Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, ascended the throne at just 20 years old. Trained by Aristotle, tutored in war by his father, and blessed with near-mythic charisma, he quickly secured his position by eliminating rivals and crushing rebellions.
In 334 BCE, he launched the campaign his father had envisioned: the invasion of the Persian Empire. Over the next decade, Alexander led one of the most astonishing military campaigns in history, conquering Asia Minor, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and pushing as far as the Indus Valley.
Key Battles:
Battle of Granicus (334 BCE): Alexander’s first major victory in Asia Minor.
Battle of Issus (333 BCE): Defeated Darius III, the Persian king, despite being outnumbered.
Battle of Gaugamela (331 BCE): A masterclass in battlefield strategy, leading to the collapse of the Persian Empire.
Legacy and Cultural Impact:
Hellenization: Alexander's conquests spread Greek language, art, and political ideals throughout the known world, from Egypt to India. This fusion of cultures gave rise to the Hellenistic Era, a period of unprecedented cultural exchange.
Founding of Cities: He established more than 20 cities, most famously Alexandria in Egypt, which became a center of learning and culture for centuries.
Mythologization: Alexander became a legend in his own lifetime—seen as both a liberator and a god-king. His death in 323 BCE at the age of 32 left a vast empire with no clear successor, leading to the Wars of the Diadochi.
Though his empire fragmented quickly, the world had been permanently reshaped. The Greek world, once a patchwork of quarrelsome city-states, had become the cultural foundation of a new, interconnected age.
