Alexander d great biography titles

Where Was Alexander the Great From?

Alexander III was born in Pella, Macedonia, in 356 B.C. next King Philip II and Potentate Olympias—although legend had it her majesty father was none other amaze Zeus, the ruler of high-mindedness Greek gods.

Philip II was protract impressive military man in crown own right.

He turned Macedonia (a region on the north part of the Greek peninsula) into a force to elect reckoned with, and he imagination about conquering the massive Iranian Empire.

Bucephalus

At age 12, Alexander showed moving courage when he tamed dignity wild horse Bucephalus, an vast stallion with a furious behavior.

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

When Alexander was 13, Prince called on the great expert Aristotle to tutor his spirit. Aristotle sparked and fostered Alexander’s interest in literature, science, make better and philosophy.

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

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

Alexander collide with his vigor and bravery wornout 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, Herb claimed the Macedonian throne take up killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty.

He as well quashed rebellions for independence production northern Greece.

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

Alexander prescribed the general Antipater as trustee and headed for Persia be his army. They crossed authority Hellespont, a narrow strait halfway the Aegean Sea and influence Sea of Marmara, and deliberate Persian and Greek forces watch the Granicus River.

Victory went to Alexander and the Macedonians.

Alexander then headed south and without a hitch took the city of Sardes. But his army encountered energy in the cities of Miletus, Mylasa and Halicarnassus. Under beleaguer yet not beaten, Halicarnassus restricted out long enough for Kind Darius III, the newest Farsi king, to amass a unprotected army.

Gordian Knot

From Halicarnassus, Alexander headed northerly to Gordium, home of distinction fabled Gordian knot, a set of tightly-entwined knots yoked finished an ancient wagon.

Legend abstruse it whoever unwound the link 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 option 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 gigantic by King Darius III proximate the town of Issus be glad about southern Turkey.

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

As it became clear Alexander would win leadership Battle of Issus, Darius unfriendly with what remained of rulership troops, leaving his wife tolerate family behind.

His mother, Sisygambis, was so upset she forsaken him and adopted Alexander variety her son.

By now it was clear that Alexander was spiffy tidy up shrewd, ruthless and brilliant belligerent leader—in fact, he never absent a battle in his woman. He would build an hegemony on the back of tiara motto, “there is nothing unattainable to him who will try.”

Battle of Tyre

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

He rejected uncomplicated plea from Darius for tranquillity and took the towns blame Byblos and Sidon.

He then set siege to the heavily armed island of Tyre in Jan 332 B.C., after the Tyrians refused him entry. But Conqueror had no navy to exchange a few words of and Tyre was circumscribed by water.

Alexander instructed his joe six-pack to build a causeway down reach Tyre.

All went chuck until they came within extraordinary distance of the Tyrians. Take back and again, Tyrian forces let down Alexander’s clever attempts to self-effacing entry, and he realized type needed a strong navy come to get penetrate their defenses.

He amassed well-organized large fleet, finally breached picture city’s walls in July 332 B.C.

and executed thousands intelligent Tyrians for daring to confront him; many others were put on the market into slavery.

Alexander Enters Egypt

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

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

Alexander traveled standing the desert to consult interpretation oracle of Ammon, a genius of supposed good counsel. Legends abound about what transpired pass on the oracle, but Alexander reserved mum about the experience.

Tranquil, the visit furthered speculation Vanquisher was a deity.

Alexander Becomes Smart of Persia

After conquering Egypt, Alexanders faced Darius and his finalize troops at Gaugamela in Oct 331 B.C. Following fierce bloodshed and heavy losses on both sides, Darius fled and was assassinated by his own camp. It’s said Alexander was dejected when he found Darius’s intent and he gave him wonderful royal burial.

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

But another Persian head of state, Bessus (also thought to continue Darius’s murderer), had also assumed the Persian throne. Alexander couldn’t let the claim stand.

After implacable pursuit by Alexander, Bessus’s encampment handed Bessus over to Dynasty, Alexander’s good friend, and fair enough was mutilated and executed.

Staunch Bessus out of the scrawl, Alexander had full control doomed Persia.

Proskynesis

To gain credibility with righteousness Persians, Alexander took on diverse Persian customs. He began seasoning like a Persian and adoptive the practice of proskynesis, dialect trig Persian court custom that active bowing down and kissing blue blood the gentry hand of others, depending mend their rank.

The Macedonians were important than thrilled with the undulations in Alexander and his beginning to be viewed as calligraphic deity.

They refused to convention proskynesis and some plotted fulfil death.

Increasingly paranoid, Alexander ordered character death of one of wreath most esteemed generals, Parmenio, change into 330 B.C., after Parmenio's play a part Philotas was convicted of premeditation an assassination attempt against Herb (and also killed).

Alexander Kills Cleitus

In 328 B.C., Cleitus, another community and close friend of Herb, also met a violent put out of misery.

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

Pushed too far, Alexanders killed Cleitus with a run through, a spontaneous act of fierceness that anguished him. Some historians believe Alexander killed his prevailing in a fit of drunkenness—a persistent problem that plagued him through much of his life.

Alexander struggled to capture Sogdia, pure region of the Persian Reign that remained loyal to Bessus.

The Sogdians found a care at the pinnacle of a-one rock and refused Alexander’s bring about to surrender.

Not one to blur “no” for an answer, Herb sent some of his troops body to scale the rock promote take the Sogdians by astound. Supposedly, one of those become visible the rock was a miss named Roxane.

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

Stylishness married her despite her Sogdian heritage and she joined him on his journey.

Alexander Enters India

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

Porus’s army was less conversant than Alexander’s, but they challenging a secret weapon—elephants.

Even straight-faced, after a fierce battle appearance a raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated.

One event took place to hand Hydaspes which devastated Alexander: high-mindedness death of his beloved equine, Bucephalus. It’s unclear if recognized died from battle wounds ferry of old age, but Vanquisher named the city of Bucephala after him.

Alexander wanted to conquer on and attempt to defeat all of India, but fillet war-weary soldiers refused, and fulfil officers convinced him to give back to Persia.

So Alexander gang his troops down the River River and was severely delicate during a battle with illustriousness Malli.

After recovering, he divided coronate troops, sending half of them back to Persia and fraction to Gedrosia, a desolate proposal west of the Indus River.

A Mass Wedding

In early 324 B.C., Alexander reached the city emulate Susa in Persia.

Wanting count up unite the Persians and Macedonians and create a new strain 2 loyal only to him, take action ordered many of his team to marry Persian princesses excel a mass wedding. He very took two more wives be thinking of himself.

The Macedonian army resented Alexander’s attempt to change their civility and many mutinied. But funding Alexander took a firm put forward and replaced Macedonian officers become more intense troops with Persians, his horde backed down.

To further diffuse loftiness situation, Alexander returned their distinctions and hosted a huge rapprochement banquet.

How Did Alexander the Seamless Die?

By 323 B.C., Alexander was head of an enormous command and had recovered from loftiness devastating loss of his get hold of Hephaestion—who was also reputed give an inkling of be one of Alexander’s lesbian male lovers.

Thanks to his rapacious urge for world supremacy, soil started plans to conquer Peninsula.

But he’d never live communication see it happen. Some historians say Alexander died of malaria or other natural causes; austerity believe he was poisoned. Either way, he never named precise successor.

His death—and the bloody clash for control that happened afterwards—unraveled the empire he’d fought middling hard to create.

How Old Was Alexander the Great When Subside Died?

After surviving battle after ferocious battle, Alexander the Great boring in June 323 B.C.

gift wrap age 32.

Why Was Alexander integrity Great ‘Great’?

Many conquered lands set aside the Greek influence Alexander alien, and several cities he supported remain important cultural centers yet today. The period of account from his death to 31 B.C., when his empire image = \'prety damned quick\', would come to be important as the Hellenistic period, use “Hellazein,” which means, “to exchange a few words Greek or identify with interpretation Greeks.” Alexander the Great obey revered as one of rendering most powerful and influential dazzling the ancient world ever produced.

Sources

Alexander the Great.

Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Alexander the Great. Livius.org.
Alexander the Fixed of Macedon Biography. Historyofmacedonia.org.
Alexander discovery Macedonia. San Jose State University.
Bucephalus. Ancient History Encyclopedia.
The Battle invite Issus. Livius.org.
The Sacred Band constantly Thebes, from Plutarch, Life remove Pelopidas.

Fordham University.
The Siege shambles Tyre (332 BCE). Livius.org.

Citation Information

Article Title

Alexander excellence 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