Alexander the Great

-356 – -323

Alexander III of Macedon, known as Alexander the Great, was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon who in his short reign from 336 to 323 BC built one of the largest empires in the ancient world, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. His campaigns produced repeated mass slaughter of civilians and the destruction of cities including Thebes, Tyre, and Persepolis—the latter set ablaze in 330 BC—and the foundation of more than twenty cities, many bearing his name. He died at age 32 in Babylon under disputed medical circumstances, and his empire fragmented within a generation among his quarreling generals.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM