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Alexander the Great

Basileus of Macedon, Hegemon of the Hellenic League, Shahanshah of Persia, Pharaoh of Egypt, Lord of Asia

3rd century BC statue of Alexander in Istanbul Archaeology Museum

King of Macedon

Reign

336–323 BC

Predecessor

Philip II

Successor

Hegemon of Hellenic League
Strategos autokrator against Achaemenid Empire

Reign

336 BC

Predecessor

Philip II

Pharaoh of Egypt

Reign

332–323 BC

Predecessor

Darius III

Successor

Alexander IV
Philip III

King of Persia

Reign

330–323 BC

Predecessor

Darius III

Successor

Alexander IV
Philip III

Lord of Asia

Reign

331–323 BC

Predecessor

New office

Successor

Alexander IV
Philip III

Born

July 20 or 21, 356 BC
Pella, Macedon, Ancient Greece

Died

June 10 or 11, 323 BC (aged 32)
Babylon

Spouse

Roxana of Bactria
Stateira II of Persia
Parysatis II of Persia

Issue

Alexander IV

Full name
Alexander III of Macedon

Dynasty

Argead

Father

Philip II of Macedon

Mother

Olympias of Epirus

Religion

Greek polytheism

Alexander III of Macedon (born July 20 or 21, 356 BC – died June 10 or 11, 323 BC), known as Alexander the Great, was a powerful king. He ruled the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He was part of the Argead dynasty, a famous royal family.

Alexander was a very smart and brave warrior. He started many military campaigns and conquered huge parts of Asia and northeast Africa. By the time he was thirty, he had built one of the biggest empires in the ancient world. It stretched all the way from Greece to northwestern India. He was never defeated in battle. Many people consider him one of the most successful military leaders ever.

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Early Life of Alexander

Alexander was born in a city called Pella in 356 BC. His father was Philip II, the king. A very famous thinker, Aristotle, was Alexander's teacher until he was 16 years old. When his father, King Philip, was killed in 336 BC, Alexander became king. He was only 20 years old. He took over a strong kingdom and a very experienced army.

Alexander's Military Adventures

Alexander was chosen as the main general for all of Greece. He used this power to continue his father's plan: to lead the Greeks in conquering Persia. In 334 BC, he attacked the Achaemenid Empire (which was the Persian Empire). This started a series of wars that lasted for 10 years.

He defeated the Persian King Darius III and took over the entire Persian Empire. At this point, his empire reached from the Adriatic Sea to the Beas River in India.

Later Plans and His Death

Alexander wanted to explore the "ends of the world." He invaded India in 326 BC. However, his soldiers missed their homes, so he eventually turned back. He had more plans, like invading Arabia, but he couldn't finish them.

He died in Babylon in 323 BC. This was the city he wanted to make his capital. People have different ideas about how he died. Some say it was poison, others say he was murdered, or that he got a fever after a battle. He was only 32 years old. Alexander's body was placed in a special gold coffin filled with honey. This coffin was then put inside another gold box.

Alexander had big plans for his empire. He wanted to expand it into the southern and western Mediterranean. He also wanted to build amazing structures and mix people from the East and West. His plans included:

Building a huge tomb for his father, Philip. It was meant to be as grand as the pyramids of Egypt.
Constructing large temples in important Greek cities like Delos and Delphi. He also planned a huge temple for Athena at Troy.
Conquering Arabia and the whole Mediterranean area.
Sailing all the way around Africa.
Developing new cities and encouraging people from Asia and Europe to marry. This was to bring everyone together.

Because Alexander conquered so many different lands, he was known by various names. These names were used in stories passed down through generations:

In Europe, he is known as Alexander the Great.
In Central Asia, he is called Iskander.
In the Arab world and parts of India, he is known as Sikandar.
In some parts of India, he is called Alakshendra.

After Alexander died, his huge empire broke apart. There were many civil wars. His generals, called the Diadochi, fought over control. They created their own kingdoms. The largest one that survived was the Seleucid Empire.

Alexander's Lasting Impact

Alexander conquered many lands. Because of this, his Greek-speaking followers spread the Greek language and culture. This happened across the eastern Mediterranean and into Mesopotamia. He founded about twenty cities that were named after him. The most famous one is Alexandria in Egypt.

Bust of Alexander the Great in Saint-Petersburg

Recently, a very large tomb was found in northern Greece, at Amphipolis. It dates back to Alexander's time. Some people think it might have been built for Alexander himself.

Many famous Roman leaders visited Alexander's tomb in Alexandria. These included Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Augustus. It is said that Augustus accidentally knocked off the nose of Alexander's statue. Emperor Caligula supposedly took Alexander's breastplate from the tomb to wear it himself. Around 200 AD, Emperor Septimius Severus closed Alexander's tomb to the public.

