One of the greatest military geniuses of all time: Alexander the Great was born in Pella. He was king of the Macedonians and son of Philip II. He conquered the Persian Empire, which stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to India and constituted much of what was then regarded the civilized world. Alexander's conquests spread Greek ideas and customs in western Asia and Egypt. Hence, he made possible the Hellenistic Age. The ancient world experienced a turning point in its history that would be felt throughout Asia and the Mediterranean region. Alexander's character and skills brought about a new political, social, and cultural order.
             Alexander was a great war strategist. When he was 16, Philip went away on a military campaign and left him in charge of his kingdom; this was Alexander's first experience of power. While Philip was away, Alexander crushed a rebellion in northern Macedonia. Alexander became the student of the great philosopher Aristotle, who taught him about literature, philosophy, and politics, and he also received training in sports, physical fitness, and warfare. When he became king, he had to pass through many barriers to get to the magnitude of his powers and kingdom.
             At the time of Philip's death, the empire was in disorder and he had enemies at home and abroad. He became the Captain-General of the campaign in Persia as well as becoming the Captain-General of the League of Corinth. Alexander had men from all of his provinces in his army which would have caught on to the Greek customs. He had his soldiers marry non-Greek women to create offspring that would be partly Greek. Alexander was an expert at organizing his units for complex battle tactics. Unlike usual leaders, he joined his men in battle sometimes leading them to instill confidence. Alexander's position as a military leader changed throughout his conquests. He began as a crusader, trying to get revenge for the destruct
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