- Wikipedia

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This article is about the ancient king of Macedon. For other uses, see Alexander the Great (disambiguation).

\n\n\n\n

Alexander the Great

Basileus

Alexander in the Alexander Mosaic

King of Macedon

Reign

October 336 \u2013 June 323 BC

Predecessor

Philip II

Successor

Alexander IV
Philip III

Hegemon of the Hellenic League

Reign

336\u2013323 BC

Predecessor

Philip II

Successor

Demetrius I of Macedon

Pharaoh of Egypt

Reign

332\u2013323 BC

Predecessor

Darius III

Successor

Alexander IV
Philip III

Royal titulary

Horus name

\n\n

mk-kmt
Mekemet
Protector of Egypt

\n\n \n \n

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"G5\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"S\"$

$\"HqA\"$

$\"q\"$
$\"n\"$
$\"nw\"$

$\"D40\"$

$\"\"$

Second Horus name:

\u1e25\u1e33\ua723-\u1e33nj tkn-\u1e2b\ua723swt
Heqaqeni tekenkhasut
The brave ruler who has attacked foreign lands

\n\n \n \n

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"G5\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"HqA\"$

$\"q\"$
$\"n\"$
$\"nw\"$
$\"D40\"$

$\"t\"$
$\"k\"$
$\"n\"$
$\"D54\"$

$\"N25\"$
$\"N25\"$
$\"N25\"$

$\"\"$

Third Horus name:

\u1e25\u1e33\ua723 \u1e25\u1e33\ua723w nw t\ua723 (r) \u1e0fr-f
Heqa heqau nu ta (er) djeref
The ruler of the rulers of the entire land

\n\n \n \n

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"G5\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"HqA\"$

$\"q\"$

$\"HqA\"$

$\"q\"$

$\"N33\"$

$\"nw\"$

$\"N33\"$

$\"N17\"$
$\"N34\"$

$\"r\"$
$\"f\"$

$\"\"$

Fourth Horus name:

\u1e6fm\ua723-\ua725
Tjema'a
The sturdy-armed one

\n\n \n \n

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"G5\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"T\"$
$\"mA\"$

$\"a\"$

$\"\"$

Nebty name

\n\n

m\ua723j wr-p\u1e25ty j\u1e6f \u1e0fww t\ua723w \u1e2b\ua723swt
Mai werpehty itj dju tau khasut
The lion, great of might, who takes possession of mountains, lands, and deserts

\n\n \n \n

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"G16\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n

$\"E23\"$

$\"wr\"$
$\"r\"$

$\"F9\"$
$\"F9\"$

$\"V15\"$

$\"N25\"$
$\"N25\"$
$\"N33\"$

$\"N17\"$
$\"N17\"$
$\"N33\"$

$\"N25\"$
$\"N25\"$
$\"N33\"$

Golden Horus

\n\n

k\ua723 (n\u1e2bt) \u1e2bwj b\ua723\u1e33(t) \u1e25\u1e33\ua723 w\ua723\u1e0f(-wr) \u0161nw n jtn
Ka (nakht) khui baq(et) heqa wadj(wer) shenu en Aten
The (strong) bull who protects Egypt, the ruler of the sea and of what the sun encircles

\n\n \n \n

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"G8\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n

$\"E1\"$
$\"n\"$

$\"i\"$

$\"w\"$ $\"x\"$

$\"D40\"$

$\"q\"$
$\"t\"$

$\"b\"$

$\"D10\"$

$\"HqA\"$

$\"M14\"$

$\"N35A\"$

$\"V9\"$
$\"Z1\"$

$\"i\"$

$\"t\"$
$\"n\"$
$\"HASH\"$

Prenomen (Praenomen)

\n\n

stp.n-r\ua725 mrj-jmn
Setepenre meryamun
Chosen by Ra, beloved by Amun
\n\n \n \n \n \n

$\"M23\"$ $\"L2\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n
$\"\"$ \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"C2\"$ $\"C12\"$ $\"stp\"$
$\"n\"$
$\"N36\"$

