Alexander the Great is one of the most heroic figures in European history. Alexander, king of Macedonia, was born 356 BCE in Pella, Macedonia as the son of Philip II and Olympias (“Alexander’s legacy (overview)”). From when Alexander was young he was magnificent. He excelled in nearly everything he did. Alexander, one of the most brilliant military minds, was tutored by Aristotle, one of the wisest men in Greece (Sarah Ann). When he was just a young boy his father came across a wild horse that none of his generals could tame. However, young Alexander was able to calm the horse, mount him, and ride him. He named the horse Bucephalus and rode him into every battle he fought until the horse was killed in a battle way later in his life (“Alexander the Great” world history ABC CLIO). Alexander was not just king of Macedonia; he was a great military general and conqueror. He had taken over the Persian Empire and the rest of the known world. Even though Alexander the Great received his education from Aristotle, he is one of the most known figures in history because of his military tactics against the Persian Empire, and spreading his Hellenistic culture. When Alexander the Great was thirteen, his father Philip II sought out the famous philosopher Aristotle who was at the time known as the wisest man on earth, to educate his son (J.R. Hamilton). Alexander the Great was deeply influenced by Aristotle. Through teaching Alexander the Great philosophy and science, Alexander gained exposure to the world (J.R. Hamilton). Aristotle influenced Alexander’s love for Greek culture and that is where he got the idea to spread it. Another example of what Alexander the Great learned from Aristotle was poetry. Aristotle introduced Alexander to the epic poem the Iliad (“Alexander the Great” world history ABC CLIO). The epic poem tells the story of the Trojan War, and it meant so much to Alexander that he carried his teachers copy with him during his campaigns against the Persians (“Alexander’s legacy (overview)”). Alexander the Great is also well known for his military tactics against the Persian Empire. One example of Alexander the Great’s military tactics was the taking of Asia Minor’s coastline. This was important because he knew the Persians would not be able to set up a naval base along the coast (Ellen Bialo). Another example of Alexander the Great’s military tactics happened when he came upon the Persian gates. Alexander was ambushed and many Greeks died. After regrouping, he learned of a dangerous pass around his ambushers from the natives. Alexander the Great made the tactical decision to divide his forces and travel the dangerous pass. This decision payed off and Alexander the Great and his men were able to defeat the Persians by attacking them from both sides (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia). Also, we can see his wise decision making when Alexander and the Macedonians took victory at the Battle of Gaugamela. The victory had led to the fall of the Persian Empire. Alexander used the military formation called the phalanx. The phalanx is a tactical formation consisting of a block or wall of heavily armed infantry standing shoulder to shoulder in files several ranks deep. Fully developed by the ancient
