Statistics on Alexander s injuries on his way to the East

In Epis in July 324 BCE, Alexander decided to return some of his soldiers who were unable to advance due to physical reasons, but this was seen as a betrayal of the Macedonians. The Macedonian soldiers' long-standing dissatisfaction with Alexander almost led to a mutiny, and the veterans, believing that Alexander was going to abandon his veterans and fight with the "barbarians" of the East, complained and blamed their king. Under these tense circumstances, Arti quickly arrested and executed several of the leaders, and ascended to the high platform to defend himself, accusing the Macedonian soldiers of being ungrateful. In his speech, Yadi's emphasis on his injuries was striking:

You may think that while you endure toil and pain, I myself sit back and enjoy it. But I ask, who among you really feels that he has suffered more for me than I have suffered for him? Or, if any of you are wounded, take off your clothes and show them, and I will take them off for you to see. There is not a single place in my body, at least the front, that is not free of scars. None of them, either near or far, didn't leave a scar on me. It's a fact. In hand-to-hand combat, I have been stabbed by the enemy; I don't know how many arrows I have taken from the enemy; also struck by slingshot bullets; Sticks and stones are even more numerous. [1]

The 04 version of the movie "Alexander the Great" restored this classic speech, and seeing this record, many friends may be curious: Did Alexander really suffer so many injuries? What is the status of the injury? In this article, we will list some records of Alexander the Great's injuries in some classical historical sources. If there is any omission, you are welcome to add it in the comment area, and friends are also welcome to discuss and exchange.

Plutarch simulates Alexander's dialogue with the goddess of fate in the Morals, written in the first person:

I remember from the earliest days that among the Illyrians, I was struck in the forehead by a thrown stone, and beaten in the neck with a short club[2].

Plutarch mentions several times the sword wounds suffered by Alexander in the cavalry battles of the Granics River, The Moral Treatise:

Then on the Graniks, my head was cut open by an enemy dagger [3] ......On the banks of the Graniks, his helmet was pierced by a sword. [4]

Alexander was easily recognizable from the shield he was holding, as well as the two large tufts of white feathers on his helmet. Enemies attacked him from all sidesAlthough the seams of his cuirass were pierced by spears, fortunately he was not injured。The two Persian generals, Rhoesaces and Spithridates, joined forces, and he avoided Spitridates and went to meet Rhorsaces, who was wearing a sturdy cuirass, so that the spear in his hand would break with too much force after being stabbed, so he switched to a short sword. As the battle between the two of them was raging, Spisriddy struck from one side again, raised his body from his mount, and slashed at Alexander's helmet with all his might, cutting off a tuft of feathers from itThe sturdy helmet barely blocked the heavy chop, and the sharp ** had already touched the hair on his head。Spisriddy raised his arm again for a second attack, and Clitus, known as "Negro", blocked and pierced his body with a spear. At the same time, Alexander killed Ryrosses with his short sword.

Alexander took the spear and saw that Darius's son-in-law, Spithridates, was charging on horseback with some wedge-shaped cavalry, and had left their line far away, and he himself was at the forefront. Alexander straightened his spear and plunged him in the face, throwing him to the ground. At this moment Rossathes (Rhoesaces) rushed towards AlexanderHe raised his broadsword and struck him on the head, cutting off a piece of his helmetBut this helmet finally blocked the knife. Alexander then threw him to the ground and pierced his breastplate with his spear. By this time, Spisriddy had raised his scimitar and slashed at Alexander. It was too late to say that it was too late, and Cletus (the son of Dropides) suddenly took the opportunity to flash in, and the shoulder of Spitridas had already been shaved off from the place where the big knife began.

Without thinking, he threw his javelin at Alexander, piercing his opponent's shield with great force and being blocked just as he stabbed the breastplate. The king shook the ** stuck on the equipment down, and then vigorously stimulated his mount to leap forward, taking advantage of the momentum and stabbing his spear into the chest, and the two armies in the vicinity of the queue witnessed the heroic act and let out a deafening shout. However, the tip of the spear stabbed the breastplate with a click, causing the broken shaft to go backThe Persian drew his sword and slashed at Alexander, and the king grabbed his spear in time to slash his opponent in the face, only to stab him in the face. Spisriddy fell from his horse to the ground just as his brother Rhosaces rushed forward, raising his sword and slashing at Alexander's headThe terrible force that tore through the king's helmet caused him minor injuriesJust as Rosses struck again at the same spot, Cleitus, nicknamed the Negro, rode forward and cut off the Persian general's arm.

