Bucephala (Guardians)

Bucephala is a major city located in the eastern Mediterranean region. The city was founded as one of the many Alexandrias, colony settlements of Alexander the Great formed during his campaign against the Persians. Upon his return from his Persian campaign, Alexander's horse Bucephalus died in northern Syria. Driven to tears at his loss, Alexander transplanted the entire population to the Orontes River and constructed a new city and tomb for his steed, calling it Alexandria Bucephala. Over time, the Alexandria part of the name fell away, especially with the rise of the more famous Egyptian Alexandria. Bucephala remains an important political and cultural center within the Asia region.

Classical Era
Following Alexander's victory at the Battle of Issus in 334 B.C., he desired a colony to be built near the Syrian Gates, a mountain pass that connected Anatolia and Syria. Constructing a new city there would provide a substantial obstacle for any eastern opponent that sought to invade Hellenic-controlled Anatolia. As such, the soldier-colony of Alexandria on the Pinarus. The first settlers of the colony were soldiers rendered physically unable to continue campaigning, their immediate families, and other local inhabitants. The colony continued to grow as Alexander continued to campaign further east.

Upon Alexander's return to the region, his horse Bucephalus, already old, died early in 326 B.C. Alexander was distraught at the loss of his horse that had carried him to the end of the world and back. During his period of mourning he decided to build a new city just to commemorate the steed that had enabled his campaigns of world conquest. He transplanted the population of Alexandria on the Pinarus to a new location at the mouth of the Orontes River, which he called Alexandria Bucephala on the Orontes. He ordered the construction of a large metropolis and a temple to Poseidon, the Greek god of the ocean and horses. Bucephalus was entombed within the temple just before Alexander embarked on his campaign against the Egyptian 28th Dynasty.

When Alexander had completed his conquests of Egypt and Nabataea, he returned to Bucephala, intent on reconnecting with his family and begin establishing the required political framework for governing his empire. However, he soon died from a combination of fever and overdrinking, throwing the Macedonian Empire into instability. It was here that Alexander's children, Alexander IV and Helena, were born by his wife Roxana, and also where Perdiccas became regent of the crumbling empire. When Alexander died the city had about 17,000 total inhabitants and continued to grow rapidly, becoming a major city and trading center within the Syria region.

During the breakup of the empire by the Diadochi, the city fell into the hands of Ptolemy, one of Alexander's trusted friends and generals. Ptolemy managed to gain control over the largest fraction of the former empire, taking Egypt, the Levant, and Mesopotamia despite the actions of pro-Seleucid factions within Bucephala and Babylon. These factions were quickly eliminated and Ptolemy became the general most likely to succeed Alexander on the throne of the empire. Despite swearing an oath to protect Alexander's family, Ptolemy soon became a threat and Roxana and her two children fled the city to the safety of their relatives in Epirus. Purged of opposition Bucephala became Ptolemy's capital and one of his major power centers alongside cities such as Alexandria and Babylon. Because of the Egyptian Alexandria's additional growth in size and importance, the Alexandria part of Bucephala's name was increasingly omitted and eventually fell into disuse.