Alexander the Great Facts & Worksheets

• • In another dream, Philip saw himself securing Olympias’s womb with a seal carved with a lion’s image. This dream was interpreted as a prophecy of Alexander’s future greatness and also suggested that Olympias was already pregnant before her marriage.
  • On the day Alexander was born, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, had burnt down. Historian Hegesias of Magnesia suggested that Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and childbirth, was absent from her temple because she was attending Alexander’s birth. This event linked Alexander to the divine realm. 
  • Alexander’s birth coincided with other significant events. Philip received news of a military victory against the Illyrians and Paeonians, and his horses won at the Olympic Games. These victories were seen as further omens of Alexander’s future success.   
• In his early years, Alexander was raised by a nurse named Lanike. As he grew, his education followed the pattern of noble Macedonian youths. Under the tutoring of Leonidas and Lysimachus of Acarnania, he learnt to read, play the lyre, ride, fight and hunt.
• At the age of 13, Alexander’s father appointed Aristotle to tutor him. In exchange, Philip agreed to rebuild Aristotle’s hometown of Stageira, which he had previously destroyed, and to bring back its people who had been enslaved or forced to leave. The Temple of the Nymphs at Mieza became their classroom. Soon enough it became a boarding school for other sons of Macedonian nobles, like Ptolemy, Hephaestion and Cassander. They would become Alexander’s close companions and future generals during his reign. 
• Under Aristotle’s influence, Alexander developed appreciation for Homer’s works, most especially the Iliad. He was even gifted an annotated copy of it, which he carried on his campaigns. Alexander’s education also included exposure to Persian culture because Philip would often host Persian exiles who had opposed Artaxerxes III and sought refuge in Macedon. Aside from Aristotle, other historical sources also suggest that Anaximenes of Lampsacus also taught Alexander and even accompanied him on his military campaigns. 

Personal Relationships

• Alexander married three times. His first marriage to Roxana, daughter of the Sogdian nobleman Oxyartes, was said to be based on love. Ancient sources describe Roxana as exceptionally beautiful and Alexander seems to have been genuinely smitten with her. The couple had two children together: an unnamed first child who died in infancy, and Alexander IV, born after Alexander’s death.
• Unlike his marriage to Roxana, Alexander's other two marriages were motivated mainly by political considerations. He married Stateira, daughter of Darius III, the Persian king he had defeated, and Parysatis, daughter of Artaxerxes III, a previous Persian ruler. The goal of these marriages was to unite the Persian royal family with Alexander’s regime.
• Beyond his marriages, Alexander was also known for his deep affection for his companion cavalry commander, Hephaestion. They were childhood friends, educated together by Aristotle, and remained close throughout Alexander’s campaigns. 
• Alexander also reportedly had an illegitimate son, Heracles of Macedon, with his mistress Barsine. Barsine was the daughter of a Persian satrap (governor), and their relationship likely occurred during Alexander’s campaigns in Asia Minor.

Rise to Power

• At the age of 16, Alexander served as a regent, while his father campaigned against the Thracians. During this time, Alexander suppressed a Maedi revolt, colonised the territory, and founded the ancient city of Alexandroupolis in Thrace. He also led troops against rebellious Greek cities, even saving his father’s life in one instance.
• In the Macedonian court, Alexander’s position was challenged by the birth of a son to Philip’s new wife, Cleopatra Eurydice. This led to conflict between Alexander and his father. In 336 BCE, his father was assassinated and it was said to be orchestrated by those close to Olympias.
• Alexander was then put on the throne at the age of 20. He was immediately faced with the task of consolidating his authority both within Macedon and throughout Greece. He began by eliminating potential rivals to the throne. He had his cousin, the former Amyntas IV, executed, along with two Macedonian princes from Lyncestis who were implicated in his father’s assassination. He also eliminated Attalus, the uncle of Cleopatra Eurydice whom he considered a threat. However, he spared his half-brother, Arrhidaeus, who was mentally disabled.
• Alexander also faced revolts throughout Greece, including in Thebes, Athens, Thessaly and Thrace. After securing the loyalty of the Macedonian army, he continued to march south, outmanoeuvring the Thessalian army and accepting their surrender. He later received recognition as the leader of the Amphictyonic League. He pardoned Athenian rebels and even had a famous encounter with the philosopher Diogenes the Cynic during his stay in Corinth. By the time he embarked on his campaign against the Persian Empire, he had proven himself a worthy successor to his father.

Military Campaigns and Conquests of Alexander the Great

Alexander was a great military leader who conquered a huge empire in a very short time. This timeline shows his most important military campaigns and conquests:

• 334 BCE - Asia Minor

• • • Battle of the Granicus: Alexander’s invasion of the Persian Empire began with his victory against a Persian force at the Granicus River. 
    • He consolidates his control over the Ionian coast and captures important cities like Miletus and Halicarnassus.

• 333 BCE - The Levant and Syria

• • Battle of Issus: He confronts Darius III’s army at Issus and wins despite being outnumbered. This victory gained him control over the majority of the eastern Mediterranean coast.
  • Siege of Tyre: After a long siege, he was able to capture the island city of Tyre. This siege removed a major obstacle to his advance south.