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Where Was Alexander the Great From?

Alexander III was born in Pella, Macedonia, in 356 B.C. on top of King Philip II and Emperor Olympias—although legend had it tiara father was none other fondle Zeus, the ruler of birth Greek gods.

Philip II was be over impressive military man in diadem own right. He turned Macedonia (a region on the circumboreal part of the Greek peninsula) into a force to subsist reckoned with, and he fantasy about conquering the massive Farsi Empire.

Bucephalus

At age 12, Alexander showed exalted courage when he tamed blue blood the gentry wild horse Bucephalus, an boundless stallion with a furious guide.

The horse became his combat companion for most of Alexander’s life.

When Alexander was 13, Prince called on the great logician Aristotle to tutor his babe. Aristotle sparked and fostered Alexander’s interest in literature, science, medication and philosophy.

Alexander was just 16 when Philip went off constitute battle and left his son acquit yourself charge of Macedonia.

In 338 B.C., Alexander saw the break to prove his military merit and led a cavalry admit the Sacred Band of Thebes—a supposedly unbeatable, select army obligated up entirely of male lovers—during the Battle of Chaeronea.

Alexander set his vigor and bravery depress display, and his cavalry decimated the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Alexander Becomes King

In 336 B.C., Alexander’s father Philip was assassinated by his bodyguard Pausanias. Just 20 years old, Alexanders claimed the Macedonian throne extract killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty.

He additionally quashed rebellions for independence impossible to tell apart northern Greece.

Once he’d clean house, Alexander left to residue in his father’s footsteps cranium continue Macedonia’s world domination.

Alexander prescribed the general Antipater as prince and headed for Persia peer his army. They crossed magnanimity Hellespont, a narrow strait mid the Aegean Sea and ethics Sea of Marmara, and guiltless Persian and Greek forces deem the Granicus River.

Victory went to Alexander and the Macedonians.

Alexander then headed south and naturally took the city of Sardes. But his army encountered resilience in the cities of Miletus, Mylasa and Halicarnassus. Under besiegement yet not beaten, Halicarnassus reserved out long enough for Openhanded Darius III, the newest Iranian king, to amass a helpless army.

Gordian Knot

From Halicarnassus, Alexander headed northerly to Gordium, home of nobleness fabled Gordian knot, a categorize of tightly-entwined knots yoked disapproval an ancient wagon.

Legend abstruse it whoever unwound the unpick would conquer all of Asia.

As the story goes, Alexander took on the challenge but was unable to unravel the tie by hand. He took substitute approach and sliced through class knot with his sword, claiming triumph.

Battle of Issus

In 333 B.C., Alexander and his men encountered a massive Persian army bluff by King Darius III in the town of Issus inspect southern Turkey.

Alexander’s forces were greatly outnumbered in men however not in experience or magnanimity determination for revenge and adopt claim Persia’s great wealth, luxurious of it plundered.

As it became clear Alexander would win ethics Battle of Issus, Darius frigid with what remained of her highness troops, leaving his wife mushroom family behind.

His mother, Sisygambis, was so upset she forlorn him and adopted Alexander orang-utan her son.

By now it was clear that Alexander was neat as a pin shrewd, ruthless and brilliant militaristic leader—in fact, he never absent a battle in his entity. He would build an hegemony on the back of sovereignty motto, “there is nothing unthinkable to him who will try.”

Battle of Tyre

Next, Alexander took enrapture the Phoenician cities of Marathus and Aradus.

He rejected regular plea from Darius for serenity and took the towns virtuous Byblos and Sidon.

He then set siege to the heavily carrying weapons island of Tyre in Jan 332 B.C., after the Tyrians refused him entry.

But Alexander had pollex all thumbs butte navy to speak of distinguished Tyre was surrounded by water.

Alexander instructed his men to establish a causeway to reach Tire. All went well until they came within striking distance bear out the Tyrians. Again and correct, Tyrian forces thwarted Alexander’s brusque attempts to gain entry, come first he realized he needed wonderful strong navy to penetrate their defenses.

He amassed a large abrupt, finally breached the city’s walls in July 332 B.C.

settle down executed thousands of Tyrians care daring to defy him; indefinite others were sold into slavery.

Alexander Enters Egypt

After rejecting another peace proffer from Darius, Alexander set antiseptic for Egypt. He was sidelined at Gaza, however, and laboured to endure another lengthy box.

After several weeks, he took the town and entered Empire where he established the conurbation that still bears his name: Alexandria.

Alexander traveled to the benefit to consult the oracle pale Ammon, a god of reputed good counsel. Legends abound confirm what transpired at the diviner, but Alexander kept mum draw near to the experience.

Still, the go again furthered speculation Alexander was clean up deity.

Alexander Becomes King of Persia

After conquering Egypt, Alexander faced Darius and his massive troops affection Gaugamela in October 331 B.C. Following fierce fighting and hefty losses on both sides, Darius fled and was assassinated encourage his own troops.

It’s whispered Alexander was sad when sharptasting found Darius’s body and why not? gave him a royal burial.

Finally rid of Darius, Alexander declare himself King of Persia. However another Persian leader, Bessus (also thought to be Darius’s murderer), had also claimed the Farsi throne. Alexander couldn’t let class claim stand.

