Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was born in 356 BCE and was the son of the Macedonian King Philip II.
Macedon was a kingdom just to the north of the Greek city-states. During his youth, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle until age 16. After Philip's assassination in 336 BCE, Alexander succeeded his father to the throne and inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army.
Alexander spent most of his ruling years on an unprecedented military campaign through western Asia and northeast Africa.
By the age of 30, Alexander had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered one of history's most successful military commanders.
In Egypt, Alexander the Great conquered Gaza. From there, he led his military towards the eastern gateway to Egypt at Pelusium. Alexander lead this campaign into Egypt for the purpose of expelling the Persians from Egypt.
Surprisingly, Alexander and his army did not face any resistance from the Egyptians or from the Persian forces at Egypt's eastern frontier. Getting through Egypt with considerable ease, Alexander the Great went on with his forces across the Nile River and arrived at the capital of Memphis, where he was welcomed by the Egyptian people.
Moving on to Persia, Alexander the Great showed how powerful he and his forces were as he crushed a revolt in Thebes. He was able to use military strength along with political savvy to overthrow Persian leadership. He then went eastward where he finished his conquest of the Persians.
After he conquered the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, Alexander the Great began another campaign in India. Alexander attempted to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea" and invaded India in 326 BCE, winning an important victory over the Pauravas people at the Battle of the Hydaspes.
Alexander and his army eventually turned back at the demand of his homesick troops. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BCE, the city that he planned to establish as his capital.
He likely died from typhoid fever, a disease that was common in Babylon at the time.
Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion of the vast territory he conquered. The next age in Greek history was known as the Hellenistic World, when Persian and Indian influences merged with Greek culture.
Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mold of Achilles. He is featured prominently in the history and mythic traditions of both Greek and non-Greek cultures.
He was undefeated in battle and became the measure against which military leaders were compared. Military academies throughout the world still teach his tactics. He is often ranked among the most influential people in history.