King of
Macedonia and
conqueror of the known world. Born 356 B.C.; died 323 B.C.
The
son of
King Philip II of
Macedon and
Olympias of
Epiros, Alexander inherited his
father's
throne and then expanded Macedonian
territory from
Egypt to
Persia to
India to
Greece clear up to central
Asia.
Though a
barbarian, he was educated by
Aristotle. He believed he was the son of
Zeus-Ammon and was thus a
demigod. He had gobs of
charisma,
mismatched eyes, and a high-pitched
voice, and he was considered a decent
singer. He was married several times, but also maintained close, possibly sexual, relationships with men. The question of just how
gay Alexander may have been remains a topic of debate amongst historians.
After his mostly-un
successful campaign to India, Alexander died, weakened by a combination of
wounds sustained in
battle, hardships in the
desert, and extremely
heavy drinking -- quite honestly, Alexander drank like a fish. His
empire did not last long after his
death -- his generals engaged in
civil wars against each other and lost it all.
Alexander is still considered one of the world's greatest
military generals. Though his empire didn't last, his
cultural influence endured for centuries.
Research from GURPS Who's Who, compiled by Phil Masters, "Alexander the Great" by Kenneth Hite, pp. 24-25.