Sisygambis, the mother of Darius III, was said to have seen Alexander as a second son. - Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images Alexander never lost a single battle, and his warrior status ...

Sisygambis, Darius’ mother, came to love Alexander as a second son, and even died of grief after his death, the story goes. What ancient figure could be more suited to a 21st-century audience ...

Over a 10-year period, fighting across modern-day Turkey, the Middle East, and as far away as Afghanistan and Pakistan, Alexander routed Persian king Darius III, taking the empire for his own.