During his brief yet spectacular career, Alexander the Great (356-323) brought his armies as far east as the Indus River, at the western border of modern India. As he moved East he embarked upon a path of assimilation, a fusion of East and West into one great civilized, and therefore Greek, civilization. This process of Hellenization would have probably continued had Alexander not died at the age of almost thirty-three.
In Susa [after his return from the far East] he celebrated both his own wedding and those of his companions. He himself married Barsine, the eldest daughter of Darius, and according to [his biographer] Aristobulus, besides her yet another Parysatis, the youngest daughter of Darius. He had already married Roxana, daughter of Oxyartes the Bactrian. [To each of his leading generals he gave a noble Asiatic lady to wife.] Likewise to the rest of his “Companions” he gave the choicest daughters of the Persians and Medes to the number of 80. The weddings were celebrated after the Persian manner, seats being placed in a row for the bridegrooms; and after the banquet the brides came in and seated themselves each one near her own husband. The bridegrooms took them by the right hand and kissed them; the king being the first to begin, for the weddings were all conducted in the same way.
This appeared the most popular thing which Alexander ever did; and it proved his affection for his “Companions.” Each man took his own bride and led her away; and on all without exception Alexander bestowed dowries. He also ordered that the names of all the other Macedonians who had married Asiatic women should be registered. They were over 10,000 in number; and to these Alexander made presents on account of their weddings.
How Alexander rewarded his Veterans
He thought it a good opportunity now to discharge the debts of all his soldiers; to that end he ordered that a register should be made of how much each man owed in order that they might get the money. At first only a few registered [many fearing this was a device to catch spendthrifts, whereupon Alexander complained they were wrong in distrusting him]. Accordingly he had tables placed in camp with money upon them; and he appointed paymasters. He ordered the debts of all who showed a money bond to be discharged without the debtors’ names being registered. Thus the men believed Alexander was sincere; and the fact they were not known was even greater pleasure than the mere getting out of debt. This presentation to the army is said to have amounted to 20,000 talents [over $20,000,000]. He also gave special presents to particular individuals, according as each man was held in honor for his conspicuous merit or valor in crises of danger. [Thus many received golden chaplets of honor.]
The Enlisting of Asiatics in the Army
The viceroys from the newly built cities and the rest of the conquered lands came [now] to him, bringing with them the youths just growing into manhood to the number of 30,000 — all of the same age, whom Alexander called Epigoni [i.e. Successors]. They had been accoutered with the Macedonian arms, and trained in the Macedonian military system. It is said their coming exasperated the Macedonians, who thought that Alexander was contriving by every means in his power to free himself from future need of their services. For the same reason, also, the sight of his Median dress was no small cause of dissatisfaction to them; and the weddings, celebrated in the Persian fashion, were displeasing to most of them, even some of those who were married, although they had been greatly honored by being put on a level with the king, in the marriage ceremony. They were disgusted that [many Asiatic] horsemen had been distributed among the squadrons of the “Companion” cavalry; as many of them at least as seemed to excel in reputation, stature, or any other good quality, and that a fifth cavalry division was added to these troops, not composed wholly of Barbarians; but the whole body of cavalry was increased in number, and men were picked from the Barbarians and put into it. . . . [Barbarian footmen were also enrolled] and Macedonian spears were given them in place of their native javelins with thongs attached. All this offended the Macedonians, who thought that Alexander was becoming Asiatic in his ideas, and holding the Macedonians as well as their customs in contempt.
[As a result of this discontent there was presently a formidable mutiny among the Macedonians which Alexander suppressed with some difficulty.]