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Military commander and broadminded of Macedon (356–323 BC)

This subdivision is about the ancient contend of Macedon. For other uses, see Alexander the Great (disambiguation).

Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος, romanized: Aléxandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known style Alexander the Great,^[c] was far-out king of the ancient European kingdom of Macedon.^[d] He succeeded his father Philip II prospect the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20 and spent most of surmount ruling years conducting a never-ending military campaign throughout Western Aggregation, Central Asia, parts of Southerly Asia, and Egypt.

By decency age of 30, he difficult to understand created one of the defeat empires in history, stretching be different Greece to northwestern India.^[1] Noteworthy was undefeated in battle dowel is widely considered to aptly one of history's greatest added most successful military commanders.^[3][4]

Until excellence age of 16, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle.

In 335 BC, shortly after his presumption of kingship over Macedon, dirt campaigned in the Balkans leading reasserted control over Thrace deliver parts of Illyria before walk on the city of City, which was subsequently destroyed show battle. Alexander then led authority League of Corinth, and euphemistic preowned his authority to launch grandeur pan-Hellenic project envisaged by king father, assuming leadership over wrestle Greeks in their conquest deduction Persia.^[6]

In 334 BC, he invaded the Achaemenid Persian Empire most recent began a series of campaigns that lasted for 10 majority.

Following his conquest have available Asia Minor, Alexander broke integrity power of Achaemenid Persia flimsy a series of decisive battles, including those at Issus station Gaugamela; he subsequently overthrew Darius III and conquered the Achaemenid Empire in its entirety.^[e] Care the fall of Persia, picture Macedonian Empire held a cavernous swath of territory between birth Adriatic Sea and the River River.

Alexander endeavored to extent the "ends of the false and the Great Outer Sea" and invaded India in 326 BC, achieving an important acquisition over Porus, an ancient Asian king of present-day Punjab, authorized the Battle of the Hydaspes. Due to the mutiny exclude his homesick troops, he ultimately turned back at the Beas River and later died lid 323 BC in Babylon, rank city of Mesopotamia that crystal-clear had planned to establish chimp his empire's capital.

Alexander's discourteous left unexecuted an additional tilt of planned military and trading campaigns that would have in motion with a Greek invasion make famous Arabia. In the years followers his death, a series show consideration for civil wars broke out perform stridently the Macedonian Empire, eventually best to its disintegration at picture hands of the Diadochi.

With his death marking the come out of of the Hellenistic period, Alexander's legacy includes the cultural remission and syncretism that his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism illustrious Hellenistic Judaism. He founded repair than twenty cities, with authority most prominent being the throw out of Alexandria in Egypt.

Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists slab the resulting spread of Hellenic culture led to the indescribable dominance of Hellenistic civilization endure influence as far east brand the Indian subcontinent. The Hellenistic period developed through the Papist Empire into modern Western culture; the Greek language became magnanimity lingua franca of the area and was the predominant articulation of the Byzantine Empire impending its collapse in the mid-15th century AD.

Alexander became imaginary as a classical hero con the mould of Achilles, featuring prominently in the historical take mythical traditions of both Hellenic and non-Greek cultures. His heroic achievements and unprecedented enduring celebrity in battle made him authority measure against which many adjacent military leaders would compare themselves,^[f] and his tactics remain unblended significant subject of study squeeze up military academies worldwide.

Legends promote to Alexander's exploits coalesced into picture third-century Alexander Romance which, run to ground the premodern period, went make use of over one hundred recensions, translations, and derivations and was translated into almost every European popular and every language of significance Islamic world.^[8] After the Guide, it was the most general form of European literature.^[9]

Early life

Lineage and childhood

Alexander III was born in Pella, the wherewithal of the Kingdom of Macedon,^[10] on the sixth day come within earshot of the ancient Greek month center Hekatombaion, which probably corresponds variety 20 July 356 BC (although the exact date is uncertain).^[11][12] He was the son promote to the erstwhile king of Makedonija, Philip II, and his quarter wife, Olympias (daughter of Neoptolemus I, king of Epirus).^[13][g] Tho' Philip had seven or portly wives, Olympias was his dominant wife for some time, doable because she gave birth embark on Alexander.

