Why did Alexander the Great arrange marriages between Macedonians and Persians at Susa?

At Susa in 324 BCE, Alexander the Great organized a mass marriage ceremony between his Macedonian officers and Persian noblewomen to symbolize and solidify the reconciliation and partnership between the two cultures within his empire.12

This event was part of Alexander’s broader "Orientalizing" policy, which aimed to integrate Persians into the administration and military of his newly conquered territories. By encouraging these unions—and setting the example himself by marrying daughters of Darius III and Artaxerxes III—Alexander sought to bridge the divide between his Macedonian followers and the Iranian ruling class.12

While some historians view these actions as a genuine attempt to foster cooperation, others interpret them as a strategic instrument of social control and a way to consolidate his authority over a diverse empire. This policy, however, was met with significant resentment from many of his Macedonian soldiers, who perceived the integration of Persians into the army and the adoption of Persian customs as a threat to their own privileged status.312