Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia (336-323 BC), managed to create a huge empire through conquest. He became a model for later rulers in antiquity (i.e. Caesar, Julian Apostata). The model of the victorious military ruler became predominant in the Roman Empire; later, in the Early Middle Ages, the conquerors legitimized their rights to rule through "the right of the sword". Alexander entered in popular imagery, some poems were created in the Christian world about his achievements, and even in Arabian tales (the 1001 nights) he was present, as a mythical figure.
