Research Paper: Alexander the Great .
Alexander the Great was born in July 356BC in Pella, Macedonia (Popovic intro). He conquered what was in his time, most of the civilized world. Alexander accomplished greater deeds than any man ever, not only of people before him but also of those after him (Popovic intro). He was one of the greatest military geniuses in the history of the world. Alexander's parents always dreamed of him someday becoming a great leader. Alexander's mother was named Olympias, she was princess of Epirus, a small provincial kingdom. She was also the high priestess of a religious cult. She believed that she was descended from Achilles (Wepman 17). She was a jealous woman and very protective of her son (Popovic intro). Alexander's father, Phillip II of Macedonia was also a great leader and military strategist. When Alexander was young, Greece thought of the Macedonians as barbarians. But in twenty years Phillip made Macedonia more powerful than any other province in Greece. He bought off his enemies so that he would only have to deal with them one at a time (Townson 2). Alexander was very anxious to begin ruling the empire his father had created. Once he said,"My father will get to far ahead and leave nothing for me to do.(Popovic origins). "When Alexander was twelve years old he tamed a horse named Bucephalus, that no one else was able to ride. Phillip was very proud of his son for this accomplishment, he thought that this showed how strong and brave he was. Phillip once said to his son"Seek out a kingdom worthy of thyself, for the kingdom of Macedonia is to little for thee (Popovic parents)."Even at a young age he showed promise of becoming a great ruler. Growing up, Alexander was trained in the art of war. He learned sword fighting, javelin throwing, horseback riding, and archery (Townson 3). He was well known for his ablility to tame horses. Alexander was given the best education possible in his time.
