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__NOTOC__[[File:1200px-Alexander_the_Great_mosaic.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Alexander the Great]]In the public's mind, few well -known conquerors in history match the exploits of Alexander the Great. In just a few years, from 334-330 BC, Alexander would go on to conquer the largest empire the world had known and establish his own empire that eventually stretched from Greece to India. Furthermore, Alexander began a process where Greek culture began to intermix with ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Central Asian, and Indian cultures that influenced much of the Old World for many centuries. The exchange of ideas and trade brought about an era of unprecedented prosperity and knowledge that advanced the ancient world's sciences and led to many discoveries that would not be replicated until the Renaissance in the 15 or 16th century AD. What is remarkable is he achieved all of this by the age of 32 at the time of his death in Babylon. However, the root of all the social change that would eventually influence Europe, the Near East, Egypt, and much of Asia rested in his ability to conquer a lot of territory and doing it quickly. The question is how did he do this?
====Initial Conquests====[[File:Alexandermosaic.jpg|thumbnail|left|275px|Figure 1. A mosaic showing Alexander attacking Darius III and his center line at the battle of Issus.]]Alexander took power after the death of his father, Philip II of Macedon, who had already planned to invade the Persian, Achaemenid Empire. <ref>For more on Alexander's father and his plans of conquests, see: Carney, Elizabeth Donnelly, and Daniel Ogden, eds. 2010. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199738157/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0199738157&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=40e1c4808c9befad6d185d849b70849b Philip II and Alexander the Great: Father and Son, Lives and Afterlives]. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.</ref> His first battles were in Greece and the Balkans, where he consolidated his power while suppressing several revolts. Shortly after crossing into Asia Minor in 334 BC with perhaps 30,000-50,000 troops, Alexander quickly one his first major battle at Granicus. This victory allowed him to take the western half of Asia Minor. After a few sieges and taking the city of Sardis, one of the most important cities in Asia Minor, he proceeded toward Syria where he encountered the Persian King Darius III in 333 at the battle of Issus. This is the first major battle he had with the Persian king and once again Alexander proved his excellent strategic thinking by outflanking the Persian army through the use of his cavalry. He made a direct attack on the Persian king's center line, which became a famous Roman era mosaic found in Pompeii (Figure 1).
Shortly after crossing into Asia Minor in 334 BC with perhaps 30,000-50,000 troops, Alexander quickly won his first major battle at Granicus.<ref>For more on this battle, see: Matthews, Rupert. 2008. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1862274487/ref=as_li_tl?ie=The LevantUTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1862274487&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=5cd69acbd10c5367b89300d97a9862e7 Alexander the Great at the Battle of Granicus]</i>. Stroud: Spellmount.</ref> This victory allowed him to take the western half of Asia Minor. After a few sieges and taking the city of Sardis, one of the most important cities in Asia Minor, he proceeded toward Syriawhere he encountered the Persian King Darius III in 333 at the battle of Issus.<ref> For more on the battle of Issus, see: Delbrück, and EgyptHans. 1975. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803265867/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0803265867&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f94cfc51938674926b5abff31bc432d5 History of the Art of War]</i>. Lincoln, Neb: University of Nebraska Press/ Bison Book, pg. 191. </ref> This is the first major battle he had with the Persian king, and once again Alexander proved his excellent strategic thinking by outflanking the Persian army through the use of his cavalry. He made a direct attack on the Persian king's center line, where this key moment in the battle became a famous Roman-era mosaic found in Pompeii (Figure 1).
====The Levant, Syria, and Egypt====After the battle of Issus, Alexander took the Levant and the coastal Mediterranean cities, which were important trading citiesand had allowed the Achaemenids to derive much of their wealth and establish their navy, and proceeded into Egypt. In Syria and the Levant, his only major encounters were the sieges of Tyre and Gaza in 332 BC. <ref> For more on Alexander's campaigns in the Levant and Syria, see: Freeman, Philip. 2011. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416592814/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416592814&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f5c583c6ae9445145f4140977f336b3f Alexander the Great]</i>. New York: Simon & Schuster, pg. 26. </ref> In Egypt, he was quickly accepted by the local population, as the Egyptians had revolted against the Achaemenids not long before Alexander and, therefore, saw this as an opportunity for new leadership. Here, he became considered the son of Amun, the chief of the Egyptian pantheon, further exalting him in the eyes of his new subjects. Alexander also began the process of founding cities, the most famous of which was Alexandria. It's position along the Mediterranean reflects a key change, where Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean worlds would be more strongly integrated in culture and trade in the centuries to come.
Here, he became considered the son of Amun, the chief of the Egyptian pantheon, further exalting him in the eyes of his new subjects. Alexander also began the process of founding cities, the most famous of which was Alexandria. Its position along the Mediterranean reflects a key change, where Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean worlds would be more strongly integrated into culture and trade in the centuries to come.<ref> For more on Alexander's time in Egypt, see: Bowman, Alan K. 1996. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520205316/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0520205316&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=Battle b3b436dd2cc5146e4b70f06b8ab1d48b Egypt after the Pharaohs: 332 BC-AD 642] ; from Alexander to the Arab Conquest. 2. paperback printing. Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of Gaugamela California Press, pg. 22</ref> That was Alexander's intention from the outset, showing that he likely had long-term, strategic thinking about the nature and Fall future of the Achaemenids==his conquered lands long after his own time.
====Battle of Gaugamela and Fall of the Achaemenids====[[File:MacedonEmpire.jpg|left|thumbnail|Figure 2. The extent of Alexander's empire after his wars with the Persians, in Central Asia, and India.]]The Achaemenids perhaps had one more great chance to defeat Alexander at the battle of Gaugamela near modern -day Erbil. There, once again Alexander's tactics proved decisive where his forces formed a wedge-shaped attack that that then tore into Darius' center, causing the king to likely flee the battlelikely. With this battle secure, all of Mesopotamia fell to Alexander , and Alexander entered the great city of Babylon was entered by Alexander without any need for combat. It is at Babylon that Alexander perhaps decided he would make the city his the new capital of his now vast empire, as it would unit unite the Greek and Near Eastern worldsmore closely. Alexander then went on to take Susa, the old capital of the Persians, and then the ceremonial capital of Persepolis, which was at least partially burned most likely by Alexander's troops. Only one more major battle was fought against the Persians at the battle of the Persian Gates, a strategic crossing. After this Darius' was killed by one of his own generals and Achaemenid factions continued to lead a guerilla style war against Alexander. This led Alexander to reach Central Asia, where he founded many cities along the way that gained importance during the rise of the Silk Road. This included the city of Kandhar in Afghanistan and eventually reaching Tajikistan, almost near the edge of Tibet (Figure 2). His wars continued in Central Asia and India, where he encountered major resistance. This led to his men tiring of battle and eventually forcing Alexander to pull his forces back, eventually reaching once again Babylon.