Alexander The Great was king of Macedon (Macedonia). He was born in 356 BC at Pella and died in 323 BC.
Following the assassination of his father, Philip, in 336 BC Alexander ascended the throne determined to carry out the expedition that his father had been preparing against the Persians. Before he could, however, he had to chastise the barbarian tribes on the frontiers of Macedon, as well as quell a rising in Greece in which he took and destroyed Thebes, killing 6000 of the inhabitants and imprisoning 30,000. Leaving Antipater confirmed as commander-inc-chief of the Greek forces in the general assembly of the Greeks, he crossed over the Hellespont into Asia in 334 BC with 30,000 foot and 5000 horse soldiers.
His first encounter with the Persian forces (assisted by Greek mercenaries) was at the small river Granicus, where he gained a complete victory. Most of the cities of Asia Minor surrendered to him, and Alexander restored democracy in all the Greek cities. Marching onwards he conquered Lycia, Ionia, Caria, Pamphylia and Cappadocia. In 333 BC he defeated the Persian emperor Darius and his army of 500,000 men near Issus. Heading south, Alexander conquered the Mediterranean cities, including Tyre following a seven month siege, and then Palestine and Egypt, founding the city Alexandria as he did so.
Returning, Alexander was met by Darius and a new immense army which Alexander defeated at Gaugamela in 331 BC, taking Babylon and Susa and afterwards the Persian capital Persepolis. He later decided to unite the nations of Macedon and Persia, married the eldest daughter of Darius and rewarded those of his men who married Persian women. Following his sudden death in 323 BC his empire was divided among his chief generals, and became the scene of continual wars. Research Alexander The Great
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