Alexander and Bucephalus

Original painting by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025

Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC) is regarded as one of history’s most brilliant military commanders (along with Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte et al). 

By the time of his death at age 32, he had created one of the largest empires in the ancient world, stretching from Greece to Egypt and as far east as India.

According to the historian Plutarch, when Prince Alexander was around 12 years old, a horse trader brought a magnificent albeit untamable black stallion named Bucephalus to his father, King Philip II of Macedonia. 

No one was able to tame it; all who tried to mount were immediately thrown off. Alexander, however, noticed that the horse was afraid of its own shadow. He turned Bucephalus toward the sun, so the horse couldn’t see its shadow. Speaking gently and keeping calm, Alexander mounted the horse and rode him with full control. 

His father, King Philip, was so impressed he reportedly said: “My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you.”

Bucephalus became Alexander’s loyal companion in battle, carrying him through many of his famous campaigns. Bucephalus died during or after the Battle of the Hydaspes (326 BC, in what is now Pakistan), and Alexander founded the city of Bucephala in his horse's honour.

Footnote: I was always fascinated by the audacity of Alexander to carve out a legacy from a young age, epitomised by how he trained Bucephala. As also how he slashed the Gordian knot, unlocking the ancient prophecy, ‘whoever untied the knot would become ruler of all Asia’. The sketch, my composition, shows horse and rider are in fact one, inseparable; they form a formidable, unbeatable team