Alexander the Great was a renowned historical figure born in 356 BC in Pella, Macedonia, to King Philip II and Olympias. He was tutored by Aristotle and received a well-rounded education in various subjects. After his father's assassination in 336 BC, Alexander succeeded him at just 20 years old. To secure his throne, he eliminated potential rivals, including his half-brother and first cousin.
Alexander then embarked on a series of conquests, starting with the defeat of the Persians at the Granicus River in 334 BC. He marched along the southern coast of Turkey, capturing key cities, and eventually conquered the Anatolian peninsula. He also visited the Oracle of Delphi, seeking the gods' support for his campaigns.
In 334 BC, Alexander's army, comprising 37,000 troops, marched into Asia. He defeated the Persians again at the Battle of Issus, leading to the capture of key cities, including Tyre and Gaza. Alexander then traveled to Egypt, where he was proclaimed pharaoh and founded the city of Alexandria in 331 BC.
Alexander's conquests continued, with victories in Mesopotamia and the Persian Empire. He adopted local customs, dressed in Persian attire, and created a harem. However, his growing despotism led to discontent among his soldiers. In 327 BC, Alexander entered India, but his empire eventually became too vast to manage.
Alexander died in 323 BC at the age of 32, possibly due to illness or poisoning. His death marked the beginning of the Hellenistic period in ancient Greek history. Despite his short-lived empire, Alexander's legacy endured, and he remains known as one of the greatest conquerors in history.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Alexander the Great was born in the summer of 356 BC in Pella, the city located in the political center of Macedonia.
2. Alexander's parents were King Philip II and Olympia of Epirus.
3. Alexander was a student of Aristotle, who taught him history, literature, geography, mathematics, ethics, politics, philosophy, and medicine.
4. Alexander's father, King Philip II, was assassinated in 336 BC.
5. Alexander succeeded his father as king at the age of 20.
6. Alexander had his half-brother Carano and his first cousin Amyntas the Fourth executed.
7. Alexander sent a man to Asia to put an end to Attalus, the commander-in-chief of the Macedonian army.
8. Alexander's mother, Olympia, had her stepdaughter Cleopatra Eurydice and her daughter Europa murdered.
9. Alexander faced his neighbors in a quick campaign and most of Greece accepted him as their new leader.
10. Alexander visited the oracle of Delphi to seek the support of the local gods.
11. Alexander marched to Asia with an army of 37,000 troops in 334 BC.
12. Alexander's army was composed of 12,000 soldiers of the Macedonian phalanx, 3,000 horsemen of the royal guard, and 9,000 infantry and cavalry soldiers from Greek allies.
13. Alexander had a powerful fleet of about 200 ships.
14. Alexander's first great victory against the Persians took place on the Granicus River in 334 BC.
15. Alexander conquered cities like Sardis, Ephesus, Miletus, and Halicarnassus in Turkey.
16. The Persian king Darius III was concerned about Alexander's conquests and tried to stop him.
17. Alexander defeated Darius III in the Battle of Issus in 333 BC.
18. Alexander decided to go down the Phoenician-Palestinian strip before entering the heart of the Persian Empire.
19. Alexander conquered the Mediterranean coast, including Phoenician Syria and Gaza.
20. Alexander stopped in Egypt to free the ancient civilization from Persian rule.
21. Alexander was proclaimed pharaoh in Egypt.
22. Alexander founded the city of Alexandria in 331 BC.
23. Alexander conquered Mesopotamia and took advantage of his stay in Egypt to gather a powerful army.
24. Alexander defeated the Persian king Darius III in the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC.
25. Alexander took over Babylon and Persepolis, the capital of the empire.
26. Alexander adopted the title of "King of Kings" and decided to avenge Darius III's death.
27. Alexander transformed his appearance and behavior to achieve recognition from his new eastern subjects.
28. Alexander created two chancelleries, one European and one oriental, and issued the royal seal of Darius III.
29. Alexander surrounded himself with a large entourage of local nobles and formed a harem with hundreds of women and eunuchs.
30. Alexander occupied and subjected the Ircania area and reached the Kabul Valley in what is now Afghanistan.
31. Alexander captured the Persian king Darius III's killer, Bessus, on his way through Sogdiana.
32. Alexander entered India in 327 BC and conquered the Indus Valley.
33. Alexander defeated local kings and reached the farthest point any Western person had reached at that time.
34. Alexander began his return to the West, defeating all the peoples who came his way, in 324 BC.
35. Alexander settled in Babylon in 323 BC and began numerous works to fill the city with new and majestic monuments.
36. Alexander died on the night of June 10, 323 BC, at the age of 32, due to an unknown illness or possibly poisoning.
37. Alexander's death marked the beginning of the Hellenistic period in ancient Greece.
38. Alexander's generals divided his empire among themselves after his death.