How Alexander Conquered Afghanistan

1. Created the world’s greatest army of over 100,000 strong that would follow him to the ends of the earth.
2. Left his supply train behind and lived off the land.
3. Built siege equipment. Invaded through all the valleys concurrently destroying all military fortifications and 120,000 opposing forces even those on the highest mountains. Creating legends of having men who could fly, conquering mountains even the might Hercules could not, etc.
4. Married Roxanne, the most beautiful woman in the country and the sister of Oxyartes. Aetion was the painter of Alexander and Roxanna's wedding (around 327 BC), in which for the first time flying Cupids were drawn. This inaugurated a fashion that influenced the entire Hellenistic period. The above-mentioned painting was presented by the author at the Olympic Games, and its success was so overwhelming that the president of the Games married his daughter to Aetion. Marriage, adoption, being descended from the god Zeus and Phillip made Alexander the rightful ruler of my distant places. He encouraged intermarriage, but most such noble Susa marriages were dissolved after his death.
5. Capitalized on religious and political connections to Greece and Persia.
6. Exploited the natural resources, esp. gold to mint coins to facilitate trade, and open up natural trade routes. His financial policy was centralized with tax collectors independent of the local governors.
7. He conquered his way to the Persian Gulf providing a way to link up with his naval forces following the teachings of Aristotle his tutor.
8. Extended Greek culture and developed a common language of trade, viz., Koine. He created, at least economically and culturally, a single market extending from Gibraltar to the Punjab, open to trade, social and cultural exchange.
9. Left behind a large occupying force and went off with his bride to conquer the known world.
10. Put the people to work building cities named in his honor. He founded over seventy cities. There are so many named Alexandria that some were apparently just renamed in his honor. The ruler of one, Ada of Carla, adopted Alexander as her son so that rule could be passed to him.

• Alexandria-Kapisu Bagrām, Afghanistan
• Alexandria in Aria, Herat, Afghanistan
• Alexandria, Ghazni , Afghanistan
• Alexandria of the Caucusus, Afghanistan
• Alexandria on the Oxus, Ai Khanum , Afghanistan
• Alexandria of the Arachosians, Kandahar, Afghanistan (short form of Iskandaria meaning Alexandria)
• Iskandaria, Iraq (local name for Alexandria)
• Alexandria Asiana, Iran
• Alexandria Bucephalous, Pakistan, on the Jhelum
• Alexandria on the Indus, Pakistan
• Alexandria Eshate, Khojend, Tajikistan
• Alexandria Troas, Turkey
• Alexandria on the Latmos, Alinda (Caria),Turkey,
• Alexandria India, Multan
• Alexandria of Mygdonia (Erbil) Arbela, Iraq
• Alexandria or Patala, India
• Alexandria apud Oritas, India
• Alexandria Iran, Makran
• Alexandria, Iran, at the place where his admiral Nearchus came up from the Persian Gulf to join Alexander
• Alexandria Margiana, Merv, Turkmenistan
• Alexandria, Cebrene, Turkey
• Alexandria, Egypt