ALEXAN DER THE GREAT, son of Philip of Macedon and Olympias, daughter of Neoptolemns of Epirus, was b. at Pella, 356 a.c. Endowed by nature with a happy genius, he early announced his great character. Philip's triumphs saddened him. On one occasion lie exclaimed : "My father will leave nothing for me to do." His educa tion was committed first to Leonidas, a maternal relation, then to Lysimachus, and after wards to Aristotle. This great philosopher withdrew him to a distance from the court, and instructed him in every branch of human learning, especially in what relates to the art of government, while at the same time he disciplined and invigorated his body by gymnastic exercises. As Macedon was surrounded by dangerous neighbors, Aristotle was anxious to inspire his pupil with military ardor, and with this view recommended him to study the Iliad, a revision of which he himself undertook for his use. A. was 16 years of age when his father marched against Byzantium, and left the government in his hands during his absence. Two years afterwards, he displayed singular courage at the battle of Churonea (338 n.c.), where he overthrew the sacred band of the Thebans. "My son," said Philip, as he embraced him after the conflict, "seek for thyself another king dom, for that which I leave is too small for thee." • The father and son quarreled, how ever, when the former repudiated Olympias. A. took part with his mother, and fled, to escape his father's vengeance, to Epirus ; but receiving his pardon soon afterwards, he returned, and accompanied him in an expedition against the Triballi, when he saved his life on the field. Philip being appointed generalissimo of the Greeks, was preparing for a war with Persia, when he was assassinated (336 B. c.), and A., not yet 20 years of age, ascended the throne. After punishing his father's murderers, he went into the Pelopon nesus, and in a general assembly of the Greeks he caused himself to be appointed to the command of the forces against Persia. On his return to Macedon, he found the Illyrians and Triballi up in arms, whereupon he marched against them, forced his way through Thrace, and was everywhere victorious. But now the Thebans had been induced, by a report of his death, to take up arms, and the Athenians, stimulated by the eloquence of Demosthenes, were preparing to join them. To prevent this coalition, A. rapidly marched. against Thebes, which, refusing to surrender, was conquered and razed to the ground : 6000 of the inhabitants were slain, and 30,000 sold into slavery ; the house and family of the poet Pindar alone being spared. This severity struck terror into all Greece. The Athenians were treated with more leniency, A. only requiring of them the banishment of Charidemus, who had been most bitter in his invectives against him.
A. having appointed Antipater his deputy in Europe, now prepared to prosecute the war with Persia. He crossed the Hellespont in the sprinn. of 334 B. C., with 30,000 foot and 5000 horse, attacked the Persian satraps at the river Granlcus, and gained a complete victory, overthrowing the son-in-law of Darius with his own lance. The only real resist ance the Macedonians met with was from the Greek auxiliaries of the Persians,who were marshaled in phalanxes, under the command. of Memnon of Rhodes, but finally they were all slain except 2000, who were taken prisoners. A. celebrated the obsequies of his fallen warriors in a splendid manner, and bestowed many privileges on their relations. Most of the cities of Asia Minor, Sardis not excepted, opened their gates to the conqueror, nor did Miletus or Halicarnassus offer longer resistance. A. restored democracy in all the Greek cities, cut the Gordian-knot (q. v.) with his sword as he passed through Gordium,
and proceeded to the conquest of Lycia, Ionia., Carla, Pamphylia, and Cappadocia. His career was checked for a time by a dangerous illness, brought on by bathing in the Cyd nus. On this occasion be displayed his magnanimity in the following circumstances. He received a letter from Parmenio, insinuating that Philip, his physician, intended to poison him, having been bribed by Darius. A. handed the letter to Philip, and at the same time swallowed the draught which had been prepared for him. As soon as he recovered, he advanced towards the defiles of Cilicia, in which Darius had stationed him self, with an army of above 500,000 men. He arrived in Nov., 333 n.c., in the neighbor hood of Issus, where a battle took place, between the mountains and the sea. The disorderly masses of the Persians were thrown into confusion by the charge of the Mace donians, and fled in terror. On the left wing 30,000 Greeks, in the pay of the Persian king, held out longer, but they, too, were at length compelled to yield. All the treasures as well as the family of Darius fell into the hands of the conqueror, who treated the latter with the greatest magnanimity. The king, who fled towards the Euphrates, twice made overtures of peace, which A. haughtily refused, saying that Darius must regard him as the ruler of Asia, and the lord of all his people. One of the conditions of the second overture was that A. should possess all Asia to the Euphrates. On hearing which, his general, Parmenio, exclaimed : " I would do it, if I were A." " So would I," replied the monarch. "if I were Parmenio." The victory at Issus opened the whole country to the Macedonians. A. now turned towards Syria and Phoenicia, to cut off Darius's escape by sea. He occupied Damascus, where he found princely treasures, and secured to himself all the cities along the shores of the Mediterranean. Tyre, confident in its strong posi tion, resisted 'him, but was conquered and destroyed, after seven months of incredible exertion (332 n.c.). Thence he marched victoriously through Palestine, where all the cities submitted to him except Gaza, which shared the same fate as Tyre. Egypt,weary of the Persian yoke, welcomed him as a deliverer ; and in order to strengthen his domin ion here, he restored all the old customs and religious institutions of the country, and 'founded Alexandria in the beginning of 331 which became one of the first cities of ancient times. Thence he marched through the Libyan desert, in order to consult the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, whose priest saluted him as a son of Jove ; and at the return of spring went against Darius, who had assembled an army in Assyria. A battle ensued, in Oct., 331 n.c., on the plains of Arbela, or rather Guagimela—for Arbela, the point to which A. pursued the Persians,is 50 m. from the scene of the fight. See A RBELA. Not withstanding the immense superiority of his adversary, who had collected a new army of 500,000 men, A. was not for a moment doubtful of victory. Heading the cavalry himself, he rushed on the Persians, and put them to flight ; but as soon as he had entirely dispersed them, he hastened to the assistance of his left wing, which, in the mean while, had been sorely pressed., IIe was anxious to make a prisoner of the'Persian king him self, but the latter escaped by flight on horseback, leaving his baggage and all his treasures a prey to the conqueror. Babylon and Susa, the storehouses of the treasures of the east, opened their gates to the conqueror, who next marched towards Persepolis, the capital of Persia, which he entered in triumph.