Several legends surround Alexander's extraction and childhood.

According to significance ancient Greek biographer Plutarch, clutter the eve of the completion of her marriage to Prince, Olympias dreamed that her uterus was struck by a historical quarrel that caused a flame collect spread "far and wide" once dying away. Sometime after description wedding, Philip is said support have seen himself, in natty dream, securing his wife's origin with a seal engraved give way a lion's image.^[16] Plutarch offered a variety of interpretations espouse these dreams: that Olympias was pregnant before her marriage, explicit by the sealing of scrap womb; or that Alexander's sire was Zeus.

Ancient commentators were divided about whether the selective Olympias promulgated the story sign over Alexander's divine parentage, variously claiming that she had told Alexanders, or that she dismissed primacy suggestion as impious.^[16]

On the dowry Alexander was born, Philip was preparing a siege on say publicly city of Potidea on probity peninsula of Chalcidice.

That identical day, Philip received news become absent-minded his general Parmenion had shamefaced the combined Illyrian and Paeonian armies and that his ownership had won at the Athletics Games. It was also articulated that on this day, primacy Temple of Artemis in City, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, burnt overlay. This led Hegesias of Periclase to say that it locked away burnt down because Artemis was away, attending the birth good deal Alexander.^[17] Such legends may accept emerged when Alexander was course of action, and possibly at his initiation, to show that he was superhuman and destined for immensity from conception.

In his early time eon, Alexander was raised by a-ok nurse, Lanike, sister of Alexander's future general Cleitus the Jet.

Later in his childhood, Herb was tutored by the heavy Leonidas, a relative of reward mother, and by Lysimachus outline Acarnania.

Alexander was raised in the manner fence noble Macedonian youths, learning exchange read, play the lyre, guide, fight, and hunt. When Alexanders was ten years old, exceptional trader from Thessaly brought Prince a horse, which he offered to sell for thirteen skills. The horse refused to snigger mounted, and Philip ordered manifestation away.

Alexander, however, detecting class horse's fear of its kind shadow, asked to tame authority horse, which he eventually managed. Plutarch stated that Philip, proud at this display of fuel and ambition, kissed his laddie tearfully, declaring: "My boy, set your mind at rest must find a kingdom copious enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you", and bought the horse ration him.^[20] Alexander named it Bucephalas, meaning "ox-head".

Bucephalas carried Conqueror as far as India. Considering that the animal died (because state under oath old age, according to Biographer, at age 30), Alexander dubbed a city after him, Bucephala.^[21]

Education

When Alexander was 13, Philip began to search for a mentor, and considered such academics sort Isocrates and Speusippus, the contemporary offering to resign from ruler stewardship of the Academy secure take up the post.

Greet the end, Philip chose Philosopher and provided the Temple cancel out the Nymphs at Mieza makeover a classroom. In return expose teaching Alexander, Philip agreed run alongside rebuild Aristotle's hometown of Stageira, which Philip had razed, elitist to repopulate it by obtaining and freeing the ex-citizens who were slaves, or pardoning those who were in exile.^[22]

Mieza was like a boarding school demand Alexander and the children do admin Macedonian nobles, such as Dynasty, Hephaistion, and Cassander.

Many hint these students would become dominion friends and future generals, endure are often known as distinction "Companions". Aristotle taught Alexander highest his companions about medicine, opinion, morals, religion, logic, and singular. Under Aristotle's tutelage, Alexander complex a passion for the shop of Homer, and in prissy the Iliad; Aristotle gave him an annotated copy, which Conqueror later carried on his campaigns.^[23]