Alexander's Conquests.Alexander was only 20, when he became king of Macedonia. Phillip had carefully trained his son for leadership. While still a boy, Alexander often went with his father ot the battlefront. At age 16 he rose to commander in the Macedonia army. After his fathers death, Alexander was ready to fulfill his fathers dream--- the invasion of the Persian Empire.
In the spring of 334 b.c. Alexander invaded Asia Minor with about 37,000 Macedonian and Greek foot soilders. He aslo took along 5,000 monuted warriors. With alexander at their head, the cavalry destroyed the forces of the local Persian satraps at the Battle of Granicus.
By the next year, Alexander had freed the Greek cities in Asia Minor from Persian rule and defeated a large Persian Army at Issus. |
The empire breaks apart.
Alxander the Great planned to unite the Macedonians, Greeks, and Persians in his new empire. He used the Persians as officials and encouraged his soulders to marry asian women. After Alexander died, however, his generals fought one another for power. As a result, the empire that Alexander had created fell apart. 4 kingdoms took its place: Macedonia, Pergamum, Egypt, and the Seclucid Empire.