Why did Alexander the Great visit Troy before fighting the Persians?

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Alexander the Great Alexander the Great, detail from Alexander and Porus, painting by Charles Le Brun, 17th century; in the Louvre, Paris, France.

Alexander the Great visited Troy (Ilium) before his first engagement with the Persian army as a romantic gesture inspired by the poet Homer.1

During this visit, he paid religious honors at the tombs of the legendary heroes Achilles and Ajax. This act served as an early and emphatic statement that Alexander viewed himself and his military expedition in epic, Homeric terms. By aligning himself with these figures, he underscored the nature of his campaign as a grand, historic endeavor.21