Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Born 356 B.C.,
Pella, Macedonia
Died June 1, 313 B.C.,
Babylon. present-day Iraq

Alexander of Macedonia, better known as Alexander the Great, was one of the greatest military leaders of all time and one of the most charismatic figures in ancient history. He is credited with spreading Hellenism, or classical Greek ideals and values, throughout the civilized world. As a result of his conquests, he ruled over an immense empire, spanning more than 3,000 miles from the Balkan Peninsula to the Indus River (in present-day Pakistan). He died at the age of 33.

Conquests under his father’s reign

Alexander was born in Pella, Macedonia, in 356 B.C. to the Macedonian king Philip II and his first wife, Olympias. Olympias had a strong influence on Alexander by introducing him to mysticism and art. Another important influence was Alexander’s tutor, the Athenian philosopher Aristotle, who gave him a classical education.

Macedonia (or Macedon) was an ancient kingdom lying near the Aegean Sea on the Balkan Peninsula. Under Philip II the kingdom expanded to include the neighboring Greek city-states of Thrace, Chalcidice, Thessaly, and Epirus. By 338 B.C., with the battle of Chaeronea, Philip II had either conquered all the Greek city-states or forced them into an alliance.

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