History - The True Story of Alexander The Great

In the year 334 BC, a 20 year old military commander from Northern Greece set out to conquer what was then the known world. His name was King Alexander of Macedon. During the next 12 years, he led 40,000 troops more than 20,000 miles, defeating the most powerful ruler on Earth, King Darius of Persia, and conquering all of Asia. He died of a battle wound at the age of 32, but his legendary conquests have been celebrated and studied for more than 2000 years. Today, we know him as Alexander the Great.Hosted by Peter Woodward, the program takes viewers to the Greek locations of Alexanders youth: his father King Philip IIs palace in Macedonia, the caves where he was tutored by the famous philosopher Aristotle, the battlefields where he fought by his fathers side, the amphitheatre where Alexander watched helplessly as Philip was assassinated.Guided by accounts of ancient historians portrayed by actors, and interviews with the worlds most respected modern-day Alexander scholars, this journey continues with visits to the actual battlefields in Turkey and Lebanon where Alexanders troops, though heavily outnumbered, emerged victorious. Alexanders signature battle plans and weaponry are examined and demonstrated using re-enactors and state-of-the art computer graphics.