The Persian cavalry of the Achaemenid dynasty were accustomed to melee combat after throwing short javelins. Theodorus mentions that the shield of the Emperor was pierced by javelins, which is rather strange because the Macedonian cavalry of Alexander's time usually did not carry shields, and the penetration of the short javelin appeared to be too strong. Alexander's cuirass was perhaps pierced by a javelin, and he was wounded in the head. All three mention that the "Negro" Cletus severed the Persian's arm with a wound inflicted by a kopis, and thus became Alexander's savior in the battle (unfortunately the Emperor later killed his friend and benefactor in a fit of rage). In the Battle of the Graniks, the wounds were supposed to be medium, not deep inside. When a javelin passes through a shield and linen armor, it loses most of its kinetic energy (modern restorations have also proven that linen armor is a good defense against puncture wounds). In addition, the structure of the helmet certainly absorbed most of the kinetic energy of the terrible blow, since Alexander suffered only minor scalp injuries.

Plutarch's Treatise on Morals describes the duel between two kings, Darius III and Alexander

In Issus, my thigh was pierced ...... by a sword[8] In Issus, heHe was stabbed in the thigh with a sword by King Darius, with whom King Darius of Charles had an unarmed conflict. Alexander himself simply and truthfully recounted the incident in a letter to Antipater: 'I myself happened to be stabbed in the thigh with a dagger. ’

He was wounded in the thigh during this battle, which, according to Chares, was inflicted by Darius in close combat with him. In a letter to Antipater, Alexander recounted the circumstances of the battle, saying that he had not been seriously wounded by a sword in the thigh, and did not mention who had wounded him.

Mosaic depicting the Battle of IssusThis kind of heads-up duel is somewhat similar to Homer's heroic epic style, and it is not very credible (and Darius in the Battle of Issus, when he saw Alexander coming straight for him, left his family in his chariot and fled, as if he had fought Yadi in close quarters). If the account is true, according to the description, Arti was wounded in hand-to-hand combat when a short sword stabbed him in the thigh. The sharp blade pierced the muscles, possibly the femur or pelvis. Still, as long as the major arteries are not damaged or serious infections are caused, the injury is not life-threatening.

Plutarch mentions in the Treatise on Morals that Alexander suffered ankle and shoulder injuries:

Next in Gaza, mineThe ankle was wounded by an arrow and the shoulder was dislocated, and turned around and rounded.

Alexander instructed the supplicants to stand up and have his men receive him. himShot by an arrowThe arrow passed through his armor and stuck in his shoulder, where it was pulled out by his physician Philip. Then,Blood gushed out in large quantities, everyone was terrified, because the armor made it impossible for them to know the depth of the arrow. Alexander himself, without changing his face, ordered to stop the bleeding and bandage the wounds. When the bleeding that had stopped not long ago began to flow more, because the bandage used to stop the bleeding slipped off, the wound did not cause pain when it was warm, but as the cold intensifiedThe wound begins to swell。Then, he beganUnconscious, kneeling on the ground, the closest to him took him in his arms and carried him to the camp.

Siege of GazaDuring the siege of Gaza, Yadi was seriously injured by arrows fired from a ballista, and was so badly injured that he fell into a coma. This wound may not leave any visible marks on the bone, but it can also leave a mark of a perforation in the humeral head. Two months later, Gaza fell, and the Gatis used cruel means to make the Gaza guard Bhatis "enjoy" the treatment of the mythical Hector, and was dragged to death in the back of the chariot.

Several historians have mentioned Alexander's campaign in Central Asia as extremely difficult, with stubborn enemy forces and harsh natural conditions. Plutarch recorded:

In Maracanda, mineThe leg bone was pierced by an arrow。The last thing that awaited me was the beating of the Indians and the tyranny of the famine[13]......In Maracanda, his tibia was torn by an arrow, and due to the force of the blow, the larger bone broke and was squeezed out [14].

In addition to all the other sufferings, he was recently shot in the leg below the knee by an arrow, to the point ofThe tibia is ruptured, exposing the wound；Another time, heHe was hit in the back of the neck with a rock, so much so that his vision was blurredand continued for a while"。[15]

He then led his army to Maracanda, which was the capital of Sogdiana (Sogdia). He then advanced towards the Tanes River. Then the Macedonians launched several attacks on the mountain, but none of them worked. At first, they were repelled by the long-range fire of the barbariansMany people were wounded, including Alexander himself, whose leg was pierced by an arrow and his leg bone was broken。Nevertheless, he occupied the place, where some barbarians were chopped into meat sauce by the Macedonians, and many others jumped from the rocks and died; So, out of 30000 people, no more than 8000 survived"。[16]

While the king was besieging them, while he was fighting at the front, he was shot by an arrow, the tip of which was fixed in the middle of his leg. [17]

