Before we can jump into Alexander the Great's battles and victories we have to learn a little about the man himself. We have to find out where he came from, how he came to power, and many other things that made this historic man. Alexander was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E. Sources say that the exact date may have been created afterwards to match some historical event during that time. Alexander the Great was a Leo. Alexander is supposed to have been fair skinned, and handsome. It is said that, like other Macedonians, Alexander liked his liquor; his liking for wine also caused some of his outbursts of rage. Some of the hobbies Alexander appreciated were drama, the flute, poetry and hunting, along with his appreciation for liquor. It seemed that what Alexander really wanted

Alexander never got along well with his father, although Philip was proud of Alexander for the things he accomplished. It seemed obvious that Alexander was closer to Olympias(his mother) than Philip. It was said that Olympias and Philip did not get along that well either. The family was finally split up when Philip married a woman named Cleopatra, not "thee Cleopatra". A few events happened at the wedding that upset Alexander very much. It was said, "Cleopatra's father made a remark about Philip fathering a "legitimate" heir, i.e., one that was pure Macedonian. Alexander took exception and threw his cup at the man, and some sources say Alexander killed him. Enraged, Philip stood up and charged at Alexander, only to trip and fall on his face in his drunken stupor. Alexander, rather upset at the scene, is said to have shouted: "Here is the man who was making ready to cross from Europe to Asia, and who cannot even cross from one table to another without losing his balance." From this time to Philip's assassination they remained a family in name only. Some people believed that Olympias might have even played a role in Philip's murder.

The young Alexander had to mature early to handle the responsibilities that he did. A famous story describes Alexander skillfully receiving Persian messengers in Philip's court while Philip was out inspecting his troops. This story assumably happened when he was fairly young. Alexander's education was top notch. A few different people educated him. The most famous person that tutored him was undoubtedly Aristotle. Aristotle taught him about philosophy, ethics, politics, and healing, all of which became more important to Alexander in his later life. These are very important things about Alexander the Great, but the most significant is his rise to power.

The third battle I will be discussing is the battle of Gaugamela. The battle probably took place on October 1st, 331 B.C. The location of the battle took place in the modern day northern Iraq. The Macedonian army was approximately 47,000, and the Persian army was estimated at 91,000 to 1 million. Again the same generals led the armies, Macedonia by Alexander, and Persia by Darius. Gaugamela was fought on the wide plains of Asia, and Darius and the Persians again had a size advantage. Fearing a night attack, King Darius kept his army standing in battle formation all night, probably only adding to fatigue and demoralization. On the other hand it is said that Alexander and his troops had an excellent night's sleep. Alexander was confident in every battle, and this one was no different. The battle process of Gaugamela is far more complex than the earlier confrontations at Granicus and Issus. Parmenion, one of Alexander's top officers was ordered to take the left, as Alexander would attack the Persians on their left. Again, Alexander sees a weakness in the Persian army and attacks. He fights his way to the center of the Persian army where King Darius is; he has to abandon his post and the Persian center collapses. The battle continued on many other fronts, but soon the Macedonians gained the advantage and it was another victory for Alexander the Great. "If anything, Gaugmaela had proven the superiority of the Macedonian army and Alexander's generalship over the other wise decisive courage of Persian leader and their high quality cavalry." As one historian puts it "Never were dispositions better taken to resist the attacks of the enemy at all point; never on the field were openings more quickly seized; never threatening disaster more skillfully retr

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