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Philip is assassinated in 336, and Alexander becomes king at age 20, inheriting his father’s military forces. He kills his rivals to protect his throne and subdues the Greek states. They agree to supply troops for his planned war against Persia.
334–333
Battle of IssusAlexander the Great leading his forces against the retreating Persian army led by Darius III at the Battle of Issus in 333 bce, detail of a mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii; in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy.
Photos.com/ThinkstockCrossing the Dardanelles into Persia, Alexander defeats King Darius III at the Granicus River and in Issus, conquering western Persia. He turns south in order to deny the Persian fleet access to ports along the coast. He decides to disband his own navy and fight a land war in Persia.
332
Alexander conquers Tyre and Egypt, where he founds the city of Alexandria.
331–329
Alexander defeats Darius at Gaugamela and, after Darius’s death, declares himself King of Asia. He consolidates his victory in Persia and uses its wealth to fund his expeditions. His expedition spreads Hellenistic culture throughout the conquered lands. Surveyors, engineers, architects, scientists, court officials, and historians accompany him on his campaigns. In an effort to blend Macedonian and Persian cultures Alexander adopts Persian dress.
327–325
Alexander the Great's empireAlexander the Great's conquests spread Greek civilization and culture into Asia and Egypt. His vast empire stretched eastward into India.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Alexander invades India, defeating several local rulers. His last great battle is against King Porus at Hydaspes River. Afterward, his weary troops refuse to go further, and he is forced to turn back. A disastrous march through the Gedrosia desert causes great suffering and many deaths.
324
Alexander returns to Susa, the administrative center of the Persian empire. He conducts a mass marriage ceremony between Macedonia soldiers and Persian women. It is another attempt to unite the two cultures. He sends many veterans home with prizes and honors and begins to plan for further expeditions.
June 13, 323
After a short illness Alexander dies in Babylon. He has not named a successor, and his empire rapidly splits into warring factions. Eventually, several of his former generals establish their own kingdoms.
Philip II was the 18th king of Macedonia (359–336 bce), who restored internal peace to his country and by 339 had gained domination over all of Greece by military and diplomatic means, thus laying the foundations for its expansion under his son Alexander III the Great. Philip was a son of Amyntas
Army, a large organized armed force trained for war, especially on land. The term may be applied to a large unit organized for independent action, or it may be applied to a nation’s or ruler’s complete military organization for land warfare. Throughout history, the character and organization of