\n $\"\"$
\n
\n\n \n \n \n \n

$\"M23\"$ $\"L2\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n
$\"\"$ \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"mr\"$ $\"C12\"$ $\"C2\"$ $\"stp\"$
$\"n\"$

\n $\"\"$
\n

Nomen

\n\n

\ua723rwksjndrs
Aluksindres
Alexandros

\n\n \n \n \n \n

$\"G39\"$

$\"N5\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"\"$

\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n

$\"A\"$

$\"rw\"$
$\"k\"$
$\"z\"$

$\"i\"$

$\"n\"$
$\"d\"$
$\"r\"$
$\"z\"$

$\"\"$

King of Persia

Reign

330\u2013323 BC

Predecessor

Darius III

Successor

Alexander IV
Philip III

Born

20 or 21 July 356 BC
Pella, Macedon

Died

10 or 11 June 323 BC (aged 32)
Babylon, Macedon

Spouse

Issue

3, including

Alexander IV
Heracles^[a]

Greek

\u1f08\u03bb\u03ad\u03be\u03b1\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2^[b]

Father

Mother

Religion

Ancient Greek religion

Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek: \u1f08\u03bb\u03ad\u03be\u03b1\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2, romanized: Al\u00e9xandros; 20/21 July 356 BC \u2013 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great,^[c] was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.^[d] He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20 and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia, Central Asia, parts of South Asia, and Egypt. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.^[1] He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders.^[2]^[3]^[4]\n

Until the age of 16, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle. In 335 BC, shortly after his assumption of kingship over Macedon, he campaigned in the Balkans and reasserted control over Thrace and parts of Illyria before marching on the city of Thebes, which was subsequently destroyed in battle. Alexander then led the League of Corinth, and used his authority to launch the pan-Hellenic project envisaged by his father, assuming leadership over all Greeks in their conquest of Persia.^[5]^[6]\n

In 334 BC, he invaded the Achaemenid Persian Empire and began a series of campaigns that lasted for 10 years. Following his conquest of Asia Minor, Alexander broke the power of Achaemenid Persia in a series of decisive battles, including those at Issus and Gaugamela; he subsequently overthrew Darius III and conquered the Achaemenid Empire in its entirety.^[e] After the fall of Persia, the Macedonian Empire held a vast swath of territory between the Adriatic Sea and the Indus River. Alexander endeavored to reach the \"ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea\" and invaded India in 326 BC, achieving an important victory over Porus, an ancient Indian king of present-day Punjab, at the Battle of the Hydaspes. Due to the mutiny of his homesick troops, he eventually turned back at the Beas River and later died in 323 BC in Babylon, the city of Mesopotamia that he had planned to establish as his empire's capital. Alexander's death left unexecuted an additional series of planned military and mercantile campaigns that would have begun with a Greek invasion of Arabia. In the years following his death, a series of civil wars broke out across the Macedonian Empire, eventually leading to its disintegration at the hands of the Diadochi.\n

With his death marking the start of the Hellenistic period, Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion and syncretism that his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism and Hellenistic Judaism. He founded more than twenty cities, with the most prominent being the city of Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture led to the overwhelming dominance of Hellenistic civilization and influence as far east as the Indian subcontinent. The Hellenistic period developed through the Roman Empire into modern Western culture; the Greek language became the lingua franca of the region and was the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire until its collapse in the mid-15th century AD.\n

Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mould of Achilles, featuring prominently in the historical and mythical traditions of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. His military achievements and unprecedented enduring successes in battle made him the measure against which many later military leaders would compare themselves,^[f] and his tactics remain a significant subject of study in military academies worldwide.^[7] Legends of Alexander's exploits coalesced into the third-century Alexander Romance which, in the premodern period, went through over one hundred recensions, translations, and derivations and was translated into almost every European vernacular and every language of the Islamic world.^[8] After the Bible, it was the most popular form of European literature.^[9]\n

