Alexander The Great

Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon (Alexander the Great) was born in late July 356 B.C. in Pella, Macedonia. His parents were King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, an Epirote princess. His nurse, Lanike, raised Alexander. His first teacher was Leonidas, who was a very strict disciplinarian. His next tutor was Lysimachus who taught Alexander to play the lyre and gave him an appreciation of music, poetry and drama. At age 13 Aristotle from Athens became his personal tutor. Aristotle trained him in rhetoric and literature and gave him an interest in science, medicine and philosophy.

In 340 B.C.E. when Alexander was 16 years old his father, Philip, went to Byzantium to fight rebels, he was left in charge of Macedonia, to rule in Philips name. While his father was gone Maedi revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and captured the city.

After the murder of his father, Alexander ascended the throne. There was immediate trouble in the kingdom because the Greek cities were not sure if they wished to pledge their allegiance, as they had with his father, to a twenty year old boy.

Alexander was one of the greatest military geniuses in history. Alexander fought and conquered most of the world, as it was known.

Alexander died after twelve years of constant military campaigning on June 11, 323 B.C. in Nebuchadnazzar II of Babylon’s palace. He would have been 33 years old in one month. There were several theories as to the cause of his death including poisoning, malaria, typhoid fever, viral encephalitis or alcoholism.