Alexander the Great

A biography of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, who conquered Persia and established a vast empire in twelve years.

Alexander the Great, barely nineteen, inherited a kingdom in turmoil after his father's assassination. He faced a Greek world that had just been conquered by his father Philip, but now questioned his leadership. With a small army and little time, he marched south to claim his father's position of authority. The Greek states, led by Athens and Thebes, were divided, with some supporting him and others plotting against him. Alexander's bold move to march through Thermopylae Pass, where Leonidas had once defended Greece against Persia, marked his first major test. He needed to prove himself not just as a ruler, but as a leader who could command respect. The Thebans, who had been subdued by his father, now rebelled, testing Alexander's resolve. His swift and decisive response to their rebellion would shape his reputation and the future of Greece.