Humans have been drinking alcohol for thousands of years. The earliest evidence of intentional fermentation dates back to around 7000 B.C.E. in the Neolithic village of Jiahu, China. Given how long humans have been drinking and how fond people are of intoxicating beverages it should be little surprise that alcohol has influenced the course of history.In more than a few instances, humanitys penchant for alcohol has devolved into outright mayhem. Wars were won and lost because of it, alliances were forged and broken, and governments were established and toppled.Booze fueled some of the biggest events in world history and may have even changed the outcome of a few of them. From the burning of Persepolis to Andrew Jacksons inauguration, go inside 11 wild stories of historical drunken mayhem.Alexander The Greats Drunken Command To Burn Down PersepolisPublic DomainThe Burning of Persepolis by Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse. 1890.After Alexander the Great conquered the Persian capital of Persepolis in 330 B.C.E., his army held a lavish banquet in the city. That night of drunken revelry would have irreversible consequences, however.According to ancient sources, the wine flowed freely as Alexander and his companions celebrated their victory. Among those present was Thas, an Athenian courtesan accompanying one of Alexanders generals. In the heat of the moment and fueled by liquid courage, Thas stood and delivered an impassioned speech in which she urged Alexander to burn Persepolis as revenge for Xerxes destruction of Athens 150 years earlier.Greek historian Diodorus Siculus account describes how Thas stated the burning of King Xerxes palace would be the finest of all [Alexanders] feats in Asia if he permitted womens hands in a minute to extinguish the famed accomplishments of the Persians.Public DomainThas leading Alexander to start the fire in Ludovico Carraccis 16th-century depiction of the event.The intoxicated conqueror, swept up in the fervor, purportedly seized a torch and led a drunken procession to the palace. His companions who were still young and giddy with wine followed suit, hurling torches at the structure. Flames spread rapidly through the ceremonial halls, destroying the intricate reliefs, towering columns, and priceless treasures.By morning, most of Persepolis was in ruins. Of course, there has been some debate among scholars as to whether this was truly the outcome of an alcohol-fueled, spur-of-the-moment decision or a more calculated political act disguised as a drunken impulse. Some have suggested Alexander deliberately destroyed the palace to signify the definitive end of the Achaemenid Empire. Others believe that he later regretted the action, recognizing he had destroyed what could have been his own imperial capital.The post The Shocking Stories Of 11 Historical Events That Devolved Into Drunken Mayhem appeared first on All That's Interesting.