What year was Alexander the Great? Alexander the Great - short biography

Alexander the Great was born in the fall of 356 BC. e. in the capital of Ancient Macedonia - the city of Pella. From childhood, Macedonsky’s biography included training in politics, diplomacy, and military skills. He studied with the best minds of that time - Lysimachus, Aristotle. He was interested in philosophy and literature, and was not interested in physical joys. Already at the age of 16, he tried on the role of a king, and later - a commander.

Rise to power

After the assassination of the king of Macedon in 336 BC. e. Alexander was proclaimed ruler. Macedonsky's first actions in such a high government position were the abolition of taxes, reprisals against his father's enemies, and confirmation of the union with Greece. After suppressing the uprising in Greece, Alexander the Great began to contemplate war with Persia.

Then, if we consider the short biography of Alexander the Great, military actions followed in alliance with the Greeks and Franks against the Persians. In the battle near Troy, many settlements opened their gates to the great commander. Soon almost all of Asia Minor, and then Egypt, submitted to him. There Macedonian founded Alexandria.

King of Asia

In 331 BC. e. The next most important battle with the Persians took place at Gaugamela, during which the Persians were defeated. Alexander conquered Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis.

In 329 BC. BC, when King Darius was killed, Alexander became the ruler of the Persian Empire. Having become the king of Asia, he was subjected to repeated conspiracies. In 329-327 BC. e. fought in Central Asia - Sogdean, Bactria. In those years, Alexander defeated the Scythians, married the Bactrian princess Roxana and set off on a campaign to India.

The commander returned home only in the summer of 325 BC. The period of wars ended, the king took up the management of the conquered lands. He carried out several reforms, mainly military.

Death

From February 323 BC. e. Alexander stopped in Babylon and began planning new military campaigns against the Arab tribes, and then on Carthage. He gathered troops, prepared a fleet and built canals.

But a few days before the campaign, Alexander fell ill, and on June 10, 323 BC. e. died in Babylon from a strong fever.

Historians have still not established the exact cause of the death of the great commander. Some consider his death to be natural, others put forward theories about malaria or cancer, and still others about poisoning with a poisonous medicine.

After Alexander's death, his great empire fell apart, and wars for power began among his generals (diadochi).

Most people live simple and unremarkable lives. After their death, they leave practically nothing behind them, and the memory of them quickly fades. But there are also those whose name is remembered for centuries, or even millennia. Even if some people do not know about the contribution of these individuals to world history, but their names are forever preserved in it. One of these people was Alexander the Great. The biography of this outstanding commander is still full of gaps, but scientists have done a lot of work to reliably reproduce the story of his life.

Alexander the Great - briefly about the deeds and life of the great king

Alexander was the son of the Macedonian king Philip II. His father tried to give him the best and raise a reasonable, but at the same time decisive and unshakable person in his actions, in order to keep in submission all the peoples that he would have to govern in the event of the death of Philip II. And so it happened. After his father died, Alexander, with the support of the army, was elected as the next king. The first thing he did when he became ruler was to brutally deal with all claimants to the throne in order to guarantee his safety. After this, he suppressed the rebellion of the rebel Greek city-states and defeated the armies of nomadic tribes that threatened Macedonia. Despite such a young age, twenty-year-old Alexander gathered a significant army and went to the East. Within ten years, many peoples of Asia and Africa submitted to him. A sharp mind, prudence, ruthlessness, stubbornness, courage, bravery - these qualities of Alexander the Great gave him the opportunity to rise above everyone else. The kings were afraid to see his army near the borders of their possessions, and the enslaved peoples meekly obeyed the invincible commander. The empire of Alexander the Great was the largest state formation of the time, spanning three continents.

Childhood and early years

How did you spend your childhood, what kind of upbringing did young Alexander the Great receive? The biography of the king is full of secrets and questions to which historians have not yet been able to give a definite answer. But first things first.

Alexander was born into the family of the Macedonian ruler Philip II, who was from ancient family Argeadov, and his wife Olympias. He was born in 356 BC. e. in the city of Pella (at that time it was the capital of Macedonia). Scholars debate the exact date of Alexander's birth, with some saying July and others preferring October.

Since childhood, Alexander was interested in Greek culture and literature. In addition, he showed interest in mathematics and music. As a teenager, Aristotle himself became his mentor, thanks to whom Alexander fell in love with the Iliad and always carried it with him. But above all, the young man proved himself to be a talented strategist and ruler. At the age of 16, due to the absence of his father, he temporarily ruled Macedonia, while managing to repel the attack of barbarian tribes on the northern borders of the state. When Philip II returned to the country, he decided to take another woman named Cleopatra as his wife. Angry at such a betrayal of his mother, Alexander often quarreled with his father, so he had to leave with Olympias to Epirus. Soon Philip forgave his son and allowed him to return back.

