In the entirety of history, only a handful of men have been as great as Alexander the Great- who started his legacy as a young king with a great ambition and vision that not only shaped the empire, but as well as the ancient world. Here is the legacy that he left for the world.

Alexander’s Early Years: The Rise of a Young King

Alexander was born in the capital city of the Kingdom of Macedon Pella on July 20 356 BC. He was the son king Philip the second. Alexander was a student of Aristotle, and at the age of 16, his education came to an end. During one of King Philip’s military campaigns against Thracians, Alexander, being only 16 years old at the time was put in charge of Macedonia for a short while. At the age of 18, he led the Macedonian army of around 30 thousand soldiers at the battle of Chaeronea and defeated Athens and Thebes.

After the return of King Philip from Pella, he married Cleopatra Eurydice, which threatened Alexander’s inheritence of the throne, so Alexander and his mother were exiled from Macedonia.

On the 25th of October 336 BC, King Philip was assassinated at his brother’s wedding, and Alexander was proclaimed as king on the spot.

Forging of an Empire

After his Ascension, the first thing Alexander did was get rid of his political opponents, and then set his sights on an eastern expansion, towards neighboring Persia. Inspired by his late father’s aspirations of expanding Greek influence, he began a military campaign 2 years later into Asia minor.

Alexander first made contact with the Persians at the battle of Granicus in May 334 BC. He swiftly defeated the Persians and set his army to advance southwards towards the cities of Tyre and Gaza. After facing fierce resistance he advanced towards Egypt.

In the year 331 BC it was a turning point for him, when he forced the King of Persia, Darius to flee twice, effectively ending the Persian threat and resistance, which really solidified his title as “The King of Asia”

To the Ends of the Earth: Expansion into India and the Birth of the Hellenistic Culture

After his conquest of Persia, he pushed further eastwards, with now his ambitions set to explore what previously was uncharted by Greeks.

in 327 BC he embarked in a new military campaign, into unfamiliar landscapes, cultures and armies. In 326 BC he faced King Porus in the battle of Hydaspes, where Alexander secured a decisive victory and captured King Porus. Alexander later appointed Porus as the ruler of the region where the battle of Hydaspes took place.

Alexander’s campaign had not only expanded his empire’s physical boundaries but also began a cultural revolution. The Hellenistic world he helped create saw Greek culture blend with Persian, Indian, and Egyptian ones, leading to advancements in art, science, literature, and philosophy. Greek became a common language for trade across the region. The cities he founded became centers of learning, trade, and cultural exchange, attracting scholars, merchants, and artists from all over the world. This merging of Greek and local cultures, languages, and beliefs defined the Hellenistic Era.

The sudden Death of Alexander and his Legacy

In 323 BC Alexander suddenly fell ill at the young age of 32. The cause of his death is still unknown. At the time of his death, Alexander had not appointed a successor. So after his death, the empire was divided between his generals, which they ruled as independent kingdoms:

• The Seleucid Empire: Covering most of Persia and Mesopotamia, founded by General Seleucus.

• The Ptolemaic Kingdom: Centered around Egypt, founded by Ptolemy I Soter.

• The Antigonid Empire: Based in Macedonia and Greece, led by the general successor of Alexander the Great, Antigonus I Monophthalmus.

In cities like Alexandria in Egypt and Antioch in Syria, Greek art, philosophy, and science merged with local practices. These cities became centers of learning, attracting philosophers, and artists who made groundbreaking contributions in fields such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and literature. For example:

• Science: Hellenistic thinkers like Euclid and Archimedes made advances in mathematics, and Herophilus laid the foundations for anatomy.

• Art and Architecture: Hellenistic art merged Greek ideals of beauty with Eastern themes, resulting in more expressive and realistic portrayals of human emotions and movements.

•  Philosophy: Hellenistic religions and philosophies, like Stoicism offered ways to Philosophy:understand the human nature.