User:Bryan.Murry/Alexander the Great in Egypt

 Alexander the Great in Egypt

Alexander the Great is said to have had one of the greatest military minds in history. Born to Phillip II and Olympia in June, 356BC, in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia. Alexander was taught by Aristotle throughout his early teen years, this is where it has been said he gathered his exceptional military precision and tactics. Aristotle also stimulated Alexander’s interest in science, medicine and philosophy, which made him a well cultured man of his times. In the summer of 336BC, Alexander’s father was assassinated, and Alexander ascended to the Macedonian throne. Alexander conquered Egypt in the autumn of 332 BC, where hieroglyphic inscriptions show that he probably presented himself as the successor to the Persian King as the land’s ruler rather than as an Egyptian pharaoh. Alexander made multiple trips across the desert of Egypt, to visit an oracle at the temple of Zeus Ammon. The oracle informed Alexander that he was the son of Zeus Ammon, and that for this he was destined to rule the world. Egypt despised living under Persian rule, so Alexander was made pharaoh by the Egyptians voluntarily. On the coast west of the Nile River, Alexander founded a new city after himself in 331 BC, named Alexandria. The city of Alexandria would be one of Alexander the Great’s many cities that he would go on to establish as far east as Afghanistan. It would also become one of the major cultural centers in the Mediterranean world. Throughout Alexander the Great’s rein as king he was never able to retain full control of his kingdom as long as his archrival Darius of Persia was around. Alexander began his war against Persia, in the spring of 334 BC, with an army of 35,000 Macedonians and 7,600 Greeks. They were determined to conquer all of Asia marching from the north. Alexander the Great was victorious battle after battle, receiving the surrenders of all major cities on the Phoenician coast. So in the summer of 330 BC, he marched north in the pursuit of eliminating Darius. Darius proposed a truce with Alexander with several gifts of western provinces which Alexander refused to accept. In a rebellion caused by the resentment of his mismanagement of the Persian army, Darius was slain by his own men. This resulted in the end of the Persian empire. When Alexander the Great came upon Darius’ body he ordered it to be sent back to Persepolis, where it was buried in the royal cemetery of the Archaemenid kings.