Alexander III, King of Macedonia, was the
first king to be called "the Great". The son of Philip II and
Olympias, Alexander was born in 356 B.C.E. He was taught by Aristotle and had a
love for the works of Homer. Alexander became the King of Macedonia in 336
B.C.E. upon his father’s death. He took up his father’s war of
aggression against Persia, adopting his slogan of a "Hellenic
Crusade" against the barbarians. He defeated the small force defending
Anatolia, proclaiming freedom for the Greek Cities, while keeping them under
tight control. After a campaign through the Anatolian highlands (to impress the
tribesmen), he met and defeated the Persian army under Darius III at Issue
(near modern Iskenderun, Turkey). He occupied Syria and after a long siege of
Tyre, Phoenicia, Alexander then entered Egypt, where he was accepted as
pharaoh. He died in June 323 B.C.E.
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