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Kendal Wasser
Dr. Alec Thomson
History 134
07 Nov. 2016
Bucephalus
Bucephalus was the name given to the horse of Alexander the Great. He was black and
stood taller than most Macedonian horses. Wild, untamed, and unwanted was what led
Alexander to this horse that would in turn make Bucephalus the most famous horse in history.
They shared a unique bond and became inseparable in battle. The journey of Bucephalus and
Alexander the Great started in 346 BCE (Wasson).
Phillip II was king at the time and was first presented with the horse by Philoneicus of
Thessaly (Wasson). The horse was priced for 13 talents, which is three times the normal price
for a horse back in that time. With the horses wild behavior and no one being able to come
close to him to mount him, King Phillip ordered the horse away. At that time is when Alexander
stood up and challenged his father. Alexander stated, What as excellent horse do they lose for
want of address and boldness to manage him (Wasson). Phillip ignored his challenge at first,
and then Alexander said that if he could not tame the horse he would pay for it himself. Everyone
laughed at Alexanders ridiculous challenge thinking he would never be able to succeed with this
crazy horse (Wasson).
Alexander slowly walked up to the massive stallion. It had a black mane with a large
white star on his brow, a massive head and a blue eye (Bucephalus). This is how Alexander

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came up with his name Bucephalus, meaning ox-head. Alexander spoke soothingly to the horse
trying to calm him. He then realized that the horse was frantic because he was afraid of his own
shadow. So Alexander turned the horse towards the sun so that the horses shadow was behind
him and he couldnt see it. At that point Alexander grabbed the reins and was able to mount the
horse. The whole crowd cheered and was astonished by Alexanders accomplishment. Even his
father King Phillip II realized Alexander was destined for greatness. His father stated, O my
son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee
(Bucephalus). This statement by his father would then lead Alexander the Great to create the
largest empire.
Bucephalus was there every gallop of the way to help Alexander to achieve this vast
empire. They became inseparable and undefeated. If spotted in out they would both be seen
together, never apart. Crossing into many countries and gaining land, Bucephalus travelled with
Alexander into every battle and even saved his life a couple of times (Baldwin). The turning
point for Bucephalus was the Battle of Hydaspes River in 326 BCE (Wasson).
Scholars argue surrounding the death of Bucephalus. Some say he was wounded in battle
at the Battle of Hydaspes River while others believe it was of old age (Wasson). Bucephalus
died at the age of thirty and was mourned deeply by Alexander. Alexander valued Bucephalus
and believed in what Achilles said about horses, saying there were know to excel and are
immortal (Bucephalus). After his death Alexander even named a city in his honor called
Bucephala (Wasson).
Needless to say, Bucephalus was an amazing horse. He was strong, brave, and had a
unique friendship with Alexander the Great. He lived a great life with Alexander battling

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enemies and helping Alexander create his mass empire. There is no doubt that he is the most
famous horse in history after all of his great accomplishments.

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Works Cited
Baldwin, James. BeeOasis Step 2 Philip Was the King of Macedon, A... "Alexander and the
Great Horse." BeeOasiscom. N.p., 20 Oct. 2016. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
"Bucephalus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.
Wasson, Donald L. "Bucephalus." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient HistoryEncyclopedia,
06 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.