Alexander's Empire

Alexander the Great was a famous king from ancient Greece. He lived over 2,300 years ago. He became king when he was only 20 years old. Alexander was a brilliant leader in battle. He built one of the biggest empires the world has ever seen.

A Young King

Alexander was born in a kingdom called Macedonia in 356 BC. His father was King Philip II. A famous teacher named Aristotle taught him many things. When Alexander was 20, his father died. Alexander then became king and started to plan a huge war.

Building an Empire

Alexander led his army east to fight the Persian Empire. He won many battles and took over huge lands. His empire stretched from Greece all the way to India. He built new cities along the way. Many were named Alexandria after him. Alexander died at age 32, but his empire spread Greek ideas to many places.

Fun Facts

• Alexander had a very famous horse named Bucephalus.
• He never lost a battle in his whole life.
• He started more than 20 cities called Alexandria.

Did You Know?

Alexander was only 32 when he died, but he had already conquered most of the world that Europeans knew about at the time.