Throughout history there have been great horses that gained fame and influenced the course of events. One such mount was Bucephalus, the horse of the King of Macedon, Alexander the Great. Their shared achievements and conquests made his name known all over the world. A key element of their success was the exceptional bond that connected them.
Bucephalus was a black stallion considered unattainable for ordinary riders. Ancient historical sources state that Bucephalus belonged to the “best Thessalian breed”. He came from the Greek region of Thessaly, located south of Macedon. He was an extremely beautiful and strong mount that drew attention. His name comes from Greek and means “ox-headed“. It is believed to have come from a mark on his shoulder in the shape of an ox head, or from the very shape of the horse’s head. According to legend, he was an exceptionally brave and intelligent animal.
Initially, this horse was meant to serve Alexander’s father, Philip II. However, he gave up because of the horse’s wildness and the difficulty of taming it. It was then that the still underage Alexander declared that he could tame the wild horse. His father set him a condition, however – if he succeeded, he would receive the animal as a gift, and if not, he would have to buy it himself. Alexander won the bet, having noticed that the horse was afraid of its own shadow. He then turned it towards the sun and easily mounted it. Philip had to buy the horse for the astronomical price of 13 talents. The powers of observation and the ability to deal with a difficult situation that Alexander demonstrated drew the attention of King Philip, who understood that his son had extraordinary potential within him.
One of the later stories says that when Alexander commissioned an equestrian portrait from the famous painter Apelles, the king was not satisfied with the result. The painter then decided to bring Bucephalus to his workshop, and when the horse saw its reflection, it neighed with pride. The painter then said to Alexander: “You see, the horse knows art much better than you do.”
Another story tells how, during the Asian campaign, Bucephalus was kidnapped by Mardian robbers. Alexander, who had already been irritated by their actions, led a punitive expedition against them. After a message was delivered that their lands would be destroyed and their inhabitants killed, Bucephalus was sent back with gifts and apologies for the tribal elders.
Bucephalus was always Alexander’s companion during war campaigns. In battles he kicked and bit enemies, was irreplaceable on long rides, and fearlessly entered any terrain together with his owner. He also saved Alexander the Great’s life several times. Bucephalus took part, among others, in the great battle of Thebes, at Chaeronea, at the river Granicus, at Gaugamela and at Ipsus. Despite the injuries he sustained, the horse always stubbornly and proudly stayed by Alexander and was ready for further battles. Alexander, in turn, cared for his steed with extraordinary diligence and devotion.
The horse even reached India with him, where he died of his wounds in 326 BC by the river Hydaspes. With his last strength, however, he carried his master to a safe place. Alexander organised a ceremonial funeral for him, personally leading the funeral procession. He even had a tomb built for him. One of the cities he founded he named Bucephala – this is probably today’s Phalia or Jhelum in the Pakistani Punjab. It is said the horse lived to the age of 30, and Alexander III of Macedon himself outlived his famous horse by only 3 years.
Bucephalus became a symbol of strength, determination and unity that characterised the Macedonians under Alexander. The cult of Bucephalus and Alexander became so popular that every conqueror after them was expected to have a favourite horse. Julius Caesar had one, as did the eccentric Roman emperor Caligula, who made a great fuss over his horse Incitatus, holding a birthday party for him, riding him in Alexander’s armour and planning to make him a consul.
Today Bucephalus has become a symbol of the faithful horse and a synonym for a spirited mount – the so-called “fiery steed”. He is one of the most famous mounts in history, and modern popular culture often mentions this extraordinary stallion. The most outstanding ruler in history – Alexander of Macedon, called the Great, had to have the best horse, and that was Bucephalus.
In more recent works of culture, Bucephalus is the name of the horse of Reynart de Bois-Fresnes – a fictional character from the Witcher series, in which the title hero is Geralt of Rivia. Bucephalus is also the horse of the Emperor of Morea in the novel series Son of the Traitor by the Canadian writer Miles Cameron. The name is also borne by the steed of Ozymandias in the series Watchmen, as well as the horse of the title hero in the film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. It also appears in the 1996 adventure game “Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars”, where one of the characters refers to a racehorse he reads about in the newspaper as “a reborn Bucephalus”. The symbolic name “Bucephalus” is also borne by the Ukrainian wheeled armoured personnel carrier of the BTR-4 type.