Outcome\n	Date\n	War\n	Action\n	Opponent/s\n	Type\n	Country (present day)\n	Rank\n
Victory\n	338-08-02 2 August 338 BC\n	Philip II's submission of Greece\n	Chaeronea Battle of Chaeronea\n	.Thebans, Athenians and other Greek cities\n	Battle\n	Greece\n	Prince\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	335 335 BC\n	Balkan Campaign\n	Mount Haemus Battle of Mount Haemus\n	.Getae, Thracians\n	Battle\n	Bulgaria\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	335-12 December 335 BC\n	Balkan Campaign\n	Pelium Siege of Pelium\n	.Illyrians\n	Siege\n	Albania\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	335-12 December 335 BC\n	Balkan Campaign\n	Pelium Battle of Thebes\n	.Thebans\n	Battle\n	Greece\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	334-05 May 334 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Granicus Battle of the Granicus\n	.Achaemenid Empire\n	Battle\n	Turkey\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	334 334 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Miletus Siege of Miletus\n	.Achaemenid Empire, Milesians\n	Siege\n	Turkey\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	334 334 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Halicarnassus Siege of Halicarnassus\n	.Achaemenid Empire\n	Siege\n	Turkey\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	333-11-05 5 November 333 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Issus Battle of Issus\n	.Achaemenid Empire\n	Battle\n	Turkey\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	332 January\u2013July 332 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Tyre Siege of Tyre\n	.Achaemenid Empire, Tyrians\n	Siege\n	Lebanon\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	332-10 October 332 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Tyre Siege of Gaza\n	.Achaemenid Empire\n	Siege\n	Palestine\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	331-10-01 1 October 331 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Gaugamela Battle of Gaugamela\n	.Achaemenid Empire\n	Battle\n	Iraq\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	331-12 December 331 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Uxian Defile Battle of the Uxian Defile\n	.Uxians\n	Battle\n	Iran\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	330-01-20 20 January 330 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Persian Gate Battle of the Persian Gate\n	.Achaemenid Empire\n	Battle\n	Iran\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	329 329 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Cyropolis Siege of Cyropolis\n	.Sogdians\n	Siege\n	Turkmenistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	329-10 October 329 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Jaxartes Battle of Jaxartes\n	.Scythians\n	Battle\n	Uzbekistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	327 327 BC\n	Persian Campaign\n	Sogdian Rock Siege of the Sogdian Rock\n	.Sogdians\n	Siege\n	Uzbekistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	327 May 327 \u2013 March 326 BC\n	Indian Campaign\n	Cophen Cophen campaign\n	.Aspasians\n	Expedition\n	Afghanistan and Pakistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	326-04 April 326 BC\n	Indian Campaign\n	Aornos Siege of Aornos\n	.A\u015bvaka\n	Siege\n	Pakistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	326-05 May 326 BC\n	Indian Campaign\n	Hydaspes Battle of the Hydaspes\n	.Porus\n	Battle\n	Pakistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n
Victory\n	325 November 326 \u2013 February 325 BC\n	Indian Campaign\n	Aornos Siege of Multan\n	.Malli\n	Siege\n	Pakistan\n	King\n \u2042\n \n

Regnal titles\n
Alexander the Great Argead dynasty Born: 356 BC Died: 323 BC\n
Preceded by Philip II \n	King of Macedon 336\u2013323 BC\n	Succeeded by Philip III Alexander IV \n
Preceded by Darius III \n	King of Persia 330\u2013323 BC\n
Pharaoh of Egypt 332\u2013323 BC\n
New creation\n	Lord of Asia 331\u2013323 BC\n

