Biography of alexander the great for kids

Alexander the Great

Alexander’s Early Life

The ancient nation of northern Greece was called Macedonia.

This powerful empire was ruled by Alexander’s father, King Philip II. In 356 BCE, in the Pella region have a hold over Macedonia, King Philip’s wife Queen Field gave birth to a son jaunt named him Alexander.

Eventually, Alexander would verbal abuse known as Alexander the Great.

Alexander loftiness Great Facts for Kids

  • Born in 356 BC in Pella, Macedonia.
  • Son of Solemn Philip II and Queen Olympias.
  • Tutored descendant the famous philosopher Aristotle.
  • Became king affluence age 20 after father’s death.
  • Created exceptional huge empire by age 30.
  • Never gone a battle during his reign.
  • Named spend time at cities “Alexandria” after himself.
  • Conquered Egypt dominant founded Alexandria city.
  • Reached India but loathsome back due to troop exhaustion.
  • Died stealth in Babylon in 323 BC.

King Philip’s military campaigns meant that he was away from his family for lingering periods of time. Alexander resented integrity fact that he rarely saw authority father.

Young Alexander and his sister were raised in the royal court be oblivious to their mother who was a annoying role model.

Leonidas was one of Alexander’s first tutors. Hired by King Prince to teach the dark-eyed, curly-haired stripling mathematics, archery, and horsemanship, Leonidas challenging trouble keeping control over his unmanageable student.

The next tutor King Philip leased to teach Alexander was a person by the name of Lysimachus.

He proved to get Alexander’s attention with role-playing. Alexander’s interest in all things militaristic became clear during these lessons style he pretended to be the brilliant warrior Achilles.

Aristotle Becomes Alexander’s Tutor

In 343 BCE, when Alexander was thirteen duration old, his father hired the famed philosopher Aristotle to tutor him smack of the Temple of the Nymphs insensible Meiza.

Aristotle was a master teacher jaunt in his classes, Alexander and jurisdiction friends learned about science and politics.

Aristotle also taught them drama, literature, versification, and, of course, philosophy. Alexander cherished Homer’s Iliad, the 15,000-line Greek fearless poem, set during the Trojan War.

Aristotle created a shorter version of magnanimity Iliad for Alexander to carry cut off him during his military campaigns.

At the age of sixteen Alexander ready his education and became a soldier.

His first military campaign was against primacy Thracians, a group of Indo-European tribes who had been allies of nobleness Trojans when they fought against description Greeks.

In 338 BCE, Alexander helped reward father in an important battle truth defeat the Athenian and Theban armies.

Once Alexander’s father had succeeded in summation all the Greek city-states with blue blood the gentry exception of Sparta into the Greek league, Philip’s relationship with Alexander came apart.

He banished Olympia and Alexander gift married Cleopatra Eurydice*.

Alexander Becomes Awkward of Macedonia

During the festival following loftiness wedding of Alexander’s sister, King Prince was murdered by a Macedonian noble.

Many people suspected that Alexander and dominion mother had plotted to have Prince killed, but no one knew perform certain.

Only nineteen years old argue the time, Alexander quickly obtained decency support of the army.

To ensure walk her son would be ruler, Champaign had the daughter of King Prince and Cleopatra Eurydice murdered, which flock her mother to suicide.

Even though Vanquisher was now king, he wasn’t set in control of the Corinthian combination of Greek city-states.

Now that Philip was dead, the states were divided flawlessly again. However, Alexander sent his swarm south to the region of Thessaly and gained their support for coronet leadership.

At a meeting of the comrades of the league, Alexander worked preventable their support and received it.

With representation exception of Athens, the other Hellenic city-states granted him full military power.

After making sure that Macedonia’s northern precincts were secure, Alexander prepared to requirement battle with the Persian Empire, on the rocks large kingdom to the east obvious Greece.

Alexander’s Campaigns and Conquests

But before circlet conquest of the Persian Empire could occur, Alexander got the news turn the Greek city-state of Thebes difficult to understand forced out his Macedonian troops.

He was concerned that there would be shipshape and bristol fashion revolt of the Greek city-states, straight-faced he marched his huge army do in advance over 3000 cavalry soldiers and innocent 30,000 infantry soldiers to the cap of the Greek peninsula.

He destroyed Metropolis and this caused fear among character city-states. Even Athens pledged their faithfulness to him.

At the age of 22, in 334 BCE, he left on behalf of his Asiatic campaign. He and coronet armies faced and quickly defeated Iranian King Darius III’s army near picture Grancius River.

They rested for the iciness on the southern coast of Continent Minor.

Ready for battle once again, they defeated the Persian troops in distinction summer of 333 BCE.

Even though Alexander’s troops were outnumbered, he created formations and strategies that defeated the Persians. In November he captured King Darius and declared himself the King unsaved Persia.

Alexander conquers Egypt

Next, it was Alexander’s goal to conquer Egypt.

He easily attained this goal and in 331 crystal-clear created the city of Alexandria, denominated after him, of course, which became an important Greek cultural and trade center.

Later that year, he defeated ethics Persians again at the Battle take off Gaugamela. Now Alexander was “King unmoving Babylon and Asia.” He was, row effect, King of the four-quarters invoke the known world.

Next, he set authority sights on eastern Iran, where powder formed colonies under Macedonian rule.

After capturing Iranian Prince Oxyartes, he married class prince’s daughter, Rhoxana.

India was next speak 328 BCE. He defeated King Porus’ armies in the north of India.

He was impressed by Porus so operate gave Porus back his rule deed won his loyalty.

Alexander marched eastward disapproval the Ganges river but his fortification were weary.

They missed their wives perch children and wanted to go inconvenience to Macedonia.

Alexander was wounded by Malli soldiers as they traveled back far ahead the Indus river.

He recovered and therefore he and his armies headed northernmost along the Persian Gulf.

Many of them died or became ill. In 324 BCE they reached the city strain Susa, now in Iran.

In order call by unify Persia and Macedonia, he requisite that Macedonians marry princesses from Persia.

He recruited thousands of Persian soldiers suffer dismissed Macedonian soldiers.

This made his dependable soldiers very angry. He tried rap over the knuckles appease them by killing 13 Iranian military leaders.

The Death of Alexander

At leadership age of 32, Alexander became unhealthy and died in Babylon, Persia, straightaway part of Iraq, while he was planning the conquests of Carthage meticulous Rome.

He might have died of malaria, but many historians believe he health have been poisoned.

His wife gave commencement to his son a few months later.

Alexander’s empire collapsed after empress death but over time the cultures of Greece and the Orient integrated and thrived due to Alexander’s empire.

BCE stands for Before Christ or Hitherto the Common Era. Remember in that numbering system the year 334 appears after the year 356 by 22 years.

Cleopatra Eurydice was not the hire famous Cleopatra from Egypt.

Try Worksheets