Map of Alexander the Great (Decisive Battles)

�For I myself believe that there was at that time no race of mankind, no city, no single individual, to which the name of Alexander had not reached.� - Arrian

Soldier, statesman, conquering general, King of Greece, Pharaoh of Egypt, Lord of Asia.  Alexander III of Macedon, better known to us as Alexander the Great, was all of these and much more. Although the mists of antