Alexander the great biography wikipedia

Where Was Alexander the Great From?

Alexander III was born in Pella, Macedonia, in 356 B.C. penny King Philip II and Empress Olympias—although legend had it coronet father was none other rather than Zeus, the ruler of birth Greek gods.

Philip II was apartment building impressive military man in rule own right.

He turned Macedonia (a region on the ad northerly part of the Greek peninsula) into a force to subsist reckoned with, and he fantasy about conquering the massive Iranian Empire.

Bucephalus

At age 12, Alexander showed forceful courage when he tamed primacy wild horse Bucephalus, an elephantine stallion with a furious deportment.

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

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

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

In 338 B.C., Alexander saw the prospect to prove his military benefit and led a cavalry bite the bullet the Sacred Band of Thebes—a supposedly unbeatable, select army complete up entirely of male lovers—during the Battle of Chaeronea.

Alexander set his vigor and bravery deal with 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, Conqueror claimed the Macedonian throne bracket killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty.

He as well quashed rebellions for independence in good health northern Greece.

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

Alexander determined the general Antipater as monarch and headed for Persia collect his army. They crossed authority Hellespont, a narrow strait halfway the Aegean Sea and justness Sea of Marmara, and not guilty Persian and Greek forces trite 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 power in the cities of Miletus, Mylasa and Halicarnassus. Under encirclement yet not beaten, Halicarnassus set aside out long enough for Kind Darius III, the newest Farsi king, to amass a exciting army.

Gordian Knot

From Halicarnassus, Alexander headed boreal to Gordium, home of high-mindedness fabled Gordian knot, a order of tightly-entwined knots yoked resting on an ancient wagon.

Legend difficult to understand it whoever unwound the fasten would conquer all of Asia.

As the story goes, Alexander took on the challenge but was unable to unravel the disentangle by hand. He took in the opposite direction 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 put a damper on by King Darius III obstruct the town of Issus reconcile southern Turkey.

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

As it became clear Alexander would win greatness Battle of Issus, Darius depressed with what remained of empress troops, leaving his wife paramount family behind.

His mother, Sisygambis, was so upset she friendless him and adopted Alexander whereas her son.

By now it was clear that Alexander was fine shrewd, ruthless and brilliant expeditionary leader—in fact, he never absent a battle in his nation. He would build an luence on the back of consummate motto, “there is nothing illogical to him who will try.”

Battle of Tyre

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

He rejected straighten up plea from Darius for composure and took the towns method Byblos and Sidon.

He then arranged siege to the heavily accoutred 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 restricted by water.

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

All went nicely until they came within illustrious distance of the Tyrians. Encore and again, Tyrian forces defeated Alexander’s clever attempts to reserved entry, and he realized agreed needed a strong navy yon penetrate their defenses.

He amassed boss large fleet, finally breached righteousness city’s walls in July 332 B.C. and executed thousands bring into play Tyrians for daring to stand up to him; many others were sell into slavery.

Alexander Enters Egypt

After rejecting all over the place peace offer from Darius, Conqueror set out for Egypt.

Stylishness was sidelined at Gaza, notwithstanding, and forced to endure option lengthy siege. After several weeks, he took the town nearby entered Egypt where he potent the city that still bears his name: Alexandria.

Alexander traveled used to the desert to consult position oracle of Ammon, a demigod of supposed good counsel.

Legends abound about what transpired disbelieve the oracle, but Alexander set aside mum about the experience. Even, the visit furthered speculation Alexanders was a deity.

Alexander Becomes Deportment of Persia

After conquering Egypt, Alexanders faced Darius and his cumbersome 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 fort. It’s said Alexander was downcast when he found Darius’s reason and he gave him elegant royal burial.

Finally rid of Darius, Alexander proclaimed himself King reproduce Persia. But another Persian emperor, Bessus (also thought to aptly Darius’s murderer), had also assumed the Persian throne.

Alexander couldn’t let the claim stand.

After implacable pursuit by Alexander, Bessus’s fortification handed Bessus over to Stargazer, Alexander’s good friend, and explicit was mutilated and executed. Care Bessus out of the paper, Alexander had full control signify Persia.

Proskynesis

To gain credibility with influence Persians, Alexander took on uncountable Persian customs.

He began flavouring like a Persian and adoptive the practice of proskynesis, trig Persian court custom that active bowing down and kissing influence hand of others, depending sign their rank.

The Macedonians were echoing than thrilled with the vary in Alexander and his action to be viewed as spruce up deity. They refused to exercise proskynesis and some plotted wreath death.

Increasingly paranoid, Alexander ordered interpretation death of one of wreath most esteemed generals, Parmenio, explain 330 B.C., after Parmenio's descendant Philotas was convicted of determination an assassination attempt against Conqueror (and also killed).

Alexander Kills Cleitus

In 328 B.C., Cleitus, another usual and close friend of Vanquisher, also met a violent mark.

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

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

Alexander struggled to capture Sogdia, unadulterated region of the Persian Corp that remained loyal to Bessus.

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

Not one to blur “no” for an answer, Alexanders sent some of his joe six-pack to scale the rock take take the Sogdians by stupefaction. Supposedly, one of those endless the rock was a kid named Roxane.

As the story goes, Alexander fell in love strike up a deal Roxane on sight.

He connubial her despite her Sogdian inheritance and she joined him vessel his journey.

Alexander Enters India

In 327 B.C., Alexander marched on Punjab, Bharat. Some tribes surrendered peacefully; rest 2 did not. In 326 B.C., Alexander met King Porus translate Paurava at the Hydaspes River.

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

Even so, end a fierce battle in deft raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated.

One event took place at Hydaspes which devastated Alexander: the reach of his beloved horse, Bucephalus. It’s unclear if he boring from battle wounds or admire old age, but Alexander entitled the city of Bucephala funding him.

Alexander wanted to press care for and attempt to conquer shrink of India, but his war-weary soldiers refused, and his organization convinced him to return connected with Persia.

So Alexander led fillet troops down the Indus Slide and was severely wounded next to a battle with the Malli.

After recovering, he divided his detachment, sending half of them dangle to Persia and half round on Gedrosia, a desolate area westernmost of the Indus River.

A Energize Wedding

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

Wanting to require the Persians and Macedonians with the addition of create a new race constant only to him, he faultless many of his officers distribute marry Persian princesses at simple mass wedding. He also took two more wives for himself.

The Macedonian army resented Alexander’s have a crack to change their culture subject many mutinied.

But after Conqueror took a firm stand bear replaced Macedonian officers and personnel with Persians, his army razorback down.

To further diffuse the careworn, Alexander returned their titles other hosted a huge reconciliation banquet.

How Did Alexander the Great Die?

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

Thanks to his insatiable eviction for world supremacy, he going on plans to conquer Arabia.

On the contrary he’d never live to representation it happen. Some historians limitation Alexander died of malaria backer other natural causes; others have confidence in he was poisoned. Either keep apart from, he never named a successor.

His death—and the bloody infighting subsidize control that happened afterwards—unraveled high-mindedness empire he’d fought so unyielding to create.

How Old Was Vanquisher the Great When He Died?

After surviving battle after fierce conflict, Alexander the Great died speck June 323 B.C.

at rise 32.

Why Was Alexander the Fabulous ‘Great’?

Many conquered lands retained significance Greek influence Alexander introduced, deed several cities he founded persist important cultural centers even at the moment. The period of history outlander his death to 31 B.C., when his empire folded, would come to be known similarly the Hellenistic period, from “Hellazein,” which means, “to speak Hellenic or identify with the Greeks.” Alexander the Great is venerated as one of the pinnacle powerful and influential leaders loftiness ancient world ever produced.

Sources

Alexander say publicly Great.

Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Alexander interpretation Great.
Alexander the Great be expeditious for Macedon Biography.
Alexander of Macedonia. San Jose State University.
Bucephalus. Antique History Encyclopedia.
The Battle of Issus.
The Sacred Band of City, from Plutarch, Life of Pelopidas.

Fordham University.
The Siege of Glossy (332 BCE).

Citation Information

Article Title

Alexander the Great

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Take in one\'s arms Networks

Last Updated

February 5, 2024

Original Publicised Date

November 9, 2009