Tristan Hughes

Alexander knew the stories off by heart.

His heart swells at the thought that he is following in the footsteps of his heroic ancestor Achilles.

But this time, his enemy isn't one powerful city.

It is a superpower that dominates much of the known world, with this beach being its westernmost fringe.

This is the Persian Empire.

Taking an iron-tipped spear, the young king launches it from the prow of his ship into the sandy beach.

A bold, symbolic statement.

Alexander is claiming the Persian Empire as his soon-to-be spear-won territory.

This isn't to be a quick raid across the sea.

This is a campaign of conquest.

Conquering any part of the Persian Empire won't be easy.

Dozens of fortified cities and thousands of enemy soldiers will stand in Alexander's way, ready to resist and crush this young upstart invader before he gets anywhere near the Persian heartlands, hundreds of kilometres further east.

Already, enemy forces are massing nearby, intent on driving Alexander and his army back to the sea.

But for Alexander, there is no going back.

The invasion of Persia has begun.

Welcome to Episode 2 of this special series about the life and legend of Alexander the Great, one of history's most formidable commanders.

In the last episode, we covered the early years of Alexander, the vital role played by his father King Philip II of Macedon, the influence of his mother Olympias, and Alexander's succession to the kingship following his father's murder, and how he brutally consolidated his position.

Now we turn to the main event, Alexander's invasion of the mighty Persian Empire, an empire far, far greater in size than his own kingdom.

In this episode, we'll explore the early challenges that Alexander quickly faced and how he ultimately came to confront the Persian King of Kings on the battlefield, Darius III.

Joining me once again is Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy, author of Philip and Alexander, Kings and Conquerors.