This chapter is about the great Alexander the Great. In the following sections we will explain to you who Alexander the Great was, what he did in his life and how he became so well known.
This topic is part of the subject «History» and is a subtopic of the subject area Antiquity.
TO MEMORY: At the end of this summary you will find «The most important things at a glance!» on Alexander the Great. Everything you need to know on one sheet!
Bust of Alexander the GreatPhotographer: Andrew Dunn (3.12.2004)License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.de
Who was Alexander the Great? – the basics first!
- Alexander the Great was Greek and also the king of Macedonia.
- Macedonia was the largest empire in ancient times.
- Alexander the Great ushered in the age of «Hellenism» which lasted until the first century BC.
- Hellenism is the epoch of ancient Greek history. This began when Alexander the Great came to power.
The following graphic shows what remains of Macedonia today:
Alexander the Great – Origin
Alexander the Great was born on July 20, 356 BC in Pella, the capital of Macedonia. He died on June 10, 323 BC. His parents were King Philip II and Queen Olympia. So Alexander the Great came from a very influential family.
He was destined for his later role as ruler of Macedonia. Unfortunately, not too much is known about his childhood. Alexander the Great was more or less forced by his powerful father to take part in his campaigns and later to take over his role.
Alexander the Great – Academic Career
Alexander the Great had none other than Aristotle himself as his teacher. He taught him, among other things, mathematics, philosophy and art. So, in addition to his military training, he was also a very educated man.
The Role of Macedonia in the Life of Alexander the Great
Initially, Macedonia was a very insignificant kingdom. Philip II introduced his son Alexander the Great to political society and events at an early age.
With Philip II in power, the Macedonians gradually conquered all the Greek city-states. Only Sparta was not conquered. The union was called the «Corinthian League».
Alexander’s way to power
Philip II was assassinated in 336 BC. At the proud age of 20, Alexander the Great had to follow in his footsteps and was crowned king. With the change of power, the peoples in today’s Balkans and Greece tried to throw off Macedonian rule. Alexander managed to put down all the revolts.
The death of Alexander
In February 323 BC BC Alexander returned to Babylon. Here he planned the capture of the Arabian Peninsula and other campaigns. Shortly before the planned departure of the army, Alexander announced that his dead friend Hephaestion was to be worshiped as a demigod from then on. For the occasion, he held celebrations at which he indulged in excessive drinking, as always. He contracted a fever and eventually died on June 10th.
There were several theories as to the cause of death. One was that Alexander contracted West Nile fever. Alcohol poisoning could also have been possible. According to a tradition widespread in antiquity, however, he was poisoned.
Most likely, however, his body was only weakened by many battle injuries and excessive wine consumption. At the time, doctors believed in the cleansing effect of induced diarrhea and vomiting. They often administered the poisonous White Germer in small doses.
Alexander’s reported symptoms are typical of poisoning by White Germer. The physical condition was probably greatly worsened by the frequent intake, which contributed to the death.
Alexander’s body is said to have been placed in honey for preservation. Contrary to the deceased’s wish to be buried in the ammonium of Siwa, he was buried in Alexandria.
Alexander’s tomb
Alexander had requested burial in the Ammon Shrine of Siwa Oasis. However, his body was taken to Memphis and initially buried there. He was later moved to Alexandria after a magnificent tomb was built there.
Visits to the tomb were attested for Julius Caesar and Augustus. In late antiquity, however, knowledge of the location of the resting place was lost. All localization attempts so far have been unsuccessful.
Alexander’s wives
Barsine was the first woman to live with Alexander. Nothing is known of a marriage. She was the wife of Memnon, one of Alexander’s most dangerous enemies. When conquering the country, she fell into the hands of Alexander. She became his mistress and bore him a son named Heracles. However, both were murdered by the new Macedonian king Cassander after Alexander’s death.
Alexander’s first official wife was Roxane, daughter of the Sogdian king. She will also later remain Alexander’s main wife. Roxane went with him to India and from there back to Babylon. On the train she gave birth to a child, who died after birth. When they reached Babylon, she was pregnant again. There Alexander died and a dispute broke out over his successor.
During this time, Roxane gave birth to a son, whom she named «Alexander». Later she becomes a murderer in order to secure her son’s rule. She killed one of Alexander’s two other wives. In order to protect her son’s claim to the throne in Alexander’s homeland, she moves to Macedonia. There she and Alexander are also killed by King Cassander.
The Campaigns of Alexander the Great
The Persian Empire
Between the years 343 BC and 330 BC, Alexander and his troops wanted to conquer what was then the largest and most powerful empire in the world: the Persian Empire. Alexander was commissioned by the Corinthian League to wage war against the very powerful Persian Empire. He managed to liberate the whole of Asia Minor from Persia’s rule.
The Persian king Darius was defeated when they first met, but managed to escape. Alexander gave chase. 330 BC BC Darius was taken hostage by a relative and killed. The «Panhellenic revenge campaign» was officially over. Alexander’s goal was now to completely conquer the Persian Empire. Until 326 BC BC Alexander the Great had completely conquered the Persian Empire.
The Indian Campaign
Without military necessity and most likely on his own initiative, Alexander decided to expand his empire to the east. 326 BC he began conquering India. The India of Alexander’s time also included today’s Pakistan and consisted of many small states.
By June, with great difficulty, the troops managed to advance through the heavily forested country. They defeated, among others, Poros, king of Pauravas. At present-day Beas, the demoralized army refused to advance and mutinied. Alexander was forced to turn back.
Egypt
Alexander the Great then conquered Egypt. He built the city of Alexandria, which still exists today. As you can easily see, Alexander the Great immortalized himself in the name of the city. The city quickly became, alongside Rome, the largest city in antiquity and was very important economically and for many scientists.
The further course
The Macedonian Empire was now very large, but that was not enough for Alexander the Great. He always wanted more, which became his undoing. He also wanted to conquer states like India or Arabia. However, his army was very weak, since they had to fight for the Macedonian kingdom for several years in all weather conditions and had already traveled many kilometers. Because of this, Alexander the Great could no longer conquer these states. Shortly thereafter he died on June 10, 323 BC. To this day, the exact circumstances of death are unclear.
The most important facts about Alexander the Great at a glance!
- Alexander the Great was born on July 20, 356 BC and died unexpectedly on June 10, 323 BC.
- Alexander’s father was the Macedonian King Philip II.
- Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia at the age of 20 after the death of his father.
- Alexander the Great conquered many city-states in his campaigns and made Macedonia one of the most important kingdoms in history.
Did you know already?
Many Greeks believed that Alexander the Great descended from the Greek gods.
Apparently, Alexander the Great even believed himself to be a son of Zeus, the god of war.
His life was embellished accordingly and it is not known today exactly what is true of the traditions about his person.