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HORSE HISTORY
From frightened to fearsome
What do you get for the man who has everything? A horse, of course. But not just any horse – this one had to be exceptional, writes N. G. QUINLAN of Bucephalus, Alexander’s legendary war horse.
By the age of thirty, Alexander III, ruler of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, had established himself as conqueror of the-then known world. Born the son of King Philip II, he had succeeded his father as king at the tender age of 20, and during the next decade his empire expanded from Greece into Asia, northwest India, and northeast Africa. It’s little wonder he became known as Alexander the Great. Melbourne Museum, forever keeping alive the memory of one of Australia’s greatest racehorses.
Although he was surrounded by advisers, his constant companion throughout every campaign was a bull-headed black stallion with a white star on his brow. The horse was branded on its haunch with the ancient mark of the ox head, known in Greek as the Βουκέφαλοι, or Bucéphaloi. Along with another two markings, the Samphórai and the Koppatíai, this brand was commonly used in the ancient world, with the black stallion proving to be as stubborn as its brand would suggest.
According to ancient tales, Alexander’s father first became aware of Bucephalus (pronounced as byew-SEFF-ah-luss) when the horse was brought to him by a trader named Philonicus. The year was 346 BC and the trader, a bold man from the rich pastures of Thessaly, was asking about three times the usual price for a horse. The currency of the day was the talent, with one talent equal to about sixty pounds of gold or silver. Philonicus the Thessalian had set his price at 13 talents, a remarkable amount for any beast.
However, the skittish stallion proved to be unmanageable and impossible to mount. He snorted and flicked his mane, bucking and tossing any man who attempted to climb upon his back. King Philip was unimpressed and stated that he was not interested in buying the horse. But on the other side of the wooden fence, his twelve-year-old son leaned on the weathered rail and watched as each potential rider was cast down into the dust by the wilful horse with the star on its brow. Alexander began to notice a certain pattern in the stallion’s behaviour, and with his hopes buoyed by his new discovery, he ran to his father the king asking for a chance to tame the stubborn Bucephalus.
King Philip considered his son’s request and said that if Alexander could ride Bucephalus, he could have him. The king’s only condition was that if Alexander failed to calm the wild heart of the black stallion, he would have to repay the purchase price of the horse. Alexander agreed to the proposal, sure that what he’d seen in the dusty yard had convinced him that he knew the secret to taming the bull-headed beast.
The young boy took off his cloak and walked into the yard. He sensed that the stallion had been spooked by something and believed that he knew what it was. Without Alexander’s long flowing cloak flapping in the breeze, the horse was less distracted. Alexander approached him slowly and spoke to him in a soothing voice as he took the rough bridle and turned the horse’s face toward the sun. Mighty Bucephalus grew calmer now that his own shadow no longer frightened him.
To the amazement of everyone, now that Bucephalus was no longer seeing his shadow on the ground, the young prince mounted the horse and rode him around the yard. Legend has it that King Philip granted him the stallion with a proud smile, saying: “O my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee.”
Bucephalus carried Alexander the Great through many military campaigns including the Battle of Hydaspes River, during which the horse was apparently wounded. When Bucephalus was kidnapped after the defeat of the Persian king Darius, Alexander threatened to lay the entire countryside to waste and slaughter every inhabitant unless
his horse was returned unharmed. It was not long before Bucephalus was restored to him, along with pleas for mercy.
Alexander reputedly once said: “I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity.” Sadly, his wish was granted. The young conqueror died in Babylon at the age of 32, possibly poisoned by hellebore, or perhaps expiring from a severe fever. Bucephalus predeceased his master by about three years, dying in 326 BC. Some ancient sources say the great stallion died from battle wounds, others suggest that he simply succumbed to old age. The exact cause of their deaths may never be known, but their bond in life cannot be doubted.
Such was Alexander’s regard for Bucephalus that he built an entire city in memory of the great steed that had once been afraid of his own shadow. Located east of the Indus River in what is now modern-day Pakistan, the city was named Bucephala.
As the truth of antiquity slips into legend, the tale of Bucephalus lives on. The facts of his story may be difficult to determine, yet the inspiration remains.
Perhaps the final lesson is – if you can tame the beast, you can conquer the world. Top left: Alexander astride the mighty Bucephalus (statue by ARH Studios).
Bottom left: Alexander The Great on his horse Bucephalus (colour litho by Angus McBride 1931-2007).
Main Image: Alexander taming Bucephalus (late 19th century drawing by F. Schommer).