New king of Macedonia

The life of Alexander the Great was filled with the struggle for power and maintaining it in his own hands. It all started in 336 BC. e. after the assassination of Philip II, when it was time to choose a new king. Alexander gained the support of the army and was eventually recognized as the new ruler of Macedonia. In order not to repeat the fate of his father and to protect the throne from other contenders, he brutally deals with everyone who could pose a threat to him. Even his cousin Amyntas and the little son of Cleopatra and Philip were executed.

By that time, Macedonia was the most powerful and dominant state among the Greek city-states within the Corinthian League. Hearing about the death of Philip II, the Greeks wanted to get rid of the influence of the Macedonians. But Alexander quickly dispelled their dreams and, using force, forced them to submit to the new king. In 335, a campaign was organized against the barbarian tribes threatening the northern regions of the country. The army of Alexander the Great quickly dealt with the enemies and ended this threat forever.

At this time they rebelled and rebelled against the power of the new king of Thebes. But after a short siege of the city, Alexander managed to overcome the resistance and suppress the rebellion. This time he was not so lenient and almost completely destroyed Thebes, executing thousands of citizens.

Alexander the Great and the East. Conquest of Asia Minor

Philip II also wanted to take revenge on Persia for past defeats. For this purpose, a large and well-trained army was created, capable of posing a serious threat to the Persians. After his death, Alexander the Great took up this matter. The history of the conquest of the East began in 334 BC. e., when Alexander's 50,000-strong army crossed to Asia Minor, settling in the city of Abydos.

He was opposed by an equally large Persian army, the basis of which was united formations under the command of the satraps of the western borders and Greek mercenaries. The decisive battle took place in the spring on the eastern bank of the Grannik River, where Alexander’s troops destroyed enemy formations with a swift blow. After this victory, the cities of Asia Minor fell one after another under the onslaught of the Greeks. Only in Miletus and Halicarnassus did they encounter resistance, but even these cities were eventually captured. Wanting to take revenge on the invaders, Darius III gathered a large army and set out on a campaign against Alexander. They met near the city of Issus in November 333 BC. e., where the Greeks showed excellent preparation and defeated the Persians, forcing Darius to flee. These battles of Alexander the Great became a turning point in the conquest of Persia. After them, the Macedonians were able to subjugate the territories of the huge empire almost unhindered.

Conquest of Syria, Phenicia and the campaign against Egypt

After a crushing victory over the Persian army, Alexander continued his victorious campaign to the South, subjugating the territories adjacent to the Mediterranean coast to his power. His army encountered virtually no resistance and quickly subjugated the cities of Syria and Phenicia. Only the inhabitants of Tire, which was located on an island and was an impregnable fortress, were able to give a serious rebuff to the invaders. But after a seven-month siege, the city’s defenders had to surrender it. These conquests of Alexander the Great had great strategic importance, since they allowed them to cut off the Persian fleet from its main supply bases and protect themselves in the event of an attack from the sea.

At this time, Darius III twice tried to negotiate with the Macedonian commander, offering him money and lands, but Alexander was adamant and rejected both offers, wanting to become the sole ruler of all Persian lands.

In the autumn of 332 BC. e. Greek and Macedonian armies entered Egyptian territory. The inhabitants of the country greeted them as liberators from the hated Persian power, which Alexander the Great was pleasantly impressed with. The biography of the king was replenished with new titles - pharaoh and son of the god Amon, which were assigned to him by the Egyptian priests.

The death of Darius III and the complete defeat of the Persian state

After the successful conquest of Egypt, Alexander did not rest for long; already in July 331 BC. e. his army crossed the Euphrates River and moved towards Media. These were supposed to be decisive battles Alexander the Great, the winner of which received power over all Persian lands. But Darius learned about the plans of the Macedonian commander and came out to meet him at the head of a huge army. Having crossed the Tigris River, the Greeks met the Persian army on a vast plain near Gaugamela. But, as in previous battles, the Macedonian army won, and Darius left his army in the midst of the battle.

Having learned about the flight of the Persian king, the inhabitants of Babylon and Susa submitted to Alexander without resistance.

