Karl Alven G.

Monje San Jacinto Seminary

Alexander The Great: life, victory, and death

Alexander III of Macedon was born in Pella, the capital of the Kingdom of
Macedon in 356 BC. He was the son of King Philip II, king of Macedon and Olympias.
When he was thirteen years old, he was under the guidance of Aristotle, who
inspired him with an interest in philosophy. At the age of 16, Alexander the Great
ended his tutoring under the care of Aristotle. Basically, Alexander's mother was
responsible for guiding his formative years. Her first priority was to instill in him a
sense of destiny and the greatness to which he would ascend. She may also have
tried to turn him against his father, especially criticizing Philip's moral
shortcomings. This training likely contributed to the dislike that developed between
father and son, while Alexander always held his mother in the deepest respect,
despite knowledge of her less scrupulous actions. On the other hand, however,
Alexander did feel genuine admiration for his father, and in many ways he followed
Philip's path as a military leader and king.

When King Philip II attacked Byzantium, Alexander was left in charge of

Macedon. He was barely twenty years old when he succeeded his father. Philip
divorced Olympias on the grounds of suspected adultery, and he encouraged rumors
that Alexander himself may have been illegitimate. The implications were clear:
Philip was paving the way for a new successor when he married Cleopatra, the niece
of Attalus, a strong enemy of Alexander. The marriage between his father and
Cleopatra made Alexander's position as heir less secure, since any son of Cleopatra
Eurydice would be a fully Macedonian heir while Alexander was only half-
Macedonian. Alexander escorted his mother to her native home in Epirus after the
wedding incident that rose between King Philip, Alexander, and Attalus when the
latter insulted Alexander of being a bastard. Philip's new wife, Cleopatra, became
pregnant, which made Alexander's hopes appear increasingly grim. When the child
turned out to be a girl, however, Philip had to reconsider his plans and brought
Alexander back. Though Olympias was not invited to return, Alexander did go back
to Macedonia for he wanted to succeed his father to be the ruler of Macedon.

Alexander overthrew the Persian Empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and
laid the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms. Alexander's legacy
extended beyond his military invasions. His campaigns greatly increased contacts and
trade between East and West and vast areas to the east were significantly exposed to
Greek civilization and influence. In 323 BC, Alexander died in the palace of
Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon at the age of thirty-two. With Alexander's death came the
gradual dismantling of the empire, which had no chance of enduring without his
leadership. In his thirty-two years he had assembled one of the greatest military records
in history. While he may have viewed himself as above the human race, there is no doubt
that few men have changed the course of human history to a comparable extent. The
ultimate extent of Alexander's success remains disputable.