Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was born in 356 B. C. He was the son of king Philip of Macedonia, a state in the North of Greece.
Philip of Macedonia was a great king. He had conquered the Greek cities of the South who were quarrelling among themselves and united them. He admired Greeks and decided that his son Alexander should spread Greek beliefs and ideas. So he sent for the wisest Greek philosopher, Aristotle, to educate his young son. Aristotle taught Alexander many good things.
At the age of 13, Alexander tamed a wild horse, Bucephalus, which became his friend for life. Alexander rode the horse in all his battles. On the death of his father in 336 B. C.
Alexander became king of Macedonia. He was 20 years old. The Greek states rose against Alexander because they did not want to be under the rule of the Macedonians. Alexander marched South and soon overcame the rebel States.
He then decided to fight the Persians who had been threatening the Greeks. He crossed the Hellespont and defeated the Persians in Battle. He marched through Asia minor and freed the Greek cities in Asia Minor from Persian rule.
Alexander conquered Tyre and Egypt and from Egypt he marched into Mesopotamia and Conquered Babylon. After these great victories, Alexander invaded India and turned back only when his soldiers refused to go further.
He returned to Babylon, which he had rebuilt and made his Capital city. He died there in 323 B. C. At the age of 33 and was buried at Alexandria, a city he had founded in Egypt and which he had named after himself.
These were the achievements of Alexander:
Alexander de great conquered all the known Eastern World. Some of the cities which he founded, like Alexandria, became centres of learning. He spread the Greek way of life and language in the East and Gave wise government to the places he conquered.
Alexander also encouraged trade between the East and the West, and brought into Europe new foods and animals from the East.