Having placed his satraps here, the Macedonian commander continued the offensive, pushing back the remnants of the Persian troops. In 330 BC. e. They approached Persepolis, which was held by troops of the Persian satrap Ariobarzanes. After a fierce struggle, the city surrendered to the onslaught of the Macedonians. As was the case with all places that voluntarily did not submit to Alexander's authority, it was burned to the ground. But the commander did not want to stop there and went in pursuit of Darius, whom he overtook in Parthia, but already dead. As it turned out, he was betrayed and killed by one of his subordinates named Bess.

Advancement into Central Asia

The life of Alexander the Great has now changed radically. Although he was a big fan of Greek culture and the system of government, the permissiveness and luxury with which the Persian rulers lived conquered him. He considered himself the rightful king of the Persian lands and wanted everyone to treat him like a god. Those who tried to criticize his actions were immediately executed. He did not even spare his friends and loyal comrades.

But the matter was not over yet, because the eastern provinces, having learned about the death of Darius, did not want to obey the new ruler. Therefore, Alexander in 329 BC. e. went on a campaign again - to Central Asia. In three years he managed to finally break the resistance. Bactria and Sogdiana offered him the greatest resistance, but they also fell before the might of the Macedonian army. This was the end of the story describing the conquests of Alexander the Great in Persia, the population of which completely submitted to his power, recognizing the commander as the King of Asia.

Trek to India

The conquered territories were not enough for Alexander, and in 327 BC. e. he organized another campaign - to India. Having entered the territory of the country and crossed the Indus River, the Macedonians approached the possessions of King Taxila, who submitted to the King of Asia, replenishing the ranks of his army with his people and war elephants. The Indian ruler hoped for Alexander's help in the fight against another king named Porus. The commander kept his word, and in June 326 the great battle on the banks of the Gadispa River, which ended in favor of the Macedonians. But Alexander left Porus alive and even allowed him to rule his lands, as before. On the sites of the battles, he founded the cities of Nicaea and Bucephala. But at the end of the summer, the rapid advance stopped near the Hyphasis River, when the army, exhausted from endless battles, refused to go further. Alexander had no choice but to turn south. Having reached the Indian Ocean, he divided the army into two parts, half of which sailed back on ships, and the rest, together with Alexander, advanced overland. But this was a big mistake for the commander, because their path ran through hot deserts, in which part of the army died. The life of Alexander the Great was in danger after he was seriously wounded in one of the battles with local tribes.

The last years of life and the results of the actions of the great commander

Returning to Persia, Alexander saw that many satraps had rebelled and decided to create their own powers. But with the return of the commander, their plans collapsed, and all those who disobeyed faced execution. After the massacre, the King of Asia began strengthening the internal situation in the country and preparing for new campaigns. But his plans were not destined to come true. June 13, 323 BC e. Alexander dies of malaria at the age of 32. After his death, the commanders divided among themselves all the lands of the huge state.

This is how one of the greatest commanders, Alexander the Great, passed away. The biography of this person is filled with so many bright events that sometimes you wonder - is it possible for an ordinary person to do this? The young man with extraordinary ease subjugated entire nations who worshiped him as a god. The cities he founded have survived to this day, recalling the deeds of the commander. And although the empire of Alexander the Great fell apart immediately after his death, at that time it was the largest and most powerful state, which stretched from the Danube to the Indus.

Dates of Alexander the Great's campaigns and places of the most famous battles

1. 334-300 BC e. - conquest of Asia Minor.
2. May 334 BC e. - a battle on the banks of the Grannik River, victory in which made it possible for Alexander to easily subjugate the cities of Asia Minor.
3. November 333 BC e. - a battle near the city of Issus, as a result of which Darius fled from the battlefield, and the Persian army was completely defeated.
4. January-July 332 BC e. - the siege of the impregnable city of Tire, after the capture of which the Persian army found itself cut off from the sea.
5. Autumn 332 BC e. - July 331 BC e. - annexation of Egyptian lands.
6. October 331 BC e. - battle on the plains near Gaugemal, where the Macedonian army was again victorious, and Darius III was forced to flee.
7. 329-327 BC e. - campaign in Central Asia, conquest of Bactria and Sogdiana.
8. 327-324 BC e. - trip to India.
9. June 326 BC e. - battle with the troops of King Porus near the Gadis River.

Known for his ambitions for conquest, Alexander the Great took his place in history as a great ancient Hellenic commander and conqueror.

Over 10 years of military campaigns, he conquered more than half of the lands known at that time and did not suffer a single defeat in battle!

short biography

Alexander the Great (name - AlexanderIII; nickname - "Great") born July 20-21, 356 BC in Macedonia. His father - PhilipII, was the current king of Macedonia. His mother - Olympics, daughter of the king of Epirus.

