Alexander the Great

:For other Alexanders, see Alexander (disambiguation).

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Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon (late July, 356 BC–June 10, 323 BC), commonly known in the West as Alexander the Great or Alexander III of Macedon, in Greek {{polytonic|????? ??????????}} (Megas Alexandros), King of Macedon (336 BC-323 BC), was arguably the most successful military commander of ancient history, conquering most of the known world before his death. Alexander is known in Middle Persian literature as Alexander the Cursed due to his destruction of the Persian Empire and its capital Persepolis. He is also known in Eastern traditions as Dhul-Qarnayn (the two-horned one), because an image on coins minted during his rule seemed to depict him with the two ram's horns of the Egyptian god Ammon (it is believed by historians that the Dhul-Qarnayn mentioned in the Qur'an is Alexander). In north-east India and modern-day Pakistan he is known as Sikander-e-Azam (Alexander the Great) and many male children are named Sikander after him.

Related Topics:
July - 356 BC - June 10 - 323 BC - Greek - Macedon - 336 BC - Middle Persian - Persian Empire - Persepolis - Dhul-Qarnayn - Ammon - Qur'an - India - Pakistan

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Following the unification of the multiple city-states of Ancient Greece under the rule of his father, Philip II of Macedon, (a labor Alexander had to repeat - twice - because the southern Greeks rebelled after Philip's death), Alexander conquered the Persian Empire, including Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia, and extended the boundaries of his own empire as far as the Punjab. Alexander integrated non-Greeks into his army and administration, leading some scholars to credit him with a ?policy of fusion.? He encouraged marriage between Greeks and non-Greeks, and practiced it himself. This was extremely unusual for the ancient world. After twelve years of constant military campaigning, Alexander died, possibly of malaria, typhoid or a viral encephalitis. His conquests ushered in centuries of Greco-Macedonian settlement and rule over non-Greek areas, a period known as the Hellenistic Age. Alexander himself lived on in the history and myth of both Greek and non-Greek peoples. Already during his lifetime, and especially after his death, his exploits inspired a literary tradition in which he appears as a towering legendary hero in the tradition of Achilles.

Related Topics:
Ancient Greece - Philip II of Macedon - Persian Empire - Anatolia - Syria - Phoenicia - Gaza - Egypt - Bactria - Mesopotamia - Empire - Punjab - Malaria - Typhoid - Encephalitis - Hellenistic Age - Hero - Achilles

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