Somewhere in Shilcania, his eyesight was declining, and for many days he was plagued by the fear of losing sight. [18]

In this way, he captured five cities in two days and took the inhabitants as slaves, and then went to the largest city, Cyruzpolis. Because it was built by Cyrus, the walls were stronger than the other cities. Later, the barbarians, realizing that their city had fallen into the hands of the enemy, turned against Alexander and his men, launching a desperate assault on themAlexander himself was struck with a stone on the head and neck, Claterus was wounded by an arrow, and many other officers were wounded。Still, they swept away the barbarians of the bazaar. At the same time, the soldiers who attacked the walls also occupied the walls, because they were now devoid of defenders. [19]

No city was more resilient to a siege than it (Cyruspolis). The bravest soldier fell, and the king himself was in great danger, for his neck was violently struck by a stone, and darkness covered his eyes, and he fell, even unconscious; The army was actually lamenting, as if he had been taken away by death. [20]

Traumatic disconnection of the carotid arteries can lead to a variety of complications: coma, temporary blindness or blurred vision, and possibly temporary loss of speech. Some scholars believe that six years later, Alexander lost his ability to speak in his hospital bed, which may have been the after-effect of this injury. In any case, Alexander was ** in a matter of days, and Plutarch's report on blurred vision and fear of blindness can be considered reliable medical observations.

The Indian campaign was as difficult as the Central Asian campaign, and the Emperor was again severely wounded in many places, which dampened the Macedonians. Plutarch:

Among the Malians,An arrow plunged deep into my chest and buried the tip of the arrow；When we climbed the ladder of the city wall and were knocked down,I was hit in the neck with a stick；Fate left me alone in the city, a record that favored shameless barbarians rather than outstanding opponents.

Among the Malians,He was wounded in the chest by a three-foot arrow that pierced his breastplate, someone rushed up from under him on horseback and shot him in the neck, as described by Aristobrus. When he crossed the Tanais to engage the Scythians and routed them, he pursued them on horseback a hundred and fifty paces, although he was in agony with diarrhea...You didn't direct the arrows to the strongest parts of his armor, as Athena did in front of Menelaus, and to lighten the blow with the breastplate, belt, and skirt, the arrows just grazed his body, and the force was enough to make his blood flow; But you left the vital parts of Alexander's body unprotected from the arrows, you let itThe blow pierced his bones, you circle around his body, you besiege his eyes and feet, you hinder him from pursuing the enemy, you try to deprive him of victory, you disrupt his expectation of victory......His head was pierced through the helmet with an axeAn arrow was shot from his breastplate, which pierced his sternum and stuck firmly there, while the shaft protruded to hinder him, the tip of which was four fingers wide and five fingers long。But - the extreme of all the dangers he faced - when he was defending himself against those who attacked him in front of him, the archers who shot him summoned up the courage to approach him with their swords, but Alexander was too quick with his dagger and struck him down and killed him; But just as he was doing so, someone ran out from behind and hit him in the neck with a wooden stick from behind, which made him delirious and dizzy

The Indian archers Macedonian soldiers saw Yadi's injuries after the battle, and they did not dare to help Yadi draw arrows, for fear of causing secondary damage:

In the end, the Macedonians routed the barbarians and, after they fell, razed their city to the ground. But this did not help Alexander in any way; Because he came in a hurry from the battlefield,Arrows and everything went into his vital point; The arrow was like a link or bolt that fastened his cuirass to his body。When they tried to pull the arrow out of the wound, the iron did not move, because the arrow was stuck in the sternum in front of the heart. They did not dare to sawed off the protrusion of the iron rod because they feared that the bone would be cracked, causing severe pain and possibly internal bleeding. However, Alexander, seeing their confusion and hesitation, himself tried to cut the arrow from the cuirass with a dagger, but his hand was unstable and listless due to the inflammation of the wound. So, with words of encouragement, he advised those who were not hurt to hurry up and not to be afraid; He rebuked some people who were crying and couldn't control themselves, and others he said were deserters because they didn't have the courage to help him. He said loudly to his companions:"Even if it's for me, don't be afraid! For if you fear death for my sake, no one will believe that I am not afraid of death! "

