History Made Of

King of Macedon Accession The Kingdom of Macedon in 336 BC. In 336 BC, while at  Aegae  attending the wedding of his daughter  Cleopatra  to Olympias's brother,  Alexander I of Epirus , Philip was assassinated by the captain of his  bodyguards ,  Pausanias . vi[›]  As Pausanias tried to escape, he tripped over a vine and was killed by his pursuers, including two of Alexander's companions,  Perdiccas  and  Leonnatus . Alexander was proclaimed king by the nobles and  army  at the age of 20. [46] [47] [48] Consolidation of power Alexander began his reign by eliminating potential rivals to the throne. He had his cousin, the former  Amyntas IV , executed. [49]  He also had two Macedonian princes from the region of  Lyncestis  killed, but spared a third,  Alexander Lyncestes . Olympias had Cleopatra Eurydice and Europa, her daughter by Philip, burned alive. When Alexander learned a...

Philip's heir Regency and ascent of Macedon Philip II of Macedon , Alexander's father. At age 16, Alexander's education under Aristotle ended. Philip waged war against  Byzantion , leaving Alexander in charge as  regent  and  heir apparent . [10] During Philip's absence, the  Thracian   Maedi  revolted against Macedonia. Alexander responded quickly, driving them from their territory. He colonized it with Greeks, and founded a city named  Alexandropolis . [24] [25] [26] Upon Philip's return, he dispatched Alexander with a small force to subdue revolts in southern  Thrace . Campaigning against the Greek city of  Perinthus , Alexander is reported to have saved his father's life. Meanwhile, the city of  Amphissa  began to work lands that were sacred to  Apollo  near  Delphi , a sacrilege that gave Philip the opportunity to further intervene in Greek affairs. Still occupied in Thrace, he ordered Alex...

Early life Lineage and childhood Bust of a young Alexander the Great from the Hellenistic era,  British Museum Aristotle tutoring Alexander, by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris Alexander was born on the 6th day of the ancient Greek month of  Hekatombaion , which probably corresponds to 20 July 356 BC, although the exact date is not known, [4]  in  Pella , the capital of the  Ancient Greek   Kingdom of Macedon . [5]  He was the son of the king of Macedon,  Philip II , and his fourth wife,  Olympias , the daughter of  Neoptolemus I , king of  Epirus . [6] [7] [8]  Although Philip had seven or eight wives, Olympias was his principal wife for some time, likely a result of giving birth to Alexander. [9] Several legends surround Alexander's birth and childhood. [10]  According to the ancient Greek biographer  Plutarch , Olympias, on the eve of the consummation of her marriage to Philip, dreamed that h...

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon  (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as  Alexander the Great  ( Greek :  Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας , Aléxandros ho Mégas iii[›]  from the Greek  ἀλέξω   alexo  "to defend, help" +  ἀνήρ   aner  "man"), was a king of  Macedon , a state in northern  ancient Greece . Born in  Pella  in 356 BC, Alexander was tutored by  Aristotle  until the age of 16. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the  largest empires of the  ancient world , stretching from the  Ionian Sea  to the  Himalayas . [1]  He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of history's most successful commanders. [2] Alexander succeeded his father,  Philip II of Macedon , to the throne in 336 BC after Philip was assassinated. Upon Philip's death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He was awarded...