Over the ages, several famous mutinies have emerged. The crew of a ship, or even of a fleet, is a close-knit community. When tempers flare or the safety or desires of the crew are not taken into account, the atmosphere is ripe for a mutiny. These kinds of maritime revolts have shaped the world as we know it. Believe it or not, they have influenced geopolitics, helped advance liberty and equality, and even shaped the types of books we read. Let's explore a few noteworthy mutinies on land and sea from centuries past that have been at the heart of some major developments in world history.
The Opis Mutiny: A Taste of Alexander the Great's Waning Leadership Skills
The Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great stands tall and powerful in the imagination: the youthful warrior-king who raised himself to the level of the divine; who conquered the grand empires of the old world—including the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians; who christened over a dozen cities “Alexandria” after his own humble self. But historians in the centuries that have since unfolded direct our attention to the fact that Alexander was as rash as he was audacious. As a result, one of the militaristic leader's strategic flaws was his failure to bring stable unity to his regularly-expanding empire.
