THE MOST FAMOUS WARRIORS IN HISTORY ― PART I

BY PRESSROOM

The legacies of these ancient masters of war still astound us.

Just because you’re a leader doesn’t mean you’re fair and just. Warriors throughout the last thousands of years did incredible things, but they slashed, killed, and maimed their ways to the very top. These legendary warriors were mere men, but became the supreme lords of exotic lands that it could take a lifetime to travel to. Who’s your favorite conqueror of all time? You may find one here.


Pharaoh Thutmose III, 1481-1425 BC

Thutmose was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. Interestingly, he ruled alongside his aunt Hatshepsut. But after her death, he expanded his Egyptian empire to huge proportions. He arranged nearly one military campaign for every year of his rather long rule and was considered to be a military genius. As ruthless as he was to the lands that he conquered, he was a lover of the arts and commissioned the building of many beautiful temples. You can visit him now in the Cairo Museum.

Cyrus the Great, 576-530 BC

Cyrus was the lord of the Achaemenid Empire which was centered in modern-day Iran, but after the death of his famous father, Cambyses I, King of Anshan and Mandane, he spread his empire by large amounts. He was a vicious conqueror, but he was regarded as a great man by people including Thomas Jefferson. The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient account of his prowess carved into a clay cylinder. It claims that he was a generous man to his people and a god-send.

Publius Horatius Cocles (Horatio), Early 500s BC

Horatius was just a young soldier in the Roman Army who lost an eye in the battle of the Pons Sublicius Bridge. “Cocles” was a nickname given to him meaning “one eye.” During this ferocious battle, Horatius bravely fought an invading Etruscan army alongside two older commanders while the rest of his army cut down the very bridge they were fighting on. He stayed until the bridge collapsed and he swam back to shore. He was discharged due to his injury, but was given a statue in his honor and some land. The two armies eventually signed a peace treaty.

Alexander the Great, 356-323 BC

Alexander was a Greek king of Macedon at the age of 20, and in the next twelve years, he spread his rule far and wide in an unprecedented manner. He was tutored by the philosopher Aristotle until he was 16, and gained an empire after his father’s assassination. He swiftly conquered Persia and headed into India to reach “the ends of the World,” but turned back when his troops got exhausted. He insisted that his troops keep exploring and conquering on their way home, but he himself never made it back. He died in Babylon at the age of 32.

From PRESSROOM