ABSTRACT
ALEXANDER III. of Macedon, and I. of Egypt, who is universally known as ALEXANDER THE GREAT, was the son of Philip II. of Macedon, and of Olympias, the daughter of Neoptolemus 1., kin g of Epirus, through whom she traced her descent back to Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles. He was born B.C. 356; his father made him viceroy of Macedonia in 340, and he ascended the throne immediately after th e murder of his father in 336; he defeated Darius III., king of Persia, at the Battle of the Granicus in 334, and at the Battle of Issus in 333, and captured Tyre and Gaza in 332, after an obstinate siege of each city. H e march ed into Egypt in the same year, and founded Alexandria B .C. 331; in the same year he utterly defeat ed Darius III. at the Battle of Arbela. He conquered Persia and Media and buried Darius IlL, who had been murdered by Bessus, in 330; conquered Bactria in 329; and Sogdiana in 328; he invaded India in 327 and vanquished Porus the
hing j he returned to Persepolis and Susa in 326 j and to Ecbatana in 325; and in 324 to Babylon, where he died after a few days' illness at the age of 32 years, having reigned 12 years and eight months .
