Alexander the Great

356–323 BCE · Macedonian Greek · Hellenistic Period

Known for: Conquered the largest empire in the ancient world by age 30—from Greece to India

Alexander inherited the Macedonian throne at 20 after his father Philip II's assassination, and within 13 years had conquered the Persian Empire, Egypt, Central Asia, and parts of India—the largest empire the world had seen. He never lost a battle.

He was tutored by Aristotle, slept with a copy of the Iliad under his pillow, and modeled himself on Achilles. He founded over 20 cities named Alexandria (the Egyptian one became antiquity's greatest metropolis). He adopted Persian customs and dress, married Persian princesses, and tried to fuse Greek and Eastern cultures.

He died in Babylon at 32 under mysterious circumstances—fever, possibly poisoning, definitely heavy drinking. His generals immediately carved up the empire. His embalmed body was hijacked by Ptolemy and displayed in Alexandria for centuries.

Browse all 1,000 figures by category

Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.