It is said that Alexander rode a Karkadann—the famous
Bucephalus, described as having the body of a horse and the
head of a lion. He was called Bucephalus because of its horn (the name
literally means "Ox-head").
This was a creature Alexander had
first encountered when he was about 13 years old. It had been
presented for sale to his
father, King Philip of Macedonia, by the Thessalian Philonicusto.
However, it lashed out so furiously at every attempt to mount it that
Philip's champion riders soon gave up. The animal was about to be led
away as totally useless and intractable. But Alexander protested,
claiming he could ride it. His father, thinking to teach him a little
humility, allowed Alexander to try on the condition that if he failed,
he would have to pay the entire asking price of the beast (13
talents). And he told Alexander that if he succeeded in taming it, he
would give it to him as a gift.
Alexander was able to tame the unicorn by approaching it as an animal
who could only be ridden with its own consent, not a horse whose will
needed to be broken. To prove his good intentions, Alexander
approached Bucephalus carefully, making it obvious he carried no
weapon, whip or rope. Taking the bridle in his hands, Alexander spoke
softly to the unicorn. "Greetings noble beast. I
come in friendship. Only permit me to ride on your back today and you
may choose your freedom."
He remained in this
position, totally defenseless. The unicorn stepped closer and lowered
its head until its horn was almost touching the skin over Alexander's
heart. After what
seemed a long time, Bucephalus suddenly lowered the point of his horn
to the ground and allowed Alexander to mount. Once there, Alexander
sat still while they accustomed themselves to each other. Then
Bucephalus leapt forward in a gallop, seeming to move swifter than the
wind, and carried Alexander some distance away. Many in the watching
crowd feared they would never see their prince again. At last he
turned and came riding back to cheers and much rejoicing.
It is said that after Alexander successfully rode
the unicorn, the king shed tears of joy and pride and said to
Alexander: "Oh
my son, look out for a kingdom equal and worthy of you, for Macedonia
is too small to contain you."
Many think
Bucephalus was only a horse, but others claim
he was actually a Karkadann or unicorn. Reportedly, Alexander spoke softly to him,
stroked him and leaned against him. The Karkadann was
fearless against demons and allowed Alexander to tame griffins. Bucephalus remained with Alexander almost to the end of both their lives
and was ridden by him into every major battle during his conquest of
Egypt and the Persian Empire. It is said that some of Bucephalus'
temperament rubbed off on Alexander as he became famous for his
fairness, restraint and clemency towards enemies who submitted to him.
The story of Bucephalus'
capture during an expedition near the Caspian Sea is one example of
Alexander's noble behavior. As he was in the habit of riding
Bucephalus only when going into battle, the animal was generally transported
in a cage designed to prevent reckless soldiers from trying their luck
by riding him. On this occasion, Alexander was off exploring with the
majority of his army. Raiders from the northern steppes captured
Bucephalus and his escort and carried them off as prisoners. When
Alexander returned and discovered what had happened, he
was incensed. He sent word that if they were not returned, every man,
woman and child of that nation would be put to the sword. The raiders,
who had seen the enormous size of the returning army, realized this
was no empty threat. They immediately returned Bucephalus and his
guards and surrendered all their cities into Alexander's hands.
Alexander's response was to treat them with all kindness; he
even paid a ransom for Bucephalus.
Alexander had connections with
other unicorns. One such beast, notable for the gem at the base of its
horn, was presented to him during his travels by Queen Candace. There
are also numerous accounts of him hunting the fierce
Karkadann. On
occasion he also had to battle demonic unicorns which were the
manifestations of hostile spirits.
Legend and history agree that Bucephalus died during Alexander's last great battle with King Porus of
India. Only the cause of his death is disputed, whether it was from
wounds, old age or simple exhaustion.
His death marked a change in
Alexander's fortunes—his legendary luck deserted him and his
character, which had already begun to show signs of instability, took a rapid
turn for the worse. He won the battle against King Porus, but only
barely. His army refused to go any further and Alexander was forced to turn
back. He decided to explore the coast along the way, leading to thousands of his
troops perishing as they crossed the Makran Desert in what is now
southern Pakistan. The number of soldiers who died during this trek has been estimated
at 80,000. While Alexander faced all hardships on equal terms with
his men, the high death toll undermined his support.
Back home in the heart of his Persian Empire, Alexander first began
working on restoring order. He then started planning an expedition to
circle Africa to the gates of the Mediterranean Sea. According to the
Royal Diaries, following a celebratory banquet, Alexander became ill
with some type of fever. It didn't seem all that serious at first, but
after twelve days of steady deterioration, he died at the young age of
32.
It wasn't long before rumors of
poisoning began circulating, with the finger even being pointed at
Aristotle as one of the instigators. Alexander's mother had many
suspects put to death, but the full truth of the matter was never
discovered. And, sadly, not that many people wanted to learn the
truth. In spite of all his astonishing achievements, it was a relief
to most of his generals and followers when Alexander died. It meant
they could now settle down to enjoy the fruits of their labors and
divide
up his empire—as had been foreseen in
Daniel's vision.
The exact cause of his death remains a mystery. After all his exploits
and risks, it was a rather ignoble death for the man who'd conquered
so much of the known world during his lifetime.
