History

Alexander the Great
A tribute to the greatest man the world has ever seen

Alexander the Great on a gold medaillon

"Alexander was a king's son, the son of Philip of Macedon. In the royal palace at Pella the most illustrious teachers, among them Aristotle, groomed him for kingship. He had to be the best at everything: at fighting, of course, at physical exercise, at hunting, and also at thinking.

"They shaped his body just as they shaped his mind and spirit. Alexander was not merely brilliant - he was beautiful - and already his whole being seemed to foretell his great destiny."

(Taken from: Pierre Briant, Alexander the Great: Man of Action/Man of Spirit)

Chronology

356 July 20 (?): Birth of Alexander (III), son of Philip II, king of Macedonia.

340 Alexander wins a battle in Thrace against Athens and founds a town named Alexandria, the first of many of that name.

336 Alexander becomes king of Macedonia and is elected general of the Greeks by the Corinthian League.

335 Spring and summer: Campaigns on the frontieres of Macedonia.

Autumn: Alexander surpresses a revolt of Greek cities and destroys Thebes.

334 Spring: Alexander invades Asia. Victory over the Persians at the battle of Granicus.

Summer: Cities on the coast of Asia Minor submit to Alexander.

Winter: Conquests in southern Asia Minor (Lycia, Pamphylia, Phrygia), Miletus and Halicarnassus fall. Alexander winters at Gordium, in Phrygia. Episode of the Gordian Knot.

333 Spring: Alexander avances on Cilicia. The Persians, under Memnon, counterattack by sea and are defeated.

November 1: First set battle between Alexander and the Persian Great King Darius II, at Issus; defeat of Darius, who flees back to Babylon.

Winter: Alexander subdues most of Phoenicia and invades Egypt.

332 January: Fall of Sidon.

July 29: Fall of Tyre.

September: Fall of Gaza.

November 14: Alexander enthroned as Pharaoh at Memphis.

331 Alexander occupies all of Egypt. Expedition to the oracle of Ammon at Siwah; he is proclaimed divine.

April 7: Alexander founds Alexandria.

October 1: Second victory of Alexander over Darius, at the battle of Gaugamela. The Great King flees east.

October - December: Alexander occupies Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis.

330 January - May: Alexander destroys the palace at Persepolis in May. Darius retreats toward Bactria.

Summer: Alexander pursues Darius, occupying Media and Parthia.

July: Assassination of Darius by Persians. Alexander has him buried with honors at Persepolis. Alexander begins to adopt Persian court ceremonial.

Autumn: Alexander surpresses the revolt of Satibarzanes, satrap of Aria. Philotas, a Macedonian noble, and Parmenio, a Macedonian general under Alexander, are accused of treason and executed.

329 Spring: After great difficulties, Alexander's army crosses the Hindu Kush and arrives at Bactria, where the satrap Bessus has assumed the title Great King.

Summer: Alexander crosses the Oxus (Amu Darya) River and enters Bactria, taking and executing Bessus. He advances to Maracanda (Samarkand).

328 Summer: A difficult campaign in Sogdiana. Alexander murders Cleitus. A treason plot against Alexander is sparked by his order that Macedonians perform obeisance before him. Execution of the leader, Callisthenes.

Winter: Alexander marries the Sogdian Roxane.

327 Spring: The army invades India.

Autumn: It proceeds in two units to the Hydaspes (Indus) River.

326 Summer: Defeat of the rajah Porus of India.

Autumn: At the Hyphasis (Beas) River, Alexander's soldiers refuse to go farther. Reluctantly, Alexander turns back.

November: Alexander defeats the Malavas.

Winter: Brahmin cities are attacked; Alexander is wounded, but recovers.

325 January - July: The army rests at Pattala (Hyderabad?), on the Indus delta, and founds a port and shipyard, to construct ships. Alexander's general Craterus and some troops travel overland through the Bolan Pass and Kandahar.

August: Alexander crosses Gedrosia (Baluchistan).

September: Departure of the new fleet with a part of the army, under the command of the Macedonian Nearchus. They travel west along the coast of the Persian Gulf.

December: Nearchus and Alexander meet in Carmania; Alexander continues on to Persia.

324 January: Alexander restores the thomb of the Persian king Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae.

February: At Susa, in a mass wedding, Macedonian nobles marry Persian brides.

