Here, there, everywhere. We have to call it something, don't we? Who's got an idea? Let's call it Toponymy.

10.20.2007

Retracing the footsteps of Alexander



This BBC documentary attempts to follow in the "Footsteps of Alexander" (the Great, as he is known in the West). You can watch the entire thing on YouTube.

The two "webisodes" above highlight Alexander's truly earth-changing force. The island city of Tyre resisted his authority in 332 BC. Alexander ordered his army to build a causeway from the mainland to the Phonecian city (in modern Lebanon). The earthworks took seven months but had the desired effect. Alexander took over the city and essentially attached it to the shore. The 6/10 mile long road collected silt from sea currents and transformed the island city into a peninsular city.

Another video in this series discusses the Egyptian city of Alexandria far more eloquently than I can. Many cities throughout the Middle East and Central Asia bear his name. This map shows where a few of them are located.

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