Early Life
Alexander the Great was born in the Pella region of Macedonia on July 20, 356 B.C., to King Philip II of Macedon and Queen Olympia. The young prince and his sister were raised in Pella's royal court. Growing up, the dark-eyed and curly-headed Alexander hardly ever saw his father, who spent most of his time fighting in military campaigns. Although Olympia served as a powerful role model for the boy, Alexander grew to resent his father's absence.
In 343 B.C., King Philip II hired the philosopher Aristotle to teach Alexander. Over the course of three years, Aristotle taught Alexander and a handful of his friends philosophy, poetry, drama, science and politics. Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, inspired Alexander to dream of becoming a heroic warrior, so Aristotle created a shorter version for Alexander to carry with him on military campaigns.
In 339 B.C. while still just a teen, he became a soldier and embarked on his first military expedition, against the Thracian tribes. In 338, Alexander took charge of a cavalry unit and helped his father defeat the Athenian and Theban armies at Chaeronea. Once King Philip II united most of the Greek states into the Corinthian League, the alliance between father and son soon fell apart. King Philip II married Cleopatra Eurydice and ousted Alexander's mother, Olympia. Alexander and Olympia were forced to flee Macedonia until Alexander and King Philip II were able to settle their differences.
Campaigns And Conquests
After his father's death, Alexander, then 19, was determined to seize the throne by any means necessary. He quickly gained the support of the Macedonian army.
Even though Alexander was the king of Macedonia, he didn't automatically gain control of the rest of Greece. In fact, the southern states of Greece celebrated King Philip II's death and launched independence movements to break free from Macedonia. Alexander sent his army south and forced the region of Thessaly into acknowledging him as the leader of the Corinthian League.
Alexander received the news that Thebes, a Greek city-state, had forced out the Macedonian troops stationed there. Fearing a revolt among the other city-states, Alexander marched his massive army — which consisted of 3,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry — southward all the way to the tip of the Greek peninsula.
Alexander and his forces arrived in Thebes. Three days later, they killed the residents and destroyed the city. Alexander hoped it would serve as a warning to city-states thinking about revolt. His plan proved effective; the other Greek city-states, including Athens, chose to become allies of the Macedonian Empire or to remain neutral.
In 334, Alexander faced Persian King Darius III's army and swiftly defeated it. Then, in the summer of 333, Alexander and Darius' troops once again went head to head. Although Alexander's army was outnumbered, he used his talent for military strategy to defeat the Persians again and force Darius to flee. In November of 333, Alexander declared himself the king of Persia after capturing Darius.
Next up on Alexander's agenda was his campaign to conquer Egypt, which gave up without resistance. In 331, he created the city of Alexandria, designed as a center of Greek culture and commerce. Later that year, Alexander defeated the Persians, and with the collapse of the Persian army, Alexander became "King of Babylon, King of Asia, King of the Four Quarters of the World."
In 325, Alexander and his army headed north along the rugged Persian Gulf. In February 324, Alexander at last reached the city of Susa. Desperate to hold onto his leadership and draft more soldiers, he commanded that large numbers of Macedonians marry Persian princesses. After Alexander managed to recruit tens of thousands of Persians into his army, he fired many of his Macedonian soldiers. This enraged the Macedonians, who spoke critically of Alexander's new troops and condemned him for adopting Persian customs and manners.
Death
Alexander died of malaria in Babylon, now Iraq, on June 13, 323 B.C. He was just 32 years old. After Alexander died, his empire collapsed and the nations within it battled for power. Over time, the cultures of Greece and Asia mixed and thrived as a side effect of Alexander's empire, becoming part of his legacy.
1-
The author most likely includes the paragraph about Alexander's education to --
A. Illustrate how poor Alexander was as a child
B. Show how Alexander's childhood prepared him to rule
C. Show how much his mother cared for him
D. explain why he didn't understand important religious concepts
2-
What is the best way to describe the organization of this article?
A. It presents two different opinions on a topic
B. It is a persuasive essay
C. It is a fictional story
D. It is in chronological order
3-
Many historians are impressed by Alexander because he accomplished so much at a young age. Which quote from the article does not support this idea?
A. "In 339 B.C. while still just a teen, he became a soldier and embarked on his first military expedition"
B. "In 325, Alexander and his army headed north along the rugged Persian Gulf."
C. "After his father's death, Alexander, then 19, was determined to seize the throne by any means necessary."
D. "Alexander died of malaria in Babylon, now Iraq, on June 13, 323 B.C. He was just 32 years old."
4-
Who would most benefit from reading this article?
A. A student looking for information on Greek theater
B. A teacher preparing a lesson on ancient Rome
C. A reader interested in military history
D. Someone looking to study Persian religion
1- B. Show how Alexander's childhood prepared him to rule
2- D. It is in chronological order
3- B. "In 325, Alexander and his army headed north along the rugged Persian Gulf."
4- C. A reader interested in military history