Alexander the Great

One of the great conquerors in world history, Alexander inherited the throne of Macedonia in 336 BC from his father, Philip II. A charismatic and courageous leader, Alexander subdued mainland Greece before invading the Persian Achemenid empire. After his spectacular victories at the rivers Granicus (334) and Issus (333), and at Gaugamela in Assyria (331), Persian resistance collapsed. In 330 Alexander captured Persepolis, the Persian capital: Darius III, the last Achemenid king, was murdered shortly afterwards. Alexander spent another four years subduing the Persian empire's eastern provinces and invading India (326) before his army mutinied, forcing him to end his campaigns.