Alexander The Great 356 B.C.E.----323 B.C.E.

• 48 years after the end of the Peloponnesian War, in 356 B.C.E., Alexander was born in Pella, Macedonia.

• Alexander’s father was King Philip of Macedonia and his mother was Olympia.

• As you know, Greece was tremendously weakened after the Peloponnesian War. Consequently, it was vulnerable to conquest. At Alexander’s birth, Philip was in the process of conquering Greece.

• Philip was quite a warrior as he conquered one city-state after another. All of his battles came with a physical price: he had a crooked back, a limp and only one eye.

• Although Philip was a warrior, he was not a complete barbarian. He recognized the value of a good education so he appointed Aristotle to be young Alexander’s tutor.

• It was also during Alexander’s youth that he acquired his famous horse, Bucephalus. As legend has it, no one could tame the wild horse but the twelve year old Alexander.

• As a young man, Alexander was included in his father’s army, particularly when Philip was off on a campaign. Eventually, he fought side by side with his father as they took over Greece. By the time of his father’s death in 336 B.C.E., the Macedonians controlled Greece.

• According to legend, once they had conquered the Greeks. Philip told Alexander that he would have to conquer new lands for himself because this kingdom would not be big enough for Alexander.

• Alexander took his father at his word and set out to conquer the world. To do this, Alexander set out to destroy the still mighty Persian Empire.

• For the next 8 years, Alexander set out to conquer the

world.

• Along the way, Alexander starting gettingweird.

• First, he stopped dressing like a Greek and began to

wear Persian clothing.

• Then, he began to act as if he were a god killing anyone who did not treat him as such.

• Worst of all, he began drinking heavily and frequently.

• After 8 years of conquest and travel, Alexander’s men demanded to return home.

• Alexander reluctantly agreed. His Great Expansion of his empire was over.

• Sort of…. Alexander agreed to return home but he insisted on taking a different route.

• Alexander finally returned to Babylon in 323 B.C.E. but immediately began to make plans for another excursion.

• But, after years of abusing his body through war and alcohol, Alexander got sick and died in 323 B.C.E. He was only 32 years old and had ruled for a short 13 years.

• His body was taken to Egypt and entombed in his city of Alexandria.