Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (356–323 BC), Alexander III of Macedon, was a king of ancient Macedon whose campaigns created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, extending from Greece and Egypt to northwestern India. Tutored in his youth by the philosopher Aristotle, he developed a lasting love of Greek learning and, according to Plutarch, kept a copy of Homer's Iliad with him on campaign. He became king at 20 after the death of his father, Philip II, and in 334 BC crossed into Asia against the Persian Empire. Within a decade he brought Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia and lands as far as the Indus under his rule. He founded many cities, most notably Alexandria in Egypt, which became a leading center of scholarship. He died in Babylon at 32. His campaigns spread the Greek language and culture across a vast region, opening the Hellenistic age.