the Temple of the Nymphs at Mieza as a classroom In return for teaching Alexander Philip agreed to rebuild Aristotles hometown of Stageira which Philip had razed and to repopulate it by buying and freeing the excitizens who were slaves or pardoning those who were in exile2 Mieza was like a boarding school for Alexander and the children of Macedonian nobles such as Ptolemy Hephaistion and Cassander Many of these students would become his friends and future generals and are often known as the Companions Aristotle taught Alexander and his companions about medicine philosophy morals religion logic and art Under Aristotles tutelage Alexander developed a passion for the works of Homer and in particular the Iliad Aristotle gave him an annotated copy which Alexander later carried on his campaigns22 Alexander was able to quote Euripides from memory23 In his youth Alexander was also acquainted with Persian exiles at the Macedonian court who received the protection of Philip II for several years as they opposed Artaxerxes III242526 Among them were Artabazos II and his daughter Barsine possible future mistress of Alexander who resided at the Macedonian court from 352 to 342 BC as well as Amminapes future satrap of Alexander or a Persian nobleman named Sisines24272829 This gave the Macedonian court a good knowledge of Persian issues and may even have influenced some of the innovations in the management of the Macedonian state27 Suda writes that Anaximenes of Lampsacus was one of Alexanders teachers and that Anaximenes also accompanied Alexander on his campaigns30 Heir of Philip II Regency and ascent of Macedon Main articles Philip II of Macedon and Rise of Macedon Further information History of Macedonia ancient kingdom Philip II of Macedon Alexanders father At the age of 6 Alexanders education under Aristotle ended Philip II had waged war against the Thracians to the north which left Alexander in charge as regent and heir apparent4 During Philips absence the Thracian tribe of Maedi revolted against Macedonia Alexander responded quickly and drove them from their territory The territory was colonized and a city named Alexandropolis was founded3 Upon Philips return Alexander was dispatched with a small force to subdue the revolts in southern Thrace Campaigning against the Greek city of Perinthus Alexander reportedly saved his fathers life Meanwhile the city of Amphissa began to work lands that were sacred to Apollo near Delphi a sacrilege that gave Philip the opportunity to further intervene in Greek affairs While Philip was occupied in Thrace Alexander was ordered to muster an army for a campaign in southern Greece Concerned that other Greek states might intervene Alexander made it look as though he was preparing to attack Illyria instead During this turmoil the Illyrians invaded Macedonia only to be repelled by Alexander32 Philip and his army joined his son in 338 BC and they marched south through Thermopylae taking it after stubborn resistance from its Theban garrison They went on to occupy the city of Elatea only a few days march from both Athens and Thebes The Athenians led by Demosthenes voted to seek alliance with Thebes against Macedonia Both Athens and Philip sent embassies to win Thebess favour but Athens won the contest33 Philip marched on Amphissa ostensibly acting on the request of the Amphictyonic League capturing the mercenaries sent there by Demosthenes and accepting the citys surrender Philip then returned to Elatea sending a final offer of peace to Athens and Thebes who both rejected it34 Battle plan from the Battle of Chaeronea As Philip marched south his opponents blocked him near Chaeronea Boeotia During the ensuing Battle of Chaeronea Philip commanded the right wing and Alexander the left accompanied by a group of Philips trusted generals According to the ancient sources the two sides fought bitterly for some time Philip deliberately commanded his troops to retreat counting on the untested Athenian hoplites to follow thus breaking their line Alexander was the first to break the Theban lines followed by Philips generals Having damaged the enemys cohesion Philip ordered his troops to press forward and quickly routed them With the Athenians lost the Thebans were surrounded Left to fight alone they were defeated35 After the victory at Chaeronea Philip and Alexander marched unopposed into the Peloponnese devastating much of Laconia and ejecting the Spartans from various parts of it36 At Corinth Philip established a Hellenic Alliance modelled on the old antiPersian alliance of the GrecoPersian Wars which included most Greek citystates except Sparta Philip was then named Hegemon often translated as Supreme Commander of this league known by modern scholars as the League of Corinth and announced his plans to attack the Persian Empire3738 Exile and return When Philip returned to Pella he fell in love with and married Cleopatra Eurydice in 338 BC39 the niece of his general Attalus40 The marriage made Alexanders position as heir less secure since any son of Cleopatra Eurydice would be a fully Macedonian heir while Alexander was only halfMacedonian4 During the wedding banquet a drunken Attalus publicly prayed to the gods that the union would produce a legitimate heir40 At the wedding of Cleopatra whom Philip fell in love with and married she being much too young for him her uncle Attalus in his drink desired the Macedonians would implore the gods to give them a lawful successor to the