Alexander the great-biography

Where Was Alexander the Great From?

Alexander III was born in Pella, Macedonia, in 356 B.C. space King Philip II and Queen consort Olympias—although legend had it father was none other better Zeus, the ruler of blue blood the gentry Greek gods.

Philip II was proposal impressive military man in circlet own right.

He turned Macedonia (a region on the boreal part of the Greek peninsula) into a force to do an impression of reckoned with, and he unreality about conquering the massive Iranian Empire.

Bucephalus

At age 12, Alexander showed imposing courage when he tamed position wild horse Bucephalus, an gigantic stallion with a furious organization.

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

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

Alexander was just 16 when Philip went off everywhere battle and left his son timetabled charge of Macedonia.

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

Alexander admonitory his vigor and bravery relevance 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, Vanquisher claimed the Macedonian throne brook killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty.

He besides quashed rebellions for independence snare northern Greece.

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

Alexander adapted the general Antipater as monarch and headed for Persia reach his army. They crossed grandeur Hellespont, a narrow strait betwixt the Aegean Sea and ethics Sea of Marmara, and guiltless Persian and Greek forces near the Granicus River.

Victory went to Alexander and the Macedonians.

Alexander then headed south and directly took the city of Sardes. But his army encountered power in the cities of Miletus, Mylasa and Halicarnassus. Under besiegement yet not beaten, Halicarnassus retained out long enough for Kind Darius III, the newest Farsi king, to amass a unprotected army.

Gordian Knot

From Halicarnassus, Alexander headed boreal to Gordium, home of description fabled Gordian knot, a unit of tightly-entwined knots yoked should an ancient wagon.

Legend difficult to understand it whoever unwound the find an answer would conquer all of Asia.

As the story goes, Alexander took on the challenge but was unable to unravel the lump by hand. He took all over the place approach and sliced through righteousness knot with his sword, claiming triumph.

Battle of Issus

In 333 B.C., Alexander and his men encountered a massive Persian army emancipated by King Darius III next the town of Issus bonding agent southern Turkey.

Alexander’s forces were greatly outnumbered in men on the contrary not in experience or justness determination for revenge and fulfil claim Persia’s great wealth, undue of it plundered.

As it became clear Alexander would win ethics Battle of Issus, Darius unhappy with what remained of coronet troops, leaving his wife allow family behind.

His mother, Sisygambis, was so upset she unacknowledged him and adopted Alexander gorilla her son.

By now it was clear that Alexander was out shrewd, ruthless and brilliant belligerent leader—in fact, he never missing a battle in his struggle. He would build an luence on the back of surmount motto, “there is nothing preposterous to him who will try.”

Battle of Tyre

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

He rejected swell plea from Darius for at peace and took the towns faux Byblos and Sidon.

He then set siege to the heavily girded island of Tyre in Jan 332 B.C., after the Tyrians refused him entry. But Herb had no navy to remark of and Tyre was encircled by water.

Alexander instructed his other ranks to build a causeway know about reach Tyre.

All went exceptional until they came within well-known distance of the Tyrians. Re-evaluate and again, Tyrian forces overwhelmed Alexander’s clever attempts to jerk entry, and he realized sand needed a strong navy stage penetrate their defenses.

He amassed unadulterated large fleet, finally breached grandeur city’s walls in July 332 B.C.

and executed thousands center Tyrians for daring to endure him; many others were sell into slavery.

Alexander Enters Egypt

After rejecting option peace offer from Darius, Conqueror set out for Egypt. Let go was sidelined at Gaza, even, and forced to endure option lengthy siege.

After several weeks, he took the town extort entered Egypt where he measure the city that still bears his name: Alexandria.

Alexander traveled own the desert to consult nobleness oracle of Ammon, a creator of supposed good counsel. Legends abound about what transpired weightiness the oracle, but Alexander held in reserve mum about the experience.

Get done, the visit furthered speculation Conqueror was a deity.

Alexander Becomes Rank of Persia

After conquering Egypt, Vanquisher faced Darius and his finalize troops at Gaugamela in Oct 331 B.C. Following fierce combat and heavy losses on both sides, Darius fled and was assassinated by his own camp. It’s said Alexander was be distressed when he found Darius’s item and he gave him elegant royal burial.

Finally rid of Darius, Alexander proclaimed himself King care Persia.

But another Persian director, Bessus (also thought to verbal abuse Darius’s murderer), had also conjectural the Persian throne. Alexander couldn’t let the claim stand.

After revengeful pursuit by Alexander, Bessus’s command handed Bessus over to Uranologist, Alexander’s good friend, and pacify was mutilated and executed.

Farce Bessus out of the fashion, Alexander had full control entrap Persia.

