Why Alexander the Great wept

Sham S. Misri

Alexander was the great king of Macedonia. When  Alexander with his little army won all the western part of Asia,  he said, "The world is my kingdom,."

He conquered Persia, which was then the greatest and richest country known. He burned the mighty city of Tyre. (Tyre is an ancient city in Lebanon and houses one of the nation's major ports. The city has a number of ancient sites, including its Roman Hippodrome, a hippodrome was a Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing..After these conquests Alexander made himself the master of Egypt. He built, near the mouth of the Nile River, a splendid new city which he called, after his own name, Alexandria.

Then Alexander asked "What lies west of Egypt?".

"Only the great desert," was the answer. "To the farthest bounds of the earth there is nothing but sand, sand, burning sand."

So Alexander led his army back into Asia. He overran the country beyond the great river Euphrates. He crossed the grassy plains that lie along the shores of the Caspian Sea. He climbed the snowy mountains that seem to overlook the world. He gazed northward upon a desolate land.

"What lies beyond?" he asked.

"Only frozen marshes," was the answer. "Mile after mile, to the farthest limits of the earth there is nothing but fields of snow and seas of ice."

So Alexander led his army back toward the south. He overran a large part of India. He subdued one rich city after another. At last he came to a mighty river.  He would have crossed the river, but his soldiers would not follow him.

"We go no farther," they said.

"What lies to the east of this wonderful stream?" asked Alexander.

"Only tangled forests," was the answer. "Mile after mile, mile after mile, to the farthest bounds of the earth there is nothing else."

So Alexander caused ships to be built. He launched them on another river called the Indus, and with his army floated down to the sea.

"What lies farther on?" he asked.

"Only trackless waters," was the answer. "Mile after mile, mile after mile, to the farthest limits of the earth there is nothing but the deep sea."

"Truly, then," said Alexander, "all the inhabited world is mine. West, north, east, and south, there is nothing more for me to conquer. But, after all, how small a kingdom it is!"

Then he sat down and wept because there were no other worlds for him to conquer.

When Alexander the Great, entered northern India in 327 B.C. and pitched his camp on the river which he called Hydaspes, influences were started which were to bear upon the subsequent history of Kashmir for generations. The fabulous Hydaspes of classic fame is the modern Jhelum, the great placid waterway of Kashmir. Not far from the northern boundary of Kashmir, where the river makes a bend, Alexander fought a battle in the course of which his beloved charger (Horse), the renowned Bucephalus, was slain. In his honor Alexander built a memorial city on the west bank of river near modern Jalalpur.