handel-i-pieniadz: Alexander the Great

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος, romanized: Aléxandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon from 336 BC until his death. He was the son of Philip II, born to him by his fourth wife, Olympias, and ascended to the throne at the age of 20 after Philip was assassinated. Alexander spent most of his reign conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Asia and Egypt, and by the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Koine Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Θεά Φιλοπάτωρ, lit. 'Cleopatra father-loving goddess'; 70/69 BC – 10 or 12 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder, Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Cleopatra's first language was Koine Greek, and she is the only Ptolemaic ruler known to have learned the Egyptian language, among several others. After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period, which had begun with the death of Alexander in…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

Alexander the Great (356 – 323 BC), a king of ancient Macedon, created one of the largest empires in history by waging an extensive military campaign throughout Asia. Alexander was groomed for rulership from an early age and acceded to the throne after the assassination of his father, Philip II. After subduing rebellious vassals, he invaded the Persian Achaemenid Empire in 334 BC. Alexander swiftly conquered large areas of Western Asia and Egypt, defeating the Persian king Darius III in battle at Issus and Gaugamela. Achieving complete domination over the former lands of the Achaemenids by 327 BC, Alexander attempted to conquer India but turned back after his weary troops mutinied. Followin…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

Alexander the Great of Macedon carried out a series of conquests and military campaigns from 336 to 323 BC. They began with his conquest of the Achaemenid Empire, which was ruled by Darius III. After a series of victories over the Persians and the defeat of Darius, he began a campaign against local chieftains and warlords that stretched from Greece to as far as the Indus Valley. At the time of his death, Alexander ruled over most regions of Greece and the conquered Achaemenid Empire, including much of Achaemenid Egypt. Despite his military accomplishments, Alexander did not establish a stable empire, and his untimely death threw the vast territories he conquered into a series of civil wars…

Evidence: 33 • authority: 72

The military tactics of Alexander III of Macedon (356 BC - 323 BC), known as Alexander the Great, have been widely regarded as the core of his continuous success in battle throughout his campaigns. The Macedonian army that Alexander inherited had been created by his father, Philip II of Macedon. Additionally, Alexander employed and further refined the tactics his father had developed. At the battles of Granicius (334 BC) and Issus (333 BC), Alexander relied on the so-called 'hammer and anvil' tactic. At the Battle of Gaugamela (331 BC), he had to employ an innovative combat formation. Alexander arranged his units in a hollow square or box formation, to prevent the Persians, who were very st…

Evidence: 33 • authority: 72

The Indian campaign of Alexander the Great began in 327 BC and lasted until 325 BC. After conquering the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the Macedonian army undertook an expedition into the Indus Valley in northwestern South Asia which is modern day Pakistan. Within two years, Alexander the Great expanded the Macedonian Empire, a Hellenistic kingdom, to include Gandhara and the Indus Valley (present-day Punjab and Sindh), surpassing the earlier frontiers established by the Persian Achaemenid conquest. Following annexation of Gandāra (a former Persian satrapy), Alexander and his troops advanced into Punjab, where he received submission of the king Omphis of the city of Taxila, and confronted Poru…

Evidence: 27 • authority: 72

Evidence: 27 • authority: 72

Evidence: 22 • authority: 88

Alexander and India. No army leader has become more famous in history than Alexander. He has been praised and admired as well as blamed and cursed. But even if blemishes can be found in his career and character, no one can deny his ‘daemonic’ strength of will and leadership, which alone are sufficient to mark him out as one of the greatest generals history has seen. Opinions may, however, differ as to whether he was more than that.