v t e Kings of Macedon
Legendary	\n Caranus \n Coenus \n Tyrimmas \n	$\"Vergina$ Vergina Sun
Argead dynasty	\n Perdiccas I \n Argaeus I \n Philip I \n Aeropus I \n Alcetas \n Amyntas I \n Alexander I \n Perdiccas II \n Archelaus \n Orestes \n Aeropus II \n Amyntas II \n Pausanias \n Amyntas III\n Argaeus II \n Alexander II \n Ptolemy of Aloros \n Perdiccas III \n Amyntas IV \n Philip II \n Alexander III (the Great) \n Philip III \n Alexander IV \n
Antipatrid dynasty	\n Cassander \n Philip IV \n Antipater I \n Alexander V \n
Dynastic conflict	\n Demetrius I \n Pyrrhus \n Lysimachus \n Ptolemy Ceraunus \n Meleager \n Antipater II \n Sosthenes \n Antigonus II\n Pyrrhus \n
Antigonid dynasty	\n Antigonus II \n Demetrius II \n Antigonus III \n Philip V \n Perseus \n
Post-Conquest Rebel Kings	\n Andriscus \n Pseudo-Alexander \n Pseudo-Philip/Pseudo-Perseus \n Euephenes \n
Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.

v t e Hellenistic rulers
Argeads	\n Philip II \n Alexander III the Great \n Philip III Arrhidaeus \n Alexander IV \n
Antipatrids	\n Cassander \n Philip IV \n Alexander V \n Antipater II \n Antipater Etesias \n Sosthenes \n
Antigonids	\n Antigonus I Monophthalmus \n Demetrius I Poliorcetes \n Antigonus II Gonatas \n Demetrius II Aetolicus \n Antigonus III Doson \n Philip V \n Perseus \n Philip VI (pretender) \n
Ptolemies	\n Ptolemy I Soter \n Ptolemy Keraunos \n Ptolemy II Philadelphus \n Ptolemy III Euergetes \n Ptolemy IV Philopator \n Ptolemy V Epiphanes \n Cleopatra I Syra (regent) \n Ptolemy VI Philometor \n Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator \n Cleopatra II Philometor Soter \n Ptolemy VIII Physcon \n Cleopatra III \n Ptolemy IX Lathyros \n Ptolemy X Alexander \n Berenice III \n Ptolemy XI Alexander \n Ptolemy XII Auletes \n Cleopatra VI Tryphaena \n Berenice IV Epiphanea \n Ptolemy XIII \n Ptolemy XIV \n Cleopatra VII Philopator \n Ptolemy XV Caesarion \n
Monarchs of Cyrene	\n Magas \n Berenice II \n Demetrius the Fair \n Ptolemy VIII Physcon \n Ptolemy Apion \n Cleopatra Selene II \n
Seleucids	\n Seleucus I Nicator \n Antiochus I Soter \n Antiochus II Theos \n Seleucus II Callinicus \n Seleucus III Ceraunus \n Antiochus III the Great \n Seleucus IV Philopator \n Antiochus IV Epiphanes \n Antiochus V Eupator \n Demetrius I Soter \n Alexander I Balas \n Demetrius II Nicator \n Antiochus VI Dionysus \n Diodotus Tryphon \n Antiochus VII Sidetes \n Alexander II Zabinas \n Cleopatra Thea \n Seleucus V Philometor \n Antiochus VIII Grypus \n Antiochus IX Cyzicenus \n Seleucus VI Epiphanes \n Antiochus X Eusebes \n Antiochus XI Epiphanes \n Demetrius III Eucaerus \n Philip I Philadelphus \n Antiochus XII Dionysus \n Cleopatra Selene I \n Antiochus XIII Asiaticus \n Philip II Philoromaeus \n
Lysimachids	\n Lysimachus \n Ptolemy Epigonos \n
Attalids	\n Philetaerus \n Eumenes I \n Attalus I \n Eumenes II \n Attalus II \n Attalus III \n Eumenes III \n
Greco-Bactrians	\n Diodotus I \n Diodotus II \n Euthydemus I \n Demetrius I \n Euthydemus II \n Antimachus I \n Pantaleon \n Agathocles \n Demetrius II \n Eucratides I \n Plato \n Eucratides II \n Heliocles I \n
