Accession of Alexander the Great - 336 BC

After the battle of Chaeronea (see 338 BC Philip of Macedon invades Greece) Philip II was preparing to lead a Greek and Macedonian army into Persia and put an end to their empire. Before he could do so he was murdered by one of his nobles, and his son, Alexander (356— 323 BC) took over the command.

He was only twenty-two when he set out with his army, and was never to see his homeland again. Indeed, he was des­tined to make himself master of the world during the next eleven years and to earn himself the title of ‘the Great’.

He marched into Syria and defeated King Darius III of Persia (reigned 336— 330BC) at the battle of Issus (333BC) then swept on to capture Tyre after a siege of seven months, before invading and con­quering Egypt. He next led his army into Mesopotamia to defeat Darius III yet again at the battle of Arbela (331 BC) then pushed on, despite grumblings from his weary army, until he reached northern India. He finally made his way down to the Indus and then, satisfied at last, he agreed to lead his world-conquering war­riors home again. He reached Mesopo­tamia once more but became stricken with fever and died in Babylon at the early age of thirty-three.