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Alexander the Great -356 - -323 (33)

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Alexander III of Macedonia or Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, leader of the Greek Alliance against the Persian Empire was one of the greatest generals of all time, managing at the age of 33 to conquer the biggest part of the known world. He was born in the capital of Macedonia Pella in 356 BC, his father was King Phillip II and his mother Olympiada daughter of King Neoptolemus of Epirus. Alexander has the best teachers of his era, including the Epirus Leonidas for a Spartan education and Aristotle who taught him the Homeric epics, the art of politics and science. He was 16 years old when his father entrusted him the leadership in the campaign against the Thracians, Alexander emerged victorious and founded the first military colony which he called Alexandroupolis. After two years Alexander had a very important contribution to the victory at Chaeronea over the Thebans and at 20, after the assassination of his father, the army, knowing his abilities, proclaimed him king of Macedonia. Alexander secured the throne by defeating all internal enemies and after a number of successive battles he united all the Greek cities, except the Spartans, he was recognized as ruler of the Greeks.

In 334 BC he began with 37,000 men (32,000 pedestrians and 5,000 cavalry ) his campaign in Asia. Within 10 years he overthrew the Persians and created a vast empire that stretched from the Adriatic to the Indian Caucasus and the Indus River. Apart from his conquests, Alexander promoted Greek culture by founding 70 cities including 16 with his name. He opened a channel of communication between East and Europe and his works was preserved for centuries. He built roads, bridges, ports, cities, organized the administration of vast areas, he stimulated the religious sentiment for taming people’s wild morals. Because of him, it was developed and shined for centuries the culture of Alexandrian year, based on the Greek spirit and Greek language. In the spring of 323 BC in Babylon, at the age of 33, the great Greek commander will let his last breath after many days of high fever. He was either poisoned or had malaria. Two days before dying he was asked to whom does he leave his kingdom and he answered “to the strongest”, a reply that did not clear the situation at all. A war began among his generals for succession, in the end the vast empire was divided in small states. A victim of those conflicts that lasted years, was his own son who was murdered at 12. Alexander was married three times and after his death became a mythical figure in the entire world. The Persians imagined him as the son of Darius, and in Egypt they said he was the son of Nektanevo, the last king of Egypt. Alexander in persian was called Siakanter and in arabic Iskandar and he was given the nickname "bicornuate" because of his appearance on coins as the son of Ammon.