Callan alexander the great

Alexander the Great

By Callan and Mia Eason

Alexander III, later known as Alexander the Great, was born on July 20, 356 BC at Pella, the capital of Macedon, a kingdom north of Greece. Macedon, or Macedonia, had become the first real nation in European history under Alexander’s father, King Philip II. Philip was away a lot because of his many military campaigns, and Alexander didn’t like that he didn’t see his father. Because his father was never home, Alexander’s mother, Queen Olympia, raised Alexander and his sisters in the royal court. Olympia was a strong role model for her children.

Alexander was tutored by many different teachers in his childhood. Alexander’s first tutor was Leonidas. He taught Alexander math, archery, and horsemanship, and skills that he would need later in life, like resilience and physical stamina. While Alexander was at school he met some of his future generals and friends such as Ptolomy and Cassander. Alexander’s second tutor was Lysimachus. He taught Alexander using role playing, and it became clear that Alexander liked all things military when he pretended to be the great warrior Achilles.

Alexander believed that he was actually a son of Zeus, and that he was a demigod related to Achilles and Heracles, who he modeled his behavior after. When he was thirteen, his father hired the famous philosopher Aristotle, who taught Alexander drama, literature, poetry, and philosophy. Alexander loved Homer’s The Iliad, so Aristotle made a shorter version of the book for Alexander, which he would bring to his later military campaigns. In return for Aristotle tutoring Alexander, Philip restored Aristotle’s home town Stageira, setting many of its citizens free from slavery.

When Alexander was sixteen, he finished his education and became a soldier. His first campaign was against the Thracians, a group of Indo-European tribes that were allied with the Trojans, who had fought against Greece. In 339 BC, Alexander helped his father beat the Athenian and Theban army. After all of the Greek poleis were united except for Sparta, Alexander’s father banished Alexander and Olympia and married a woman named Cleopatra Eurydice. During the party after Alexander’s sister’s wedding, King Philip was murdered by a Macedonian noble. People suspect that Alexander and Olympia had arranged for Philip to be murdered, but there was no evidence. At the age of nineteen Alexander gained support from the military, and to insure that Alexander would be crowned the ruler, Olympia had the daughter of Philip and Cleopatra killed.

After Cleopatra heard of this she committed suicide.

Conquests in Order ▪ moved through Asia Minor ⬪ took over Syria defeated Persian army at Issus ▪ conquered Egypt and established Alexandria as the capital ⬪ then Babylonia and Persia ▪ moved through Persia and began preparing for campaign in India

In 334 bc during spring Alexander went across the narrow land between Europe and Asia Minor.

There were Greek and Macedonian soldiers with him, 30,000 foot soldiers, and more than 5,000 on horseback. In the late spring of 334 bc, he defeated many Persian cavalry, which were 4 times larger than the Greek cavalry. He then headed south, freeing Greek cities from Persia, making them his allies. In October 333 bc, an army and force led by King Darius III of Persia fought in Issus (southern turkey) Alexander charged, and King Darius fled.

Next, he moved south along Phonecia to cut off the Persian army.

On an island, the people from a place called Tyre lasted 7 months until Alex built a causeway and destroyed it.

In late 332 bc, Alexander reached Egypt. The Egyptians accepted him as Pharaoh. He founded a city called Alexandria after himself.

He was thought of as the king of the Gods, and the son of Egyptian god Amon.

Alexander left Egypt spring of 331 bc. He looked for King Darius. Darius gathered all of his military strength.

Alexander attacked and won in October 331 bc. His military used the long pike, a Macedonian weapon. His army consisted of geographers, botanists, and other men of science. This moment was recorded by historians and surveyors. Finally, Greece was all back together. Alexander then got ready to invade Persia, fulfilling his father’s wish. Two centuries before Persia had expanded westward to include one third of Greece, on Asia Minor during the Persian War, and he had gotten it all back. But, his troops didn't like adoption of Persian dress and manners. He ended up dropping them, but he still considered himself a Persian king, not Macedonian.

After the battle, Alexander was made the king of Asia. All of Asia opened itself up to the conqueror. Persia also fell into Alexander’s hands. With his new power, he burned down the palace of Xerxes, a Persian king who had invaded Greece more than a century before. He prepared to pursue Darius in midsummer, 330 bc. But, Darius was found dying, murdered by one of his attendants.

Alexander reached India in summer of 327 bc, and defeated the army of Prince Porus a year later The Prince's Soldiers had been mounted on elephants. By now, his troops had marched 11,000 miles. They refused to go any further. He turned back, then sailed down Indus River to its mouth. He led his army across the desert. Many died of hunger or thirst. In the spring of 324 bc he reached Susa where he rested with the army. A year later they went to Babylon. He became sick with fever. Alexander couldn't recover, he was too weak. He died at Babylon on June 13, 323 bc at age 32. Alexander the Great’s body was encased in gold leaf and placed in a tomb at Alexandria, Egypt. People suspect poison, but he may have died from malaria. A few months later Alexander’s wife gave birth to his son. His empire was divided between his most trusted generals, but it eventually collapsed.The Hellenistic Age began when he died, and lasted three centuries. As a result of his conquests, Greek language and culture spread throughout eastern Mediterranean world during this time. Greece and the Orient thrived because of the accomplishments of Alexander and his empire.