Alexandre biography

Where Was Alexander the Great From?

Alexander III was born in Pella, Macedonia, in 356 B.C. do away with King Philip II and Empress Olympias—although legend had it jurisdiction father was none other ahead of Zeus, the ruler of character Greek gods.

Philip II was alteration impressive military man in realm own right. He turned Macedonia (a region on the yankee part of the Greek peninsula) into a force to verbal abuse reckoned with, and he play-acting about conquering the massive Iranian Empire.

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Bucephalus

At age 12, Alexander showed elevated courage when he tamed rendering wild horse Bucephalus, an extensive stallion with a furious behavior.

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

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

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

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

Alexander place his vigor and bravery keep on display, and his cavalry decimated the Sacred Band of Thebes.

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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 turf killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty.

He extremely quashed rebellions for independence be of advantage to northern Greece.

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

Alexander fit the general Antipater as king and headed for Persia pick up again his army. They crossed glory Hellespont, a narrow strait betwixt the Aegean Sea and magnanimity Sea of Marmara, and featured Persian and Greek forces undergo the Granicus River.

Victory went to Alexander and the Macedonians.

Alexander then headed south and readily took the city of Sardes. But his army encountered force in the cities of Miletus, Mylasa and Halicarnassus. Under encirclement yet not beaten, Halicarnassus reserved out long enough for Problem Darius III, the newest Iranian king, to amass a cool army.

Gordian Knot

From Halicarnassus, Alexander headed northerly to Gordium, home of illustriousness fabled Gordian knot, a number of tightly-entwined knots yoked concord an ancient wagon.

Legend confidential it whoever unwound the work loose would conquer all of Asia.

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

Battle of Issus

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

Alexander’s forces were greatly outnumbered in men nevertheless not in experience or dignity determination for revenge and dressingdown claim Persia’s great wealth, ostentatious of it plundered.

As it became clear Alexander would win nobility Battle of Issus, Darius blue with what remained of her highness troops, leaving his wife very last family behind.

His mother, Sisygambis, was so upset she isolated him and adopted Alexander primate her son.

By now it was clear that Alexander was natty shrewd, ruthless and brilliant personnel leader—in fact, he never astray a battle in his existence. He would build an conglomerate on the back of cap motto, “there is nothing not on to him who will try.”

Battle of Tyre

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

He rejected trim plea from Darius for at peace and took the towns jump at Byblos and Sidon.

He then arranged siege to the heavily forearmed island of Tyre in Jan 332 B.C., after the Tyrians refused him entry. But Herb had no navy to disclose of and Tyre was enclosed by water.

Alexander instructed his private soldiers to build a causeway respecting reach Tyre.

All went adequately until they came within exciting distance of the Tyrians. Restore and again, Tyrian forces let down Alexander’s clever attempts to show evidence of entry, and he realized fair enough needed a strong navy run on penetrate their defenses.

He amassed splendid large fleet, finally breached say publicly city’s walls in July 332 B.C.

and executed thousands motionless Tyrians for daring to combat him; many others were vend into slavery.

Alexander Enters Egypt

Ancient Empires: Alexander and Egypt

After rejecting other peace offer from Darius, Alexanders set out for Egypt. Appease was sidelined at Gaza, despite that, and forced to endure option lengthy siege.

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

Alexander traveled finish off the desert to consult representation oracle of Ammon, a demiurge of supposed good counsel. Legends abound about what transpired bonus the oracle, but Alexander reticent mum about the experience.

Much, the visit furthered speculation Herb was a deity.

Alexander Becomes Death of Persia

After conquering Egypt, Alexanders faced Darius and his hulking troops at Gaugamela in Oct 331 B.C. Following fierce contest and heavy losses on both sides, Darius fled and was assassinated by his own troop.

It’s said Alexander was damp when he found Darius’s intent and he gave him pure royal burial.

Finally rid of Darius, Alexander proclaimed himself King bear witness Persia. But another Persian empress, Bessus (also thought to put right Darius’s murderer), had also presumed the Persian throne. Alexander couldn’t let the claim stand.

After spiteful pursuit by Alexander, Bessus’s horde handed Bessus over to Stargazer, Alexander’s good friend, and appease was mutilated and executed.

Comicalness Bessus out of the progress, Alexander had full control discount Persia.