Indo-Greeks	\n Demetrius I \n Antimachus I \n Pantaleon \n Agathocles \n Apollodotus I \n Demetrius II \n Antimachus II \n Menander I \n Zoilos I \n Agathokleia \n Lysias \n Strato I \n Antialcidas \n Heliokles II \n Polyxenos \n Demetrius III \n Philoxenus \n Diomedes \n Amyntas \n Epander \n Theophilos \n Peukolaos \n Thraso \n Nicias \n Menander II \n Artemidoros \n Hermaeus \n Archebius \n Telephos \n Apollodotus II \n Hippostratos \n Dionysios \n Zoilos II \n Apollophanes \n Strato II \n Strato III \n
Monarchs of Bithynia	\n Boteiras \n Bas \n Zipoetes I \n Nicomedes I \n Zipoetes II \n Etazeta (regent) \n Ziaelas \n Prusias I \n Prusias II \n Nicomedes II \n Nicomedes III \n Nicomedes IV \n Socrates Chrestus \n
Monarchs of Pontus	\n Mithridates I Ctistes \n Ariobarzanes \n Mithridates II \n Mithridates III \n Pharnaces I \n Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos with Laodice \n Mithridates V Euergetes \n Mithridates VI Eupator \n Pharnaces II \n Darius \n Arsaces \n Polemon I \n Pythodorida \n Polemon II \n
Monarchs of Commagene	\n Ptolemaeus \n Sames II \n Mithridates I \n Antiochus I \n Mithridates II \n Antiochus II \n Mithridates III \n Antiochus III \n Antiochus IV \n
Monarchs of Cappadocia	\n Ariarathes I \n Ariarathes II \n Ariamnes II \n Ariarathes III \n Ariarathes IV \n Ariarathes V \n Orophernes \n Ariarathes VI \n Ariarathes VII \n Ariarathes VIII \n Ariarathes IX \n Ariobarzanes I \n Ariobarzanes II \n Ariobarzanes III \n Ariarathes X \n Archelaus \n
Monarchs of the Cimmerian Bosporus	\n Paerisades I \n Satyros II \n Prytanis \n Eumelos \n Spartokos III \n Hygiainon (regent) \n Paerisades II \n Spartokos IV \n Leukon II \n Spartokos V [ru] \n Kamasarye \n Paerisades III \n Paerisades IV \n Paerisades V \n Mithridates I \n Pharnaces \n Asander with Dynamis \n Mithridates II \n Asander with Dynamis \n Scribonius's attempted rule with Dynamis \n Dynamis with Polemon \n Polemon \n Aspurgus \n Gepaepyris \n Mithridates III \n Cotys I \n
Monarchs of Epirus	\n Admetus \n Tharrhypas \n Alcetas I \n Neoptolemus I \n Arybbas \n Alexander I \n Aeacides \n Neoptolemus II \n Alcetas II \n Pyrrhus I \n Alexander II \n Olympias II (regent) \n Pyrrhus II \n Ptolemy \n Pyrrhus III \n Deidamia \n
Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.

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Early life

Lineage and childhood

Education

Heir of Philip II

Regency and ascent of Macedon

Exile and return

King of Macedon

Accession

Consolidation of power

Balkan campaign

Destruction of Thebes

Conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire

Strategy

Asia Minor

The Levant and Syria

Egypt

Assyria and Babylonia

Persia

Fall of the Persian Empire and the East

Problems and plots

Macedon in Alexander's absence

Coinage

Indian campaign

Forays into the Indian subcontinent

Revolt of the Hellenic army

Last years in Persia

Death and succession

Post-death events

Division of the Macedonian Empire

Last plans

Character

Generalship

Physical appearance

Personality

Personal relationships

Sexuality

Battle record

Legacy

Hellenistic kingdoms

Founding of cities

Funding of temples

Hellenization

Hellenization in South and Central Asia

Influence on Rome

Letters

In legend

In ancient and modern culture

Historiography

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Primary sources

Secondary sources

Further reading

External links

Articles of Alexander the Great