kingdom by his niece This so irritated Alexander that throwing one of the cups at his head You villain said he what am I then a bastard Then Philip taking Attaluss part rose up and would have run his son through but by good fortune for them both either his overhasty rage or the wine he had drunk made his foot slip so that he fell down on the floor at which Alexander reproachfully insulted him See there said he the man who makes preparations to pass out of Europe into Asia overturned in passing from one seat to another — Plutarch describing the feud at Philips wedding42 In 337 BC Alexander fled Macedon with his mother dropping her off with her brother King Alexander I of Epirus in Dodona capital of the Molossians43 He continued to Illyria43 where he sought refuge with one or more Illyrian kings perhaps with Glaucias and was treated as a guest despite having defeated them in battle a few years before44 However it appears Philip never intended to disown his politically and militarily trained son43 Accordingly Alexander returned to Macedon after six months due to the efforts of a family friend Demaratus who mediated between the two parties45 In the following year the Persian satrap governor of Caria Pixodarus offered his eldest daughter to Alexanders halfbrother Philip Arrhidaeus43 Olympias and several of Alexanders friends suggested this showed Philip intended to make Arrhidaeus his heir43 Alexander reacted by sending an actor Thessalus of Corinth to tell Pixodarus that he should not offer his daughters hand to an illegitimate son but instead to Alexander When Philip heard of this he stopped the negotiations and scolded Alexander for wishing to marry the daughter of a Carian explaining that he wanted a better bride for him43 Philip exiled four of Alexanders friends Harpalus Nearchus Ptolemy and Erigyius and had the Corinthians bring Thessalus to him in chains46 King of Macedon Accession Further information Government of Macedonia ancient kingdom Pausanius assassinates Philip II Alexanders father during his procession into the theatre In the summer of 336 BC while at Aegae attending the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra to Olympiass brother Alexander I of Epirus Philip was assassinated by the captain of his bodyguards Pausaniash As Pausanias tried to escape he tripped over a vine and was killed by his pursuers including two of Alexanders companions Perdiccas and Leonnatus Alexander was proclaimed king on the spot by the nobles and army at the age of 20474849 Consolidation of power The emblema of the Stag Hunt Mosaic c 300 BC from Pella the figure on the right is possibly Alexander the Great due to the date of the mosaic along with the depicted upsweep of his centrallyparted hair anastole the figure on the left wielding a doubleedged axe associated with Hephaistos is perhaps Hephaestion one of Alexanders loyal companions50 Alexander began his reign by eliminating potential rivals to the throne He had his cousin the former Amyntas IV executed5 He also had two Macedonian princes from the region of Lyncestis killed for having been involved in his fathers assassination but spared a third Alexander Lyncestes Olympias had Cleopatra Eurydice and Europa her daughter by Philip burned alive When Alexander learned about this he was furious Alexander also ordered the murder of Attalus5 who was in command of the advance guard of the army in Asia Minor and Cleopatras uncle52 Attalus was at that time corresponding with Demosthenes regarding the possibility of defecting to Athens Attalus also had severely insulted Alexander and following Cleopatras murder Alexander may have considered him too dangerous to be left alive52 Alexander spared Arrhidaeus who was by all accounts mentally disabled possibly as a result of poisoning by Olympias474953 News of Philips death roused many states into revolt including Thebes Athens Thessaly and the Thracian tribes north of Macedon When news of the revolts reached Alexander he responded quickly Though advised to use diplomacy Alexander mustered 3000 Macedonian cavalry and rode south towards Thessaly He found the Thessalian army occupying the pass between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa and ordered his men to ride over Mount Ossa When the Thessalians awoke the next day they found Alexander in their rear and promptly surrendered adding their cavalry to Alexanders force He then continued south towards the Peloponnese54 Alexander stopped at Thermopylae where he was recognized as the leader of the Amphictyonic League before heading south to Corinth Athens sued for peace and Alexander pardoned the rebels The famous encounter between Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic occurred during Alexanders stay in Corinth When Alexander asked Diogenes what he could do for him the philosopher disdainfully asked Alexander to stand a little to the side as he was blocking the sunlight55 This reply apparently delighted Alexander who is reported to have said But verily if I were not Alexander I would like to be Diogenes56 At Corinth Alexander took the title of Hegemon leader and like Philip was appointed commander for the coming war against Persia He also received news of a Thracian uprising57 Balkan campaign Main article Alexanders Balkan campaign The Macedonian phalanx at the Battle of the Carts against the Thracians in 335 BC Before crossing to Asia Alexander wanted to safeguard his northern borders In the spring of 335 BC