What made Alexander ‘the Great’?

When Alexander was young, he showed great talent and intelligence. His father, Philip, saw this and made sure Alexander got an excellent education.

One of his teachers was the famous philosopher Aristotle, who taught him philosophy, science, and the arts.

Thanks to Aristotle, Alexander grew to love Greek culture, which motivated him to spread Greek ideas as he expanded his empire. 

Alexander's mother, Olympias, also influenced him a lot. She told him that he was descended from the hero Achilles and the god Zeus.

This belief made Alexander feel that he had a special destiny to fulfill. 

In 336 BCE, Alexander's father was assassinated. Alexander became king at only 20 years old.

Immediately, he took control to stop revolts in Greece. He destroyed the city of Thebes to warn other Greek states not to rebel. 

Soon after his accession to king, Alexander decided to continue his father's plan to conquer the mighty Persian Empire, which was the most powerful kingdom at the time.

This mission would become his life's goal. 

Alexander started his conquest in 334 BCE. He crossed from Greece and into Asia Minor, which was the western most region of Persia.

His first big battle was at the Granicus River, where he defeated the Persian forces and opened the way into Asia Minor.

In 333 BCE, he faced King Darius III of Persia at the Battle of Issus. Even though Alexander's forces were outnumbered, he won the battle thanks the powerful Macedonian phalanx.

However, Darius escaped. 

The following year, Alexander attacked the island city of Tyre, which took him seven months to capture.

After finally capturing it, he marched south and entered Egypt, where the people welcomed him as a hero who freed them from Persian rule.

While in Egypt, Alexander founded the brand-new city of Alexandria, named after himself, which became a major center of learning and culture. 

In 331 BCE, Alexander faced Darius III again at the Battle of Gaugamela, near present-day Mosul in Iraq.

Again, he won even though the Persian army was much larger. Once more, Darius fled but this time, he was killed by his own men.

As a result, Alexander became the ruler of Persia. 

After conquering Persia, Alexander wanted to push even farther east. In 327 BCE, he crossed the Hindu Kush mountains and entered India.

His most famous battle there was the Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BCE against King Porus.

The Indian army used war elephants, but Alexander outsmarted his enemy to still achieve victory.

At the end of the battle, Alexander was so impressed by King Porus's bravery that he let him continue to rule his kingdom, but under Alexander’s control. 

Eventually, Alexander's army became tired of constant warfare and refused to go farther east.

Faced with their refusal at the Hyphasis River, Alexander decided to turn back and start the journey home. 

On the way back to Babylon, Alexander faced many challenges, including crossing the harsh Gedrosian Desert, where many of his soldiers died.

In 323 BCE, Alexander reached Babylon, where he started planning new conquests, but in June of that year, he fell ill and died at the age of 32.

Historians are still unsure about the cause of his death, with theories ranging from poisoning to illness. 

After Alexander's death, his empire, which stretched from Greece to India, was divided among his generals, called the Diadochi.

This division led to the creation of several new kingdoms. 

Alexander the Great spread Greek culture, philosophy, and science across his vast empire, which ultimately influenced the development of the Roman Empire and Western civilization.

His idea of a unified empire encouraged trade, cultural exchange, and the blending of traditions between East and West. 

Alexander's military fame also inspired future leaders like Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte.