Alexander the Great
and the Hellenistic Empires
By: Keith McCalla, Matt Fieger, Mike Kiotis, and
Matt Thornton
Alexander III (356-323 BC), or Alexander the Great was
Macedonian king and son of Philip II of Macedon and an Epirote princess
named Olympias. Alexander was tutored by Aristotle in science and the political
arts, and he received a complete education in military tactics and strategy
from the great Macedonian generals, Antipater and Parmenion. He had his
first diplomatic experience while he was still a child, when he received
the ambassadors of Persia during his father's absence. At the age of eighteen
he led the Macedonian cavalry in a victorious charge which won the Battle
of Chaeronea in 338 BC.
Alexander's empire quickly fell apart after his death due to possibly
malaria. There arose several Greco-Macedonian kingdoms across the East.
There was the Ptolematic East, the Seludic Empire, and the Greek Bactria.
Alexander's officers and the ordinary soldiers were in dispute over what
to do for the heir of Alexander's empire. Alexander's officers thought
they should wait for Roxanne's baby. If it was a boy, he would rule when
he was old enough. The ordinary soldiers, on the other hand, wanted to
give the throne to Alexander's half-brother. They finally agreed to let
Roxanne's child and Alexander's half-brother have a joint rule.
An in-depth look at the Hellenistic
Empires
People of the Empire and Resources