he advanced to suppress several revolts Starting from Amphipolis he travelled east into the country of the Independent Thracians and at Mount Haemus the Macedonian army attacked and defeated the Thracian forces manning the heights58 The Macedonians marched into the country of the Triballi and defeated their army near the Lyginus river59 a tributary of the Danube Alexander then marched for three days to the Danube encountering the Getae tribe on the opposite shore Crossing the river at night he surprised them and forced their army to retreat after the first cavalry skirmish60 News then reached Alexander that the Illyrian chieftain Cleitus and King Glaukias of the Taulantii were in open revolt against his authority Marching west into Illyria Alexander defeated each in turn forcing the two rulers to flee with their troops With these victories he secured his northern frontier6 Destruction of Thebes While Alexander campaigned north the Thebans and Athenians rebelled once again Alexander immediately headed south62 While the other cities again hesitated Thebes decided to fight The Theban resistance was ineffective and Alexander razed the city and divided its territory between the other Boeotian cities The end of Thebes cowed Athens leaving all of Greece temporarily at peace62 Alexander then set out on his Asian campaign leaving Antipater as regent63 Conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire Main articles Wars of Alexander the Great and Chronology of the expedition of Alexander the Great into Asia Asia Minor Further information Battle of the Granicus Siege of Halicarnassus and Siege of Miletus Map of Alexanders empire and his route Alexander the Great 200km 820milesBabylon5Death of Alexander the Great 0 or June 323 BCMalavas4Mallian campaign November 326 – February 325 BCHydaspes3Battle of the Hydaspes May 326 BCCophen2Cophen campaign May 327 BC – March 326 BCCyropolisSiege of Cyropolis 329 BC Battle of Jaxartes October 329 BC Siege of the Sogdian Rock 327 BCPersian Gate0Battle of the Persian Gate 20 January 330 BCUxians9Battle of the Uxian Defile December 33 BCGaugamela8Battle of Gaugamela October 33 BCAlexandria7Foundation of Alexandria 33 BCGaza6Siege of Gaza October 332 BCTyre5Siege of Tyre 332 BC January–July 332 BCIssus4Battle of Issus 334 BCMiletus3Siege of Miletus 334 BC Siege of Halicarnassus 334 BCGranicus2Battle of the Granicus May 334 BCPella   MapWikimedia | © OpenStreetMap After his victory at the Battle of Chaeronea 338 BC Philip II began the work of establishing himself as hēgemṓn Greek ἡγεμών of a league which according to Diodorus was to wage a campaign against the Persians for the sundry grievances Greece suffered in 480 and free the Greek cities of the western coast and islands from Achaemenid rule In 336 he sent Parmenion Amyntas Andromenes Attalus and an army of 0000 men into Anatolia to make preparations for an invasion6465 The Greek cities on the western coast of Anatolia revolted until the news arrived that Philip had been murdered and had been succeeded by his young son Alexander The Macedonians were demoralized by Philips death and were subsequently defeated near Magnesia by the Achaemenids under the command of the mercenary Memnon of Rhodes6465 Taking over the invasion project of Philip II Alexanders army crossed the Hellespont in 334 BC with approximately 4800 soldiers 600 cavalry and a fleet of 20 ships with crews numbering 3800062 drawn from Macedon and various Greek city states mercenaries and feudally raised soldiers from Thrace Paionia and Illyria66i He showed his intent to conquer the entirety of the Persian Empire by throwing a spear into Asian soil and saying he accepted Asia as a gift from the gods This also showed Alexanders eagerness to fight in contrast to his fathers preference for diplomacy62 After an initial victory against Persian forces at the Battle of the Granicus Alexander accepted the surrender of the Persian provincial capital and treasury of Sardis he then proceeded along the Ionian coast granting autonomy and democracy to the cities Miletus held by Achaemenid forces required a delicate siege operation with Persian naval forces nearby Further south at Halicarnassus in Caria Alexander successfully waged his first largescale siege eventually forcing his opponents the mercenary captain Memnon of Rhodes and the Persian satrap of Caria Orontobates to withdraw by sea67 Alexander left the government of Caria to a member of the Hecatomnid dynasty Ada who adopted Alexander68 Alexander Cuts the Gordian Knot by JeanSimon Berthélemy 767 From Halicarnassus Alexander proceeded into mountainous Lycia and the Pamphylian plain asserting control over all coastal cities to deny the Persians naval bases From Pamphylia onwards the coast held no major ports and Alexander moved inland At Termessos Alexander humbled and did not storm the Pisidian city69 At the ancient Phrygian capital of Gordium Alexander undid the hitherto unsolvable Gordian Knot a feat said to await the future king of Asia70 According to the story Alexander proclaimed that it did not matter how the knot was undone and hacked it apart with his sword7 The Levant and Syria Further information Battle of Issus and Siege of Tyre 332 BC In spring 333 BC Alexander crossed the Taurus into Cilicia After a long pause due to an illness he marched on towards Syria Though outmanoeuvered by Dariuss significantly larger army he marched back to Cilicia where he defeated Darius at Issus Darius