It is known that at the age of 7 the boy began to be taught the art of war and various sciences. Alexander showed no interest in philosophy and mathematics. But in horse riding and archery, as well as some other physical and military sciences he had no equal.

Aristotle's student

One of the teachers of young Alexander the Great was Aristotle- famous and wisest ancient Greek philosopher. Thanks to his teacher's stories about the Universe and its many riches and wonders, the boy began to dream of conquering new lands.

After another news that his father Philip had defeated another enemy and conquered the city, AlexanderIII became sad and said: “At this rate, there will be nothing left for me...”

Young commander

At the age of 16, Alexander underwent his first baptism of fire during a battle with the Athenians. His command of the cavalry decided the outcome of the battle in favor of the Macedonians and earned the young commander the nickname "Great". Philip's soldiers praised him!

The father was pleased with his son’s first practical experience, and from that moment on, young Alexander began to closely study military science: the basics of combat, the peculiarities of actions phalanx – combat unit Macedonians, which made their numerical minority unimportant in battles with enemies.

King of Macedonia

When Alexander turned 20 years old, his father was treacherously killed by one of his close associates. The time has come to accept the royal throne and government. Alexander the Great did not participate in internal government, but he actively and fruitfully showed himself as a commander and invader, first of neighboring cities, and later of neighboring and distant lands.

There is a legend that during the siege of Athens, the main commander of the Greeks came to the Macedonian Phocion and said the following words:

“Why do you fight against your fellow tribesmen, against the Hellenes? You strive for fame and riches, so go to Asia and fight against the barbarians. There you will win wealth, achieve military glory, and among the Greeks you will become famous for your kindness.”

The Macedonian took advantage of the wise advice of the Greek commander, retreated from Athens and directed his 40 thousandth army(according to some sources, there were about 50 thousand soldiers) on a campaign to the lands of Asia, Persia, and Egypt.

Pharaoh of Egypt

Having crossed the Hellespont, Alexander and his army took the first fight with the Persian army near Troy, on the Granik River.

The Persian army was defeated by a talented commander from Macedonia. After this, many Persian cities surrendered to the young king without a fight.

In 332 BC. The Macedonian entered Egypt without any resistance and became his Pharaoh. By that time, almost all the military power of the Egyptians was in Asia Minor.

King of Asia

After strengthening his position in Egyptian lands and building the city of Alexandria, Macedonian decides to delve deeper into Asian lands. By that time DariusIII, the Persian king, managed to gather a large army for a new battle with Alexander.

October 1, 331 BC e. a great battle took place at Gaugamelah, during which the troops of the Persians and the peoples subject to them were defeated. Darius once again fled from the battlefield, which further reduced his authority.

After this battle, the satraps of many Persian lands began to call the conqueror Alexander King of Asia and they opened the gates for him without a fight.

Persian king

Next, Alexander moved to the south, where the ancient Babylon And Susa, one of the capitals of the Persian Empire, opened their gates to him. The Persian satraps, having lost faith in Darius, began to serve the King of Asia.

From Susa, Alexander went through mountain passages to Persepolis, the center of the original Persian land. After an unsuccessful attempt to break out on the move, Alexander and part of his army bypassed the troops of the satrap of Persia, Ariobarzanes, and in January 330 BC e. Persepolis fell.

The Macedonian army rested in the city until the end of spring, and before leaving, the palace of the Persian kings was burned.

By famous legend The fire was organized by the hetaera Thais of Athens, the mistress of the military leader Ptolemy, inciting the drunken company of Alexander and his friends.

IN May 330 BC e. Alexander resumed his pursuit of Darius, first in Media and then in Parthia. In July 330 BC. e. King Darius was killed as a result of a conspiracy by his military leaders. Bactrian satrap Bess, who killed Darius, named himself the new king of the Persian Empire. Bess tried to organize resistance in the eastern satrapies, but was captured by his comrades, handed over to Alexander and executed by him in June 329 BC. e.

Trek to India

After the victory over the Persians, Alexander the Great did not return to his native land, but moved to India. In the battle he defeated the army of the Indian king Porus and wanted to reach World Ocean. But then his army rebelled.

The Macedonians did not want to fight anymore, they demanded a return to their homeland, accusing their king of an excessive thirst for wealth and glory. I had to give in to him. He had grandiose plans, he wanted to conquer the whole world, he thought of building a road through the Sahara desert, digging wells along it and much more.

Death of Alexander "The Great"

Upon returning to Babylon, Alexander soon fell ill with a fever. The disease progressed, the Great Commander fought it for 10 days, but June 13, 323 BC Alexander the Great died.

