Alexander the Great

Alexander III of Macedon was born in Pella in July 356 BC and died in June 323 BC. He is commonly known as Alexander the Great and was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. A member of the Argead dynasty, he succeeded his father King Philip II to the throne at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia and Northeastern Africa. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history’s greatest and most successful military commanders.

He was tutored by Aristotle until the age of 16 and was awarded the generalship of Greece after sacking the city of Thebes. In 334 BC he invaded the Persian (Achmaenid) Empire. His subsequent campaigns lasted 10 years and following the conquest of modern day Turkey, Asia Minor, he overthrew the Persian ruler King Darius II. His empire now stretched from the Adriatic sea to the Indus River. Wanting to reach the ends of the world, he invaded India. However, he turned back at the Beas River after his troops wanted to return home. He died in Babylon in 323 BC leaving behind a legacy that includes cultural synergy, over 20 cities named after him and a Hellenistic civilisation that developed into the Roman Empire.