Alexander became a legendary hero, much like Achilles. He is well-known in both Greek and non-Greek stories and history. Many military leaders have compared themselves to him. Even today, military academies around the world still teach his battle strategies. He is often seen as one of the most important people in history.

Alexander the Great Quotes

"Remember upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all."
"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."
"There is nothing impossible to him who will try."
"Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting, but the love gained by kindness and moderation is certain and durable."
“My treasure lies in my friends.”

Cool Facts About Alexander the Great

His first big battle against the Persians was at the Granicus river. This happened in May 334 BC.
He crossed the Hindu Kush mountains into ancient India in 327 BC. This was the toughest part of his campaigns.
In India, Alexander's lung was hurt by an arrow.
In many of his most important and decisive victories, Alexander's army was much smaller than his enemy's.
Cleitus the Black saved Alexander's life. He cut off a Persian soldier’s arm just before the Persian could kill Alexander with his scimitar.
Alexander’s empire stretched from Greece to Egypt in the south. It went as far as modern-day Pakistan in the east.
Alexander wanted to bring his Greek and Persian subjects together.

Images for kids

Roman medallion depicting Olympias, Alexander's mother
Archaeological Site of Pella, Greece, Alexander's birthplace
A Hellenistic bust of a young Alexander the Great, possibly from Ptolemaic Egypt, 2nd-1st century BC, now in the British Museum
Philip II of Macedon, Alexander's father
Battle plan from the Battle of Chaeronea
The Macedonian phalanx at the "Battle of the Carts" against the Thracians in 335 BC
Map of Alexander's empire and his route
Gérard Audran after Charles LeBrun, 'Alexander Entering Babylon,' original print first published 1675, engraving, Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC.
Alexander Cuts the Gordian Knot (1767) by Jean-Simon Berthélemy
Name of Alexander the Great in Egyptian hieroglyphs (written from right to left), c. 332 BC, Egypt. Louvre Museum.
Site of the Persian Gate in modern-day Iran; the road was built in the 1990s.
Administrative document from Bactria dated to the seventh year of Alexander's reign (324 BC), bearing the first known use of the "Alexandros" form of his name, Khalili Collection of Aramaic Documents
Silver tetradrachm of Alexander the Great found in Byblos (ca 330-300 bc.) (BnF 1998–859; 17,33g; Byblos, Price 3426b)
Alexander's invasion of the Indian subcontinent
Porus surrenders to Alexander
Asia in 323 BC, the Nanda Empire and the Gangaridai of the Indian subcontinent, in relation to Alexander's Empire and neighbours
Alexander (left) and Hephaestion (right): Both were connected by a tight man-to-man friendship
Alexander at the Tomb of Cyrus the Great, by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes (1796)
A Babylonian astronomical diary (c. 323–322 BC) recording the death of Alexander (British Museum, London)
19th-century depiction of Alexander's funeral procession, based on the description by Diodorus Siculus
Detail of Alexander on the Alexander Sarcophagus
Kingdoms of the Diadochi in 301 BC: the Ptolemaic Kingdom (dark blue), the Seleucid Empire (yellow), Kingdom of Pergamon (orange), and Kingdom of Macedon (green). Also shown are the Roman Republic (light blue), the Carthaginian Republic (purple), and the Kingdom of Epirus (red).
A coin of Alexander the Great struck by Balakros or his successor Menes, both former somatophylakes (bodyguards) of Alexander, when they held the position of satrap of Cilicia in the lifetime of Alexander, c. 333-327 BC. The obverse shows Heracles, ancestor of the Macedonian royal line and the reverse shows a seated Zeus Aëtophoros.
The Battle of the Granicus, 334 BC
The Battle of Issus, 333 BC
Alexander Cameo by Pyrgoteles
Alexander portrayal by Lysippos
A fresco depicting a hunt scene at the tomb of Philip II, Alexander's father, at the Archaeological Site of Aigai, the only known depiction of Alexander made during his lifetime, 330s BC
A Roman copy of an original 3rd century BC Greek bust depicting Alexander the Great, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen
The Hellenistic world view: world map of Eratosthenes (276–194 BC), using information from the campaigns of Alexander and his successors
Dedication of Alexander the Great to Athena Polias at Priene, now housed in the British Museum
Alexander's empire was the largest state of its time, covering approximately 5.2 million square km.
The Buddha, in Greco-Buddhist style, 1st to 2nd century AD, Gandhara, northern Pakistan. Tokyo National Museum.
This medallion was produced in Imperial Rome, demonstrating the influence of Alexander's memory. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.
Alexander in a 14th-century Armenian manuscript
Alexander in a 14th-century Byzantine manuscript
Alexander conquering the air. Jean Wauquelin, Les faits et conquêtes d'Alexandre le Grand, 1448–1449
Folio from the Shahnameh showing Alexander praying at the Kaaba, mid-16th century