fled the battle causing his army to collapse and left behind his wife his two daughters his mother Sisygambis and a fabulous treasure72 He offered a peace treaty that included the lands he had already lost and a ransom of 0000 talents for his family Alexander replied that since he was now king of Asia it was he alone who decided territorial divisions73 Alexander proceeded to take possession of Syria and most of the coast of the Levant68 In the following year 332 BC he was forced to attack Tyre which he captured after a long and difficult siege7475 The men of military age were massacred and the women and children sold into slavery76 Egypt Further information Siege of Gaza 332 BCE Name of Alexander the Great in Egyptian hieroglyphs written from right to left c 332 BC Egypt Louvre Museum When Alexander destroyed Tyre most of the towns on the route to Egypt quickly capitulated However Alexander was met with resistance at Gaza The stronghold was heavily fortified and built on a hill requiring a siege When his engineers pointed out to him that because of the height of the mound it would be impossible this encouraged Alexander all the more to make the attempt77 After three unsuccessful assaults the stronghold fell but not before Alexander had received a serious shoulder wound As in Tyre men of military age were put to the sword and the women and children were sold into slavery78 Egypt was only one of a large number of territories taken by Alexander from the Persians After his trip to Siwa Alexander was crowned in the temple of Ptah at Memphis It appears that the Egyptian people did not find it disturbing that he was a foreigner – nor that he was absent for virtually his entire reign79 Alexander restored the temples neglected by the Persians and dedicated new monuments to the Egyptian gods In the temple of Luxor near Karnak he built a chapel for the sacred barge During his brief months in Egypt he reformed the taxation system on the Greek models and organized the military occupation of the country but in early 33 BC he left for Asia in pursuit of the Persians79 Alexander advanced on Egypt in later 332 BC where he was regarded as a liberator80 To legitimize taking power and be recognized as the descendant of the long line of pharaohs Alexander made sacrifices to the gods at Memphis and went to consult the famous oracle of AmunRa at the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan desert79 at which he was pronounced the son of the deity Amun8 Henceforth Alexander often referred to ZeusAmmon as his true father and after his death currency depicted him adorned with horns using the Horns of Ammon as a symbol of his divinity82 The Greeks interpreted this message – one that the gods addressed to all pharaohs – as a prophecy79 During his stay in Egypt he founded Alexandria which would become the prosperous capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom after his death83 Control of Egypt passed to Ptolemy I son of Lagos the founder of the Ptolemaic Dynasty 305–30 BC after the death of Alexander84 Assyria and Babylonia Further information Battle of Gaugamela Entry of Alexander into Babylon by Charles Le Brun 665 Leaving Egypt in 33 BC Alexander marched eastward into Achaemenid Assyria in Upper Mesopotamia now northern Iraq and defeated Darius again at the Battle of Gaugamela85 Darius once more fled the field and Alexander chased him as far as Arbela Gaugamela would be the final and decisive encounter between the two86 Darius fled over the mountains to Ecbatana modern Hamadan while Alexander captured Babylon87 Babylonian astronomical diaries say that the king of the world Alexander sent his scouts with a message to the people of Babylon before entering the city I shall not enter your houses88 Persia Further information Battle of the Persian Gate Site of the Persian Gate in modernday Iran the road was built in the 990s From Babylon Alexander went to Susa one of the Achaemenid capitals and captured its treasury87 He sent the bulk of his army to the Persian ceremonial capital of Persepolis via the Persian Royal Road Alexander himself took selected troops on the direct route to the city He then stormed the pass of the Persian Gates in the modern Zagros Mountains which had been blocked by a Persian army under Ariobarzanes and then hurried to Persepolis before its garrison could loot the treasury89 On entering Persepolis Alexander allowed his troops to loot the city for several days90 Alexander stayed in Persepolis for five months9 During his stay a fire broke out in the eastern palace of Xerxes I and spread to the rest of the city Possible causes include a drunken accident or deliberate revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens during the Second Persian War by Xerxes92 Plutarch and Diodorus allege that Alexanders companion the hetaera Thaïs instigated and started the fire Even as he watched the city burn Alexander immediately began to regret his decision939495 Plutarch claims that he ordered his men to put out the fires93 but the flames had already spread to most of the city93 Curtius claims that Alexander did not regret his decision until the next morning93 Plutarch recounts an anecdote in which Alexander pauses and talks to a fallen statue of Xerxes as if it were a live person Shall I pass by and leave you lying there because of the expeditions you led against Greece or shall I set you up again because of your magnanimity and your virtues in other respects96