His body was transported to Alexandria, where he was buried with great honors in a golden coffin.

Where and when was the great Russian commander Alexander Suvorov born?

1. Look on Wikipedia
2. Is it bad luck to look on Wikipedia?
3. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov was born (13) November 24, 1729 (according to other sources, 1730) in Moscow, into the family of a nobleman. His father was a general in the Russian army, who strictly monitored the upbringing and education of his son, who studied well and spoke seven languages.

   In 1742, Alexander, according to the custom of that time, was enrolled as a private in the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment. He began active service at the age of seventeen as a corporal. From that moment on, Suvorov's entire life was subordinated to military service.

   Possessing relatively poor health, Suvorov constantly strengthened himself physically. Baptism of fire received on time Seven Years' War. In six years, he rose from junior officer to colonel and was praised by many Russian military leaders for his composure and courage on the battlefield.

   Suvorov's emergence as a commander took place during the two Russian-Turkish wars in the victorious age of Empress Catherine II. A particularly striking victory was the storming of the considered impregnable Turkish fortress of Izmail in 1790. This event entered the annals of Russian history along with the Battles of Poltava and Borodino.

   The next stage of his military biography was the command of Russian troops against the Polish Confederates (1794). Suvorov's arrival in Poland immediately turned the tide in favor of the Russians, and the Confederates capitulated.

   Suvorov, ahead of his time, was able to develop and enrich the best traditions Russian military art. They were embodied in Suvorov’s famous instruction in the book The Science of Victory, written by him in 1796.

   After Catherine’s death in 1796, her son Paul I ascended the Russian throne, with whom the commander’s relationship was not easy. In 1797 Suvorov was sent into exile to the Konchanskoye estate. But after the aggravation of the political situation in Europe and the successes of the French army, the old military leader was remembered and returned to service. A series of victories over the French followed.

   The final stage of the field marshal's military leadership was the Swiss campaign of 1799 and the famous crossing of the Alps. The successful outcome of the entire enterprise became the crown of Suvorov’s lifetime glory. He was granted the highest military rank of generalissimo.

   Suvorov died upon arrival in St. Petersburg (6) on May 18, 1800 and was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

   (5) On May 17, 1801, the monument to the great Russian commander, Prince of Italy, Count A.V. Suvorov was inaugurated on the Champ de Mars in St. Petersburg. At the opening ceremony, in addition to a large audience, the new Russian Emperor Alexander I, the capital's generals and the commander's son were present.

4. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov was born (13) November 24, 1729 (according to other sources, 1730) in Moscow, into the family of a nobleman. His father was a general in the Russian army, who strictly monitored the upbringing and training of his son.

In the section on the question in what year was Alexander the Great born? given by the author Flush the best answer is Alexander the Great Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), one of greatest commanders antiquity, king of Macedonia from 336. Son of King Philip II, raised by Aristotle. Having defeated the Persians at Granicus (334), Issus (333), Gaugamela (331), he subjugated the Achaemenid kingdom, invaded Central Asia (329), conquered lands up to the Indus River, creating the largest world monarchy of antiquity (devoid of strong internal connections, disintegrated after death its creator).
Alexander the Great
"The World History"
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) - commander and statesman. Son of the Macedonian king Philip II. Alexander the Great was raised by the great Athenian philosopher Aristotle, a student of Plato. He showed himself as a military leader in 338 in the battle of Chaeronea, in which the troops led by his father defeated the Athenians and Thebans. In 336 he became king of Macedon and immediately set off with an army to Greece. In 334 he began a campaign to the East against the Persians. At the Battle of Granicus, the troops of the Persian king Darius III were defeated. In 333, Alexander the Great again defeated the Persians at Issus. In 332-331. Greco-Macedonian troops occupied Egypt, where Alexander the Great was recognized as king. He founded the city of Alexandria in the Nile Delta. In 331, Alexander the Great inflicted a decisive defeat on Persian troops near Gaugamela. Darius III fled again. With the capture of the residences of the Persian kings (Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, Ecbatana), Alexander the Great became the owner of enormous wealth. Continuing his campaign to the East, in 329 he invaded Central Asia and captured Bactria and Sogdiana. In 327 he undertook a campaign in Western India. On the Hydaspes River (a tributary of the Indus), he barely defeated the army of the ruler of India, which included 200 war elephants. Alexander the Great was forced to stop further advance of the disease-weary and tired army into the Indus River valley. Alexander the Great made Babylon the capital of his empire. There he died of malaria. His power broke up into a number of Hellenistic states.