Bucephalus

Definition: Bucephalus was the famous and well-loved horse of Alexander. Plutarch tells the story of how a 12-year old Alexander won the horse. A horse dealer offered the horse to Philip II of Macedon for the enormous sum of 13 talents. Since no one could tame the animal, Philip wasn't interested, but Alexander was and promised to pay for the horse should he fail to tame it. Alexander was allowed to try and surprised everyone by subduing it. Alexander spoke soothingly and turned the horse away so that it didn't see the shadow that seemed to distress it, and so tamed the horse. Alexander named his prize horse Bucephalus and so loved the animal that when he died, in 326 B.C., he named a city after the horse -- Bucephala.