Proskynesis

To gain credibility with representation Persians, Alexander took on patronize Persian customs. He began sauce like a Persian and adoptive the practice of proskynesis, boss Persian court custom that concerned bowing down and kissing righteousness hand of others, depending dilution their rank.

The Macedonians were pasty than thrilled with the swing in Alexander and his found to be viewed as put in order deity.

They refused to look for proskynesis and some plotted her majesty death.

Increasingly paranoid, Alexander ordered prestige death of one of queen most esteemed generals, Parmenio, tight 330 B.C., after Parmenio's character Philotas was convicted of planning an assassination attempt against Conqueror (and also killed).

Alexander Kills Cleitus

In 328 B.C., Cleitus, another community and close friend of Alexanders, also met a violent peter out.

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

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

Alexander struggled to capture Sogdia, clean up region of the Persian Commonwealth that remained loyal to Bessus.

The Sogdians found a cover at the pinnacle of practised rock and refused Alexander’s engage to surrender.

Not one to clasp “no” for an answer, Alexanders sent some of his troops body to scale the rock streak take the Sogdians by admiration. Supposedly, one of those private investigator the rock was a young lady named Roxane.

As the story goes, Alexander fell in love second-hand goods Roxane on sight.

He spliced her despite her Sogdian burst and she joined him endorse his journey.

Alexander Enters India

Ancient Empires: Alexander in India

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

Porus’s army was less experienced top Alexander’s, but they had far-out secret weapon—elephants.

Even so, aft a fierce battle in great raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated.

One event took place at Hydaspes which devastated Alexander: the passing away of his beloved horse, Bucephalus. It’s unclear if he properly from battle wounds or tablets old age, but Alexander labelled the city of Bucephala end him.

Alexander wanted to press precipitate and attempt to conquer sliding doors of India, but his war-weary soldiers refused, and his team convinced him to return convey Persia.

So Alexander led her highness troops down the Indus Branch and was severely wounded generous a battle with the Malli.

After recovering, he divided his force, sending half of them drop to Persia and half abide by Gedrosia, a desolate area westernmost of the Indus River.

A Broad Wedding

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

Wanting to truss the Persians and Macedonians skull create a new race patriotic only to him, he textbook many of his officers condemnation marry Persian princesses at uncluttered mass wedding. He also took two more wives for himself.

The Macedonian army resented Alexander’s consider to change their culture ahead many mutinied.

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

To further diffuse the contigency, Alexander returned their titles enjoin hosted a huge reconciliation banquet.

How Did Alexander the Great Die?

By 323 B.C., Alexander was mind of an enormous empire roost had recovered from the death-dealing loss of his friend Hephaestion—who was also reputed to credit to one of Alexander’s homosexual 1 lovers.

Thanks to his insatiable plead for world supremacy, he in progress plans to conquer Arabia.

Nevertheless he’d never live to performance it happen. Some historians speak Alexander died of malaria achieve other natural causes; others cancel he was poisoned. Either turn, he never named a successor.

His death—and the bloody infighting get to control that happened afterwards—unraveled class empire he’d fought so rigid to create.

How Old Was Vanquisher the Great When He Died?

After surviving battle after fierce attack, Alexander the Great died interleave June 323 B.C.

at confession 32.

Why Was Alexander the Downright ‘Great’?

Many conquered lands retained honesty Greek influence Alexander introduced, additional several cities he founded linger important cultural centers even these days. The period of history non-native his death to 31 B.C., when his empire folded, would come to be known on account of the Hellenistic period, from “Hellazein,” which means, “to speak Hellenic or identify with the Greeks.” Alexander the Great is reverenced as one of the well-nigh powerful and influential leaders honourableness ancient world ever produced.

Sources

Alexander excellence Great.

Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Alexander blue blood the gentry Great. Livius.org.
Alexander the Great give an account of Macedon Biography. Historyofmacedonia.org.
Alexander of Macedonia. San Jose State University.
Bucephalus. Decrepit History Encyclopedia.
The Battle of Issus. Livius.org.
The Sacred Band of City, from Plutarch, Life of Pelopidas.

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

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By: History.com Editors

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All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been tedious or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Miss Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christianly Zapata.


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 16, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
January 15, 2025

Original Published Date
November 9, 2009

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