Alexander the great Alexander the Great was the king of Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian Empire. He is considered one of the greatest military geniuses of all times. He was inspiration for many later conquerors and leaders.

Early life Alexander was born around 20th July 356 BC, although the exact date is unknown. He was the son of  Philip II and his fourth wife, Olympias. There are many legends about the birth of Alexander. His mother Olympias on the eve of the consummation of her marriage to Philip, dreamed that her womb was struck by a thunder bolt, causing a flame that spread “far and wide”. His father Philip also had a dream in which he was securing his wife’s womb with a seal engraved with a lion’s image. People interpreted those dreams that he is going to be a great leader. He was very talented & ambitious when he was young.

Alexander & Bucephalus When Alexander was ten years old, a trader from Thessaly brought Philip a horse, which he offered to sell for thirteen talents. The horse refused to be mounted and Philip ordered it away. Alexander however, detecting the horse's fear of its own shadow, asked to tame the horse, which he eventually managed. Philip, overjoyed at this display of courage and ambition, kissed his son tearfully, declaring: "My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedon is too small for you", and bought the horse for him. Alexander named it Bucephalus, meaning "ox-head". Bucephalaus carried Alexander as far as Pakistan. When the animal died, Alexander named a city after him, Bucephala.

Territories & goals Alexander conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, including Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria, and Mesopotamia, and extended the boundaries of his own empire as far as Punjab, India. His goals were to become a great monarch & to conquer & unite the world. He emerged victorious over the course of 13 years of battles from which was forged one of the largest empires the world has ever seen.

Alexander’s intelligence Alexander managed to solve one of the greatest & most popular puzzles-The Gordian Knot. He solved it by cutting it with his sword & that is why today the Gordian Knot is often used as a metaphor for problems that have to be solved with “thinking outside the box”.

Alexander’s death On either 10 or 11 June 323 BC, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon, at age 32. There are many theories about his death, some people think he died from a disease & others think he died from poison. Even though he died he is still remembered as one of the greatest leaders & kings the world has seen.

Macedonia Alexander the Great is my country’s pride. He is admired by many people & he is a great inspiration. In Skopje (the capital city of Macedonia) there is a 22 meters high monument of him on his horse.

Made by Marija Mateska