They were the ancient world's ultimate social climbers.

In one generation, the Macedonians emerged from Greece's rustic northern fringes to rule most of the world they knew, funded by the loot of the Persian Empire.

In the process, and particularly in the bloodbath that followed Alexander the Great's death at age 33 in 323 B.C., they set new standards for ambition, bloody intrigue and excess that remained unrivaled until the more colorful periods of Imperial Rome.

Greece Macedonian Legacy

Visitors walk behind an ancient marble head of ancient Greek warrior-king Alexander the Great, displayed at the Acropolis museum in Athens, on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014. Alexander the Great was one of the world's most successful military commanders, who enlarged his father's kingdom to include an empire stretching from modern Greece to India. During his youth, Alexander was tutored by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle until the age of 16. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The recent discovery of a cavernous underground tomb in Amphipolis in northern Greece, dating to the twilight of Alexander's reign, has revived interest in the Macedonians.

In the late 1970s, a lavishly-furnished tomb in northern Greece belonging to Alexander's father, Philip II — under whom Macedonian expansion began — was discovered. And in recent decades, archaeologists in northern Greece have also excavated the old Macedonian royal seat of Aigai, with its palace and cemeteries, and the later capital at Pella, where Alexander was born.

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A modern bronze statue of ancient Greek King Phillip II of Macedon stands close to the lit-up mediaeval White Tower landmark in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece on Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2014. Philip II reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. expanding his kingdom to include Greece's perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip's Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Alexander's Greek armies, which combined heavy infantry formations armed with the formidable Sarissa pike and elite cavalry units, won him an empire stretching from modern Greece to India, where he only stopped because his exhausted veterans decided enough was enough.

But historians also highlight the charismatic youth's political skills and vision, which sought to establish social cohesion in the conquered lands through cultural, ethnic and religious tolerance — the last, remarkably, by a man who shocked his fellow Greeks by demanding honors hitherto reserved for the gods.

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A modern bronze statue of Alexander the Great on his famous horse Bucephalus stands under the cloudy sky of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece on Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2014. Alexander the Great was one of history's most successful military commanders, who by his death aged 33 had conquered an empire stretching from modern Greece to India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

Visitors look at a mosaic pavement believed to portray Alexander the Great, left, and his friend and military commander Craterus during a lion hunt, at the archeological museum of Alexander's birthplace Pella, Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Alexander the Great was one of history's most successful military commanders, who by his death aged 33 had conquered an empire stretching from modern Greece to India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A schoolteacher explains the myth of Persephone in front of a replica of a mid-4th century BC wall painting of Hades abducting Persephone, whose original was found in a looted royal tomb, at the Vergina museum, northern Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. A similar scene has been discovered on a mosaic floor in a newly-excavated Macedonian tomb in Amphipolis, which has revived interest in ancient Greece's Macedonian dynasties. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A visitor takes a picture of the facade of a tomb believed to belong to the ancient Greek King Philip II of Macedon, who reigned from 359 to 336 B.C, at Vergina museum, northern Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. According to archaeologist Angeliki Kottaridi, head of the archaeological sites of Vergina and Pella, Philip II was the first to succeed in uniting Greece's squabbling city-states. "Philip effectively received a fractured state when he became king in 359 (B.C.), and, in 25 years, succeeded in creating the greatest power of his time through Ö substantial military, economic and social reforms," she told the AP. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris))

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A youth on a rearing horse thought to be the ancient Greek warrior-king Alexander the Great, is seen in a detail from a fresco painting of a hunt on the facade of a tomb believed to belong to the his father, King Philip II of Macedon, at Vergina museum, northern Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. According to archaeologist Angeliki Kottaridi, head of the archaeological sites of Vergina and Pella, Philip II was the first to succeed in uniting Greece's squabbling city-states. "Philip effectively received a fractured state when he became king in 359 (B.C.), and, in 25 years, succeeded in creating the greatest power of his time through Ö substantial military, economic and social reforms," she told the AP. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

Battle scenes appear in a detail from a golden bow-case, believed to have belonged to a Scythian princess, that was found in a richly furnished tomb believed to belong to ancient Greek King Philip II of Macedon, is displayed at Vergina museum, northern Greece, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Philip II reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. expanding his kingdom to include Greece's perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip's Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

Ancient Macedonian silver coins inscribed in Greek "First of the Macedonians" and "Macedonians" are seen in a display case at the archeological museum of Pella, Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. The city of Pella was the Macedonians' later capital, where the ancient Greek warrior-king Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C. Excavations in recent decades there have uncovered extensive building remains, a rich mosaic floor believed to depict Alexander during a lion hunt, and large cemeteries. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A heavy solid gold casket from the rich, unplundered tomb of Philip II of Macedon, which contained the assassinated king's burnt bones, is displayed at Vergina museum, northern Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Philip reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. expanding his kingdom to include Greece's perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip's Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A heavy wreath of gold oak leaves found in the rich, unplundered tomb of Philip II of Macedon, is displayed at Vergina museum, northern Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Philip reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. expanding his kingdom to include Greece's perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip's Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

An ivory miniature believed to represent Alexander the Great from a burial couch in the unplundered tomb of his father, Philip II of Macedon, is displayed at Vergina museum, Greece, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Alexander was one of history's most successful military commanders, who by his death aged 33 had conquered an empire stretching from modern Greece to India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A visitor looks at a display of bronze armor and gold funerary masks and jewelry excavated in rich ancient Macedonian cemeteries at Aigai and Pella, in the archeological museum of Pella, northern Greece, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. The city of Pella was the Macedonians' later capital, where the ancient Greek warrior-king Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C. Excavations in recent decades there have uncovered extensive building remains, a rich mosaic floor believed to depict Alexander during a lion hunt, and large cemeteries.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A funerary mask and other gold jewelry excavated in a rich ancient Macedonian cemetery is seen in the archeological museum of Pella, northern Greece, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. The city of Pella was the Macedonians' later capital, where the ancient Greek warrior-king Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C. Excavations in recent decades there have uncovered extensive building remains, a rich mosaic floor believed to depict Alexander during a lion hunt, and large cemeteries.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

A modern bronze statue of Alexander the Great on his famous horse Bucephalus, flanked by copies of round shields and the Macedonian infantry's terrible Sarissa pike, stands under the cloudy sky of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece on Wednesday, Oct, 8, 2014. Alexander the Great was one of history's most successful military commanders, who by his death aged 33 had conquered an empire stretching from modern Greece to India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece Macedonian Legacy

The gold-decorated iron body armour, sword and ceremonial shield of ancient Greek King Philip II of Macedon is displayed at Vergina museum, northern Greece, onTuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Philip II reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. expanding his kingdom to include Greece's perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip's Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Lead Image Caption: Battle scenes appear in a detail from a golden bow-case, believed to have belonged to a Scythian princess, that was found in a richly furnished tomb believed to belong to ancient Greek King Philip II of Macedon, is displayed at Vergina museum, northern Greece, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014. Philip II reigned from 359 to 336 B.C. expanding his kingdom to include Greece’s perennially squabbling city states. His son and successor, Alexander the Great, who distinguished himself in Philip’s Greek campaigns, expanded Macedonian rule at the head of a Greek army, reaching as far as the borders of India. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) 

Source: https://www.ap.org