Alexander III of Macedon served as king of Macedonia from 336 to 323 B.C. The history of Alexander is a mixture of facts and legends, but it is clear that from his earliest youth, Alexander was determined to be powerful and during his time of leadership, he united Greece, reestablished the coronation league and conquered the Persian Empire. Alexander was not only a military genius, but he was able to spread the Greek culture including his love of knowledge. These accomplishments, along with his strong personality, earned him the title “Alexander the Great”.
Alexander, the son of King Philip II of Macedon and queen Olympia, daughter of King Neoptolemus, was born in the city of Pella the capital of the Macedonian kingdom. Alexander inherited traits from both his parents. “His father was a shrewd king and general, his mother, a princess, was known for her brilliance and hot-temper.” Alexander was brought up in Pella’s royal court and was educated by a series of tutors.
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Leonidas had been hired by King Phillip to teach Alexander math, horsemanship and archery but this was a struggle because Alexander was rebellious. Alexander's next tutor was Lysimachus, who used role-playing to make learning more exciting for his young pupil. Alexander particularly liked to impersonate the warrior Achilles, whom his mother had told him was a family ancestor. Additionally, Alexander was also educated by the great philosopher Aristotle.
In 340 B.C., while Alexander’s father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was left in charge of Macedonia. During this time there was a revolt and Alexander was able to put down the rebels. Alexander’s military career was begun, and four years later in 336 B.C. when his father Philip was assassinated, Alexander became the ruler of all of Macedonia. As he came to the throne Alexander was wary of those around him so he had his potential rivals executed in order to secure the