Alexander the Great: What History Tells Us

-  Alexander the Great was born in Pella, Macedonia in 356 B.C.
-  His parents were King Philip II and Olympias, though Olympias insisted that Zeus was Alexander's father and not Philip.
-  Alexander was educated by Aristotle.
-  Alexander tamed his horse, Bucephalus, at the age of 12 and rode him in all of his major battles.
-  Alexander's greatest emotional attachment is said to have been to his companion, commander, and most likely, lover, Hephaestion, though scholars disagree on whether or not they were actually lovers.
-  Philip was assassinated in 336 B.C. and Alexander became king.
-  By the age of 25, Alexander ruled Macedon, Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, and Persia.
-  His greatest victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 B.C.
-  In less than a decade, Alexander created an empire that stretched across 3 continents and covered around 2 million square miles.
-  Alexander has been acknowledged as a military genius who always led by example.
-  In 13 years, his troops only refused to follow him into battle once.
-  Died in June 323 B.C.