The Mallians were the most heroic people in India, and Alexander laid siege to the city and nearly lost his life. A rain of arrows drove the defenders back, and he was the first to climb the wall with a ladder, but as soon as he reached the top of the wall, the ladder broke, and a man remained there without cover, attacked by barbarians throwing a large number of javelins from below. In this critical situation, he turned and jumped towards the place where the enemy had gathered, and landed on the ground, fortunately able to gain a foothold. The armor he wore shone and jingled, and the barbarians, believing that his body could emit lightning or shroud in mystical light, fled in terror. Later, when they saw that there were only two guards with him, they approached him again and engaged him face to face, and Alexander was very valiant in self-defense, and several of his enemies tried to pierce his armor with swords and spears. An enemy standing at a distance fired an arrow at him, so accurate and powerful that it pierced through his breastplate and into his ribs. The force of the arrow was so fierce that his body fell backwards, and he finally fell to his knees on the ground. The barbarian rushed forward with a scimitar, intending to kill himThankfully, Peucestes and Limnaeus came to his rescue and saved him. Both warriors were wounded, Limnieus was killed on the spot, but Posestas continued to resist, and Alexander took the opportunity to kill the barbarians in front of him. He was not relieved of his danger, and in addition to his many wounds, he was also hit in the neck with a club by the enemy, forcing him to lean against the wall, and his eyes were still fixed on the enemy.

After the war, Alexander the Great promoted Posestas to the rank of guard officer in recognition of his bravery, creating an unprecedented eighth guard officer.

Unlike Plutarch, the Arrian account had more of the king's bodyguard

At this time, the soldiers who were entitled to double the pay of Pustas and Abreas, and after them Leonnatus, were the only ones who happened to climb over the walls before the ladder broke, and they jumped down and fought before the king. Abrias, who deserved double the salary, was struck in the forehead and fell there. Alexander himself was hit by an arrow, which went through the cuirass and into the chest, so Ptolemy said that air spurted from the wound along with blood. Even though he was exhausted and fainted, as long as his blood was still hot, he continued to fight and defend himself. However, the blood flowed so hard that every exhalation kept coming out, and he was dizzy, fainted, and bent over his shield. After he fell, Pusestas protected him with a shield brought from Troy in front and Leonatus on the other. But both men were wounded, and Alexander almost fainted from blood loss.

Next, Arian recounts how Arti was rescued by the Doctor and Perdiccas

Some of them carried Alexander away with shields. His injuries were so critical that people thought he wouldn't survive. According to some historians, a doctor named Kretaudimas, a man from the Asclepios family, drew the arrow from the wound and dug up the nearby flesh. It was also said that, because of the urgency of the situation and the absence of a surgeon at hand, Perdiccas, the officer of the Guards, slashed his sword in the wound and took out the arrow, saying that Alexander had given him permission to do so. When he cramped outward, he bleed so heavily that Alexander fainted again, and the bleeding stopped.

Diodorus' account mentions only Pusestas:

His helmet withstood countless heavy blows from his enemies, and even the shield he held held blocked many deadly sprints and arrows. Eventually, he was hit by an arrow under the chest, causing him to fall to one knee in order to endure the blow. One of the Indian soldiers turned out to shoot him with a bow and arrowSeeing that he was alone and running to kill him, Alexander stabbed his opponent in the flanks with his sword, digging deep into his internal organs, inflicting fatal wounds. The Indian soldier fell to the ground, and the king was able to escape by clinging to the branches of the trees beside him, not caring about the barbarians who swarmed up to fight him. At this critical moment, his bodyguard, Pusestas, climbed up from another ladder and quickly protected the king's body with his shield. Behind him were a number of people who frightened the natives and rescued Alexander. The city was still in their hands, and the Macedonians were furious that the king had been wounded, killing all the Indian inhabitants they encountered, leaving the city full of corpses. The king lay there for many days trying to heal his wounds, completely powerless.

Since then, no one dared to approach him again, but attacked him from afar with javelins and arrows. Although he was hit with every shot, it was not difficult for him to defend himself on his knees until an Indian shot an arrow two cubits long - for I said that Indians have such long arrows - and the arrow was shot accurately, passed through his armor and fixed a little above the right of his body. He was wounded, blood gushed out, and he put down his armor in a dying state, and he didn't even have the strength to pull out the ** with his right hand. Seeing this, the man who injured him ran forward in ecstasy, trying to strip his body naked. He tried to lift himself up with his shield so that he could die before he could breathe, but he found that he didn't have enough strength anymore, so he grabbed the dangling branch with his right hand and tried to get up. But even so, he couldn't control his body, and once again fell to his knees, waving his hand to challenge the enemy, if anyone dared to fight him alone......The king's wounds, which had lasted seven days, had not healed, and when he heard that the news of his death had spread among the barbarians, he ordered that the two ships be tied together, and that his tent be set up in a conspicuous place, so that he might be seen by those who thought he was dead.

It was among the Malians that Alexander's life was in danger when he was wounded while capturing a small city.

Arrian, "Alexander's Expedition".

Plutarch, The Treatise on Morals

Diodorus, Compendium of Greek History

Curtius, Alexandria**

5.Strabo, Geography, Chapter 15.

Alexander's Empire