Alexander the Great is one of the greatest legends of the world. With his military achievements, leadership and cultural achievements, he has managed to engrave his name among the important names of the ancient world. Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC in the ancient kingdom of Macedonia; he ascended the throne at the age of twenty after his father, King Philip II, was assassinated. In the short but eventful period of his life, he created an empire across a vast geography stretching from Greece to Egypt and India, transforming the unique world of the Mediterranean. III, known as Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in Macedonia in 356 BC. He took lessons from Aristotle, the famous philosopher of the period. He learned the art of war thoroughly at a young age. At the age of 16, he experienced his first war and won his first victory by suppressing the Medians who revolted while his father was on campaign. B.C. Alexander commanded the Macedonian army in the Battle of Keronea, which took place in 338 and was won against the alliance of Athens and Thebes, the two most powerful states of Ancient Greece. Alexander's ascension to the throne occurred after his father, King Philip, was assassinated. When the young ruler ascended to the throne, he was not even 20 years old. Although it was thought that Alexander had a share in the murder of King Philip, this could never be proven. The idea that his mother Olimpia had a share in this conspiracy remained in mind as a question mark. When Alexander became king, there were rebellions in Thebes, Illyria and Thessaly. Marching against the Thessalians, Alexander won a victory without a battle. Alexander, who was able to bring other Greek states to common ground when he conquered Thessaly, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Greek armies as a result of the congress held in Corinth, in order to achieve the idea of "conquest of Asia" designed during his father's time. When Alexander met the famous thinker Diogenes during his time in Corinth, he asked what he wanted from him and received the answer from Diogenes, "Do not overshadow me, I do not want any other favors." It was reported that, as a result of this dialogue, Alexander said to his close circle, "If I were not Alexander, I would like to be Diogenes." Before Alexander set out on an expedition to attack the Persian Empire, the Thracians attempted to revolt. The Thracians, who took defense at the Shipka pass, rolled their chariots to the area where Alexander's army would pass. However, Alexander took precautions by keeping his infantry as separated as possible. Thus, the tactic was successful, the passage was captured and the northern direction to the banks of the river known today as the Danube was opened. Alexander, who always had the idea of attacking the Persian Empire in his mind, had his army prepared for the campaign due to the resources needed to feed his army and pay the debts. In the spring of 334 BC, he went on a campaign with his army consisting of a total of 30 thousand infantry and more than 5 thousand cavalry. The young ruler's army was accompanied by engineers, architects, scientists, palace officials and historians. Alexander, the fact that he was a student under the great scholar Aristotle, developed a sting of excellent intellect married to protracted ambition and a strategic approach towards relevance in his military campaigns. He was also trained in martial arts, horsemanship, and military science, which served him in his military life. He crossed the Hellespont into the Persian Empire in 334 BCE with 35,000 men in an army. All the more brilliant military campaigns of Alexander against the Persian forces in an array of epic battles, among which were the battles of Issus and Gaugamela, in the next ten years. By 331 BCE, he had already managed to conquer the whole Persian Empire and crowned himself the unquestioned master of the known world. Aside from his military conquests, Alexander went on to institute a series of grand projects that would further accentuate the exchange and understanding of different cultures that inhabited his empire. He founded several cities, most of them carrying his name, like the famous Alexandria in Egypt, which later became one of the great centers of learning, commerce, and culture in the world. He laid the foundation for bringing together Greek and local cultures in a natural way that would breed cosmopolitanism and tolerance in his empire. But sadly, Alexander died of a fever at 32 in Babylon in 323 BCE. This left behind competition among the generals, who now started placing themselves in a position to run their vast empire. The following wars of succession divided Alexander's empire into several rival kingdoms. One epoch that this development heralded was the Diadochi era. Though Alexander himself did not live to be past the prime of his life, his legend outlasted him by millennia, as it would provide both impetus and inspiration for emperors, thinkers, and adventurers of nearly every age to come. His conquests pushed back the known physical boundaries of the planet. They provided new commercial, cultural, and intellectual crossroads that would be crucial to the future development of civilization. Throughout the battle, his strategies and methods would be thoroughly analyzed and followed by future troops and generals; this is another reason why he ranks among the top generals in human history. Alexander's world empire gave way to the diffusion of Greek culture and ideas across the ancient world, an underlay to the derivatives that were later manifested in Roman achievements and the rise of Western civilization. His legacy continues in the arts, literature, philosophies of the Hellenistic Period, and the continuing fascination with his life and achievements. In short, through his brush, Alexander the Great sketches out the portrait of one of the most glorious and iconic figures that world history has ever come across, the very drama of whose conquests and achievements continue to be a wonder for many. From a man of humble origins in Macedonia to the grandiloquent march across what was then the world, he towers as an epitome of the powers of vision, purpose, and leadership in the mold of history. Worthy indeed to be looked back upon and emulated by posterity.
