In this video, we chart the rise and fall of Alexander the Great's extraordinary empire, which stretched from Macedonia in modern day Greece to the borders of the Indian subcontinent. Alexander's empire would not outlive him, but his achievements would make him one of the most famous generals in history. In particular, his conquest of the Persian Empire - the superpower of his day - would ensure his legendary status for millennia.

In this brand new series for History Hit, we unroll the map to create a visual timeline of the most successful empires in history.

This episode was written by History Hit's Tristan Hughes. Check out his podcast, The Ancients, here: [ Ссылка ]

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Alexander the Great is one of the most famous, or infamous, figures in world history. A man who conquered the superpower of his day and forged a massive empire. But the origins of that empire stretch further back than the man himself. To understand Alexander’s success fully, you first need to go back to the reign of his father: King Philip II of Macedon.

When Philip ascended the throne of Macedon in 359 BC, his kingdom consisted of much of what is today northern Greece. Nevertheless, Macedon’s position at that time was a precarious one, surrounded by Thracians to the east, Paeonians to the north and Illyrians to the west, all hostile to Philip’s kingdom. But thanks to a series of shrewd diplomatic moves and military reforms, he was able to reverse his kingdom’s flailing fortunes.

Over the course of his 23 year reign, he transformed his kingdom from a backwater of the Hellenic world into the dominant power in the Central Mediterranean. By 338 BC, following his victory at the Battle of Chaeronea against a coalition of Greek city-states that included Athens and Thebes, Philip’s Macedonian Empire theoretically stretched from the borders of Laconia in the south to the Haemus Mountains in modern day Bulgaria. It was this vital, imperial base that Alexander would build on.

Philip was assassinated in 336 BC; succeeding him to the Macedonian throne was the teenage Alexander. During his first years in power, Alexander consolidated Macedonian control on the Greek mainland, razing the city-state of Thebes and marching his armies beyond the Danube River. Once these matters were settled, he embarked on his most famous military venture - crossing the Hellespont (today’s Dardanelles) and invading the Persian Empire - the SUPERPOWER of the time.

At the core of Alexander’s army were two key components. The Macedonian heavy infantry, trained to fight in large phalanx formations, with each soldier wielding a massive, 6 metre long pike called a sarissa. Working in tandem with the heavy infantry on the battlefield were Alexander’s elite, shock ‘Companion’ Cavalry - each equipped with a 2 metre lance called a xyston. And alongside these central units, Alexander also took advantage of some stellar, allied forces: javelinmen from the, heavy cavalry from Thessaly and archers from Crete.

Backed by this army, slowly Alexander made his way east - gaining significant victories at the River Granicus, Halicarnassus and Issus between 334 and 331 BC.

By September 331 BC, following a series of bloody battles and large-scale sieges, Alexander had conquered the western provinces of the Persian Empire. His forces commanded most of Anatolia, the Eastern Mediterranean seaboard and the wealthy, fertile land of Egypt. His next move was to continue east, towards ancient Mesopotamia and the heartlands of the Persian Empire.

He decisively defeated the Great Persian King Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela - on 1 October 331 BC - paving the way for Alexander to take control of the Persian Empire’s key administrative centres: first Babylon, then Susa, then Persepolis in Persia itself and, finally, Ecbatana. With this, Alexander had indisputably conquered the Persian Empire, an achievement that was cemented in mid 330 BC, when the fugitive Darius was assassinated by his former subordinates.

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