Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mould of Achilles, featuring prominently in the history and mythic traditions of both Greek and non-Greek cultures.

Greek-speaking communities in central and far eastern Anatolia survived until the Greek genocide and the population exchange in the 1920s. The Greek language became the lingua franca of the region and was the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire up until its end in the mid-15th century AD. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture resulted in Hellenistic civilization, which developed through the Roman Empire into modern Western culture. He founded more than twenty cities that bore his name, most notably Alexandria in Egypt. In the years following his death, a series of civil wars tore his empire apart.Īlexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion and syncretism which his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism and Hellenistic Judaism. He did not manage to execute a series of planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. He eventually turned back at the Beas River due to the demand of his homesick troops, dying in Babylon in 323 BC the city he planned to establish as his capital.

Alexander endeavored to reach the 'ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea' and invaded India in 326 BC, achieving an important victory over King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes.

At that point, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River. He subsequently overthrew King Darius III and conquered the Achaemenid Empire in its entirety. Following his conquest of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, including those at Issus and Gaugamela. In 334 BC he invaded the Achaemenid Empire (Persian Empire) and began a series of campaigns that lasted 10 years. He used his authority to launch his father's pan-Hellenic project, which involved him assuming the leadership position to all the Greeks in their conquest of Persia. After sacking the city of Thebes, Alexander was awarded the generalship of Greece. His father Philip was assassinated in 336 BC at the wedding of Cleopatra of Macedon, Alexander's sister, and Alexander assumed the throne of the Kingdom of Macedon. Alexander on a mosaic from Pompeii, an alleged reproduction of a Philoxenus of Eretria or Apelles' painting, 4th century BC.ĭuring his youth, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle until the age of 16.

Third age divide and conquer