He conquered land across three continents, ruled over states from Egypt to modern-day India, and never lost a battle – before dying, aged just 32. Alexander the Great’s legacy has given him god-like ...

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.

Conveyed as an epic poem, this new account of the origin of the marathon consigns other versions to history’s landfill.