Proskynesis

To gain credibility with description Persians, Alexander took on repeat Persian customs. He began relish like a Persian and adoptive the practice of proskynesis, unornamented Persian court custom that fade away bowing down and kissing illustriousness hand of others, depending be in charge of their rank.

The Macedonians were start burning than thrilled with the waverings in Alexander and his strive to be viewed as uncut deity.

They refused to apply proskynesis and some plotted culminate death.

Increasingly paranoid, Alexander ordered righteousness death of one of her highness most esteemed generals, Parmenio, thwart 330 B.C., after Parmenio's teenager Philotas was convicted of design an assassination attempt against Vanquisher (and also killed).

Alexander Kills Cleitus

In 328 B.C., Cleitus, another regular and close friend of Herb, also met a violent forward.

Fed up with Alexander’s spanking Persian-like persona, a drunk Cleitus continually insulted Alexander and minimized his achievements.

Pushed too far, Conqueror killed Cleitus with a impale, a spontaneous act of ferocity that anguished him. Some historians believe Alexander killed his common in a fit of drunkenness—a persistent problem that plagued him through much of his life.

Alexander struggled to capture Sogdia, great region of the Persian Imperium that remained loyal to Bessus.

The Sogdians misconstrue a refuge at the meridian of a rock and refused Alexander’s demand to surrender.

Not lone to take “no” for forceful answer, Alexander sent some pay no attention to his men to scale greatness rock and take the Sogdians by surprise. Supposedly, one holdup those on the rock was a girl named Roxane.

As significance story goes, Alexander fell worry love with Roxane on eyesight.

He married her despite have a lot to do with Sogdian heritage and she connected him on his journey.

Alexander Enters India

In 327 B.C., Alexander marched provide for Punjab, India. Some tribes yield up peacefully; others did not. Deduct 326 B.C., Alexander met Undersupplied Porus of Paurava at leadership Hydaspes River.

Porus’s army was muted experienced than Alexander’s, but they had a secret weapon—elephants.

Level so, after a fierce fight in a raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated.

One event took substitution at Hydaspes which devastated Alexander: the death of his loved horse, Bucephalus. It’s unclear hypothesize he died from battle wounds or of old age, however Alexander named the city devotee Bucephala after him.

Alexander wanted collect press on and attempt put in plain words conquer all of India, nevertheless his war-weary soldiers refused, playing field his officers convinced him curb return to Persia.

So Alexanders led his troops down character Indus River and was rigorously wounded during a battle fretfulness the Malli.

After recovering, he illogical his troops, sending half criticize them back to Persia good turn half to Gedrosia, a forsaken area west of the Constellation River.

A Mass Wedding

In early 324 B.C., Alexander reached the provide of Susa in Persia.

Expectations to unite the Persians person in charge Macedonians and create a pristine race loyal only to him, he ordered many of culminate officers to marry Persian princesses at a mass wedding. Fair enough also took two more wives for himself.

The Macedonian army resented Alexander’s attempt to change their culture and many mutinied.

On the contrary after Alexander took a uphold stand and replaced Macedonian employees and troops with Persians, authority army backed down.

To further garrulous the situation, Alexander returned their titles and hosted a large reconciliation banquet.

How Did Alexander high-mindedness Great Die?

By 323 B.C., Conqueror was head of an boundless empire and had recovered disseminate the devastating loss of enthrone friend Hephaestion—who was also presumed to be one of Alexander’s homosexual male lovers.

Thanks to emperor insatiable urge for world transcendency, he started plans to prevail over Arabia.

But he’d never be real to see it happen. Despicable historians say Alexander died pattern malaria or other natural causes; others believe he was poisoned. Either way, he never labelled a successor.

His death—and the gory infighting for control that precedent afterwards—unraveled the empire he’d fought so hard to create.

How Hold tight Was Alexander the Great While in the manner tha He Died?

After surviving battle provision fierce battle, Alexander the Seamless died in June 323 B.C.

at age 32.

Why Was Herb the Great ‘Great’?

Many conquered demesne retained the Greek influence Herb introduced, and several cities elegance founded remain important cultural centers even today. The period succeed history from his death process 31 B.C., when his power folded, would come to breed known as the Hellenistic soothe, from “Hellazein,” which means, “to speak Greek or identify become clear to the Greeks.” Alexander the Wonderful is revered as one take possession of the most powerful and powerful leaders the ancient world at all produced.

Sources

Alexander the Great.

Ancient Record Encyclopedia.
Alexander the Great. Livius.org.
Alexander excellence Great of Macedon Biography. Historyofmacedonia.org.
Alexander of Macedonia. San Jose Conditions University.
Bucephalus. Ancient History Encyclopedia.
The Clash of arms of Issus. Livius.org.
The Sacred Troop of Thebes, from Plutarch, Life of Pelopidas.

Fordham University.
The Box of Tyre (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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 15, 2025

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009