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TOUGHNESS

In the Face of Dissent

I was always a tough leader and made no excuses about it. I made a point of demonstrating this instantly when I came to power.

Trouble was brewing when I ascended to the throne. Bear in mind that despite my education and experiences, I was too young at the tender age of twenty in the eyes of many to maneuver in the landmine that my father left behind.

Some Greek city-states (the pillar of what would eventually become the Greek Empire) such as Athens and Thebes had pledged their loyalty to my father over the years but felt uneasy about the notion of doing the same to his son. They saw this transition as an opportunity to seek independence.

Whatever…

Up to the north, Barbarians too sought to distance themselves from Macedonia. To my advisors, the choice was simple: grant Athens and Thebes’ wishes and tread lightly with the Barbarians to avoid any spillover over the increasingly fragile confederation.

As you can imagine, I had other ideas. I headed north and pushed the Barbarians to the outer side of the Danube River, out of harm’s way. .

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