No joke. He wanted to invade the Persian Empire, but knew he’d have to wrap up the Greek city-states before he started. When Al crossed to Anatolia, he liberated the Greeks there and other occupied peoples (and of course took over their rule). The huge polyglot Persian army had Greek contingents who at first didn’t like the Macedonian, but during the long winter at Balkh, as the Great One was healing from serious wounds, a couple hundred thousand Greek reinforcements were on their way to join him, so many that he split his army into four parts and cleaned out all opposition that much faster.
Suggest the books by Mary Renault: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Renault/e/B000AP5EFQ44
(exception: “The Charioteer”)
What’s your take on Phillip’s assassination? cui bono?
Obvious answer is Olympias and Alexander. Olympias had to be offended by Phillips womanizing and marriages to younger women.
Alexander eventually wound up with the prize, the Macedonian crown.