Alexander was the son of Philip II of Macedonia and Olympias. Olympias was the orphaned daughter of the king of Epirus, and was a descendant of Achilles. Philip and Olympias were married in 357 B.C. Philip ruled Macedonia from 359-336 B.C. He came to power just after the Macedonians had suffered defeat at the hands of the Illyrians. Philip sought to unify and strengthen all of Macedonia. Philip has been credited with beginning the practice of allowing the sons of nobles to be educated in the court of the king. This practice further aided Philip's quest to strengthen his alliances by creating the natural loyalty that was felt by the sons of Philip. In 338 B.C. Philip led his forces into battle against the Athenian and Theban armies. Although he was greatly outnumbered, he managed to overpower his opposition with the use of phalanxes. Following his victory, Sparta was the only Greek State not u

National Geographic Society. Greece and Rome. National Geographic Society.

Alexander of course did not stop there. He continued west until he reached India. Major battles ensued with the native people in India and the surrounding countryside. After defeating the strongest opposition, Alexander wanted to continue west, but his troops refused to go any further. Without the support of his army, Alexander had no but to begin his journey home. In the summer of 325 B.C., Alexander and his army sailed south to the mouth of the Indus River. There he split up his forces to create a fleet of personnel and supplies that would take the sea route instead of the land route back home. Alexander remained with his troops on land, and led them west into the Gedrosian Desert. During the trek home, nearly three

Kelsey, Kossuth, Untereker. Alexander the Great Homepage. Williams College.

Alexander's death is still a mystery to this day. No one can seem to agree what caused his death. The Greek writer Plutarch wrote of the events leading up to Alexander's death. Alexander proceeded to Babylon, even though he had been receiving news of bad omens. Once he was in Babylon, Alexander drank heavily at several banquets. One of the banquets was held by one of Alexander's close friends, Medius. Supposedly, the banquet was part of a conspiracy to kill Alexander that involved people who were unhappy with Alexander. They gave him poisoned wine, and when he attempted to vomit the poison, they gave him a poisoned feather to make sure that the poison entered his blood stream. Alexander then fell very ill, with his health deteriorating until his death. Many Greeks did not believe that version of Alexander's death. Instead they thought that it was an attempt to make a tragic finale to the great life of Alexander. Many historical accounts speak of Alexander dying of a fever th!

Green, Peter. Alexander Of Macedonia, 356-323 B.C. University of California

There is a saying that winners write history, and therefore portray themselves as the good guys. In this instance, I feel that there may have been specific instances where Alexander committed wrongdoings, but not without looking ahead for the betterment of the majority. He knew that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. People were sacrificed and points were made, at the expense of human life, but not without having a positive effect on the people as a whole. I only wish that Alexander could have lived longer and been able to live in the world he had created. Maybe it is only fitting that such a powerful and honorable man should die a death involved in no honor at all.

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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)