Summer: Alexander resides at Ecbatana. Death of Hephaiston. Campaign against the Cossaeans.

323 Spring: Returning to Babylon, Alexander builds a fleet in preparation for an expedition to Arabia.

June 13: Death of Alexander.

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356	July 20 (?): Birth of Alexander (III), son of Philip II, king of Macedonia.
340	Alexander wins a battle in Thrace against Athens and founds a town named Alexandria, the first of many of that name.
336	Alexander becomes king of Macedonia and is elected general of the Greeks by the Corinthian League.
335	Spring and summer: Campaigns on the frontieres of Macedonia.
	Autumn: Alexander surpresses a revolt of Greek cities and destroys Thebes.
334	Spring: Alexander invades Asia. Victory over the Persians at the battle of Granicus.
	Summer: Cities on the coast of Asia Minor submit to Alexander.
	Winter: Conquests in southern Asia Minor (Lycia, Pamphylia, Phrygia), Miletus and Halicarnassus fall. Alexander winters at Gordium, in Phrygia. Episode of the Gordian Knot.
333	Spring: Alexander avances on Cilicia. The Persians, under Memnon, counterattack by sea and are defeated.
	November 1: First set battle between Alexander and the Persian Great King Darius II, at Issus; defeat of Darius, who flees back to Babylon.
	Winter: Alexander subdues most of Phoenicia and invades Egypt.
332	January: Fall of Sidon.
	July 29: Fall of Tyre.
	September: Fall of Gaza.
	November 14: Alexander enthroned as Pharaoh at Memphis.
331	Alexander occupies all of Egypt. Expedition to the oracle of Ammon at Siwah; he is proclaimed divine.
	April 7: Alexander founds Alexandria.
	October 1: Second victory of Alexander over Darius, at the battle of Gaugamela. The Great King flees east.
	October - December: Alexander occupies Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis.
330	January - May: Alexander destroys the palace at Persepolis in May. Darius retreats toward Bactria.
	Summer: Alexander pursues Darius, occupying Media and Parthia.
	July: Assassination of Darius by Persians. Alexander has him buried with honors at Persepolis. Alexander begins to adopt Persian court ceremonial.
	Autumn: Alexander surpresses the revolt of Satibarzanes, satrap of Aria. Philotas, a Macedonian noble, and Parmenio, a Macedonian general under Alexander, are accused of treason and executed.
329	Spring: After great difficulties, Alexander's army crosses the Hindu Kush and arrives at Bactria, where the satrap Bessus has assumed the title Great King.
	Summer: Alexander crosses the Oxus (Amu Darya) River and enters Bactria, taking and executing Bessus. He advances to Maracanda (Samarkand).
328	Summer: A difficult campaign in Sogdiana. Alexander murders Cleitus. A treason plot against Alexander is sparked by his order that Macedonians perform obeisance before him. Execution of the leader, Callisthenes.
	Winter: Alexander marries the Sogdian Roxane.
327	Spring: The army invades India.
	Autumn: It proceeds in two units to the Hydaspes (Indus) River.
326	Summer: Defeat of the rajah Porus of India.
	Autumn: At the Hyphasis (Beas) River, Alexander's soldiers refuse to go farther. Reluctantly, Alexander turns back.
	November: Alexander defeats the Malavas.
	Winter: Brahmin cities are attacked; Alexander is wounded, but recovers.
325	January - July: The army rests at Pattala (Hyderabad?), on the Indus delta, and founds a port and shipyard, to construct ships. Alexander's general Craterus and some troops travel overland through the Bolan Pass and Kandahar.
	August: Alexander crosses Gedrosia (Baluchistan).
	September: Departure of the new fleet with a part of the army, under the command of the Macedonian Nearchus. They travel west along the coast of the Persian Gulf.
	December: Nearchus and Alexander meet in Carmania; Alexander continues on to Persia.
324	January: Alexander restores the thomb of the Persian king Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae.
	February: At Susa, in a mass wedding, Macedonian nobles marry Persian brides.
	Summer: Alexander resides at Ecbatana. Death of Hephaiston. Campaign against the Cossaeans.
323	Spring: Returning to Babylon, Alexander builds a fleet in preparation for an expedition to Arabia.
	June 13: Death of Alexander.