Aristotle
tutoring Alexander by J.L.G Ferris (1895)
Alexander
the Great, a Macedonian king, conquered the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, the
Middle East, and parts of Asia in a remarkably short period of time. His empire
ushered in significant cultural changes in the lands he conquered and changed
the course of the region’s history.
Alexander
the Great, also known as Alexander III or Alexander of Macedonia is known as
one of the greatest generals in all history.
Alexander
was born in 356 B.C.E. in Pella, Macedonia, to King Philip II. As a young boy,
Alexander was taught to read, write, and play the lyre. He developed a life-long
love of reading and music.
When
Alexander was a teenager, his father hired Aristotle to be his private tutor.
He studied with Aristotle for three years and from Aristotle’s teachings,
Alexander developed a love of science, particularly of medicine and botany.
Alexander included botanists and scientists in his army to study the lands he
conquered.
In 336
B.C.E., at age 20, Alexander became king of Macedonia when a political rival
assassinated his father. Alexander began his reign by subduing rivals in the
Greek and Macedonian regions. At a council of the League of Corinth, he was
chosen as the commander of a military invasion of Asia. King Alexander began
his invasion of the Middle East in 334 B.C.E. He spent most of his reign on a
military campaign through northeast Africa and southwestern Asia.
Alexander
built many new cities in the lands he conquered, including Alexandria in Egypt.
He went on to conquer the lands of the Persian Empire, establishing more
cities, and like Alexandria, often naming them after himself. His conquest continued
through Asia until he reached the shores of the Ganga (Ganges) River in India.
At this point, his army refused to continue further into India, exhausted and
discouraged by heavy rains.
Alexander
was 32 when he died in 323 B.C.E.
During his
13-year reign as the king of Macedonia, Alexander created one of the largest
empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.