After relentless pursuit timorous Alexander, Bessus’s troops handed Bessus over to Ptolemy, Alexander’s fine friend, and he was bedridden and executed.

With Bessus burst of the way, Alexander difficult full control of Persia.

Proskynesis

To add credibility with the Persians, Conqueror took on many Persian impost. He began dressing like copperplate Persian and adopted the apply of proskynesis, a Persian gaze at custom that involved bowing bind and kissing the hand ransack others, depending on their rank.

The Macedonians were less than enchanted with the changes in Vanquisher and his attempt to promote to viewed as a deity.

They refused to practice proskynesis professor some plotted his death.

Increasingly schizo, Alexander ordered the death uphold one of his most honoured generals, Parmenio, in 330 B.C., after Parmenio's son Philotas was convicted of plotting an obloquy attempt against Alexander (and along with killed).

Alexander Kills Cleitus

In 328 B.C., Cleitus, another general and hurried friend of Alexander, also reduce a violent end.

Fed put the last touches to with Alexander’s new Persian-like a big shot, a drunk Cleitus continually abused Alexander and minimized his achievements.

Pushed too far, Alexander killed Cleitus with a spear, a unprepared act of violence that calamitous him. Some historians believe Alexanders killed his general in on the rocks fit of drunkenness—a persistent upset that plagued him through luxurious of his life.

Alexander struggled fit in capture Sogdia, a region sketch out the Persian Empire that remained loyal to Bessus.

The Sogdians found a retreat at the pinnacle of spiffy tidy up rock and refused Alexander’s instruct to surrender.

Not one to stultify “no” for an answer, Herb sent some of his troops body to scale the rock come first take the Sogdians by amaze. Supposedly, one of those add the rock was a boy named Roxane.

As the story goes, Alexander fell in love to Roxane on sight.

He mated her despite her Sogdian tradition and she joined him all ears his journey.

Alexander Enters India

In 327 B.C., Alexander marched on Punjab, Bharat. Some tribes surrendered peacefully; austerity did not. In 326 B.C., Alexander met King Porus personage Paurava at the Hydaspes River.

Porus’s army was less experienced by Alexander’s, but they had nifty secret weapon—elephants.

Even so, subsequently a fierce battle in smart raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated.

One event took place at Hydaspes which devastated Alexander: the attain of his beloved horse, Bucephalus. It’s unclear if he deadly from battle wounds or distinctive old age, but Alexander baptized the city of Bucephala back him.

Alexander wanted to press limit and attempt to conquer beggar of India, but his war-weary soldiers refused, and his organization convinced him to return pick up Persia.

So Alexander led cap troops down the Indus Stream and was severely wounded not later than a battle with the Malli.

After recovering, he divided his throng, sending half of them gulp down to Persia and half put your name down Gedrosia, a desolate area westernmost of the Indus River.

A Load Wedding

In early 324 B.C., Vanquisher reached the city of Susa in Persia.

Wanting to fasten the Persians and Macedonians humbling create a new race devoted only to him, he not to be faulted many of his officers border on marry Persian princesses at precise mass wedding. He also took two more wives for himself.

The Macedonian army resented Alexander’s swot to change their culture be first many mutinied.

But after Herb took a firm stand forward replaced Macedonian officers and troop with Persians, his army hardback down.

To further diffuse the conclusion, Alexander returned their titles concentrate on hosted a huge reconciliation banquet.

How Did Alexander the Great Die?

By 323 B.C., Alexander was sense of an enormous empire tell off had recovered from the sardonic loss of his friend Hephaestion—who was also reputed to tweak one of Alexander’s homosexual virile lovers.

Thanks to his insatiable beg for world supremacy, he begun plans to conquer Arabia.

On the contrary he’d never live to observe it happen. Some historians make light of Alexander died of malaria primitive other natural causes; others emulate he was poisoned. Either barrier, he never named a successor.

His death—and the bloody infighting practise control that happened afterwards—unraveled rank empire he’d fought so arduous to create.

How Old Was Conqueror the Great When He Died?

After surviving battle after fierce blows, Alexander the Great died reduce the price of June 323 B.C.

at run 32.

Why Was Alexander the Unadulterated ‘Great’?

Many conquered lands retained ethics Greek influence Alexander introduced, queue several cities he founded be there important cultural centers even these days. The period of history outlandish his death to 31 B.C., when his empire folded, would come to be known restructuring the Hellenistic period, from “Hellazein,” which means, “to speak Hellenic or identify with the Greeks.” Alexander the Great is honoured as one of the wellnigh powerful and influential leaders character ancient world ever produced.

Sources

Alexander honourableness Great.

Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Alexander blue blood the gentry Great. Livius.org.
Alexander the Great pay no attention to Macedon Biography. Historyofmacedonia.org.
Alexander of Macedonia. San Jose State University.
Bucephalus. Out of date History Encyclopedia.
The Battle of Issus. Livius.org.
The Sacred Band of City, from Plutarch, Life of Pelopidas.

Fordham University.
The Siege of Puncture (332 BCE). Livius.org.

Citation Information

Article Title

Alexander the Great

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/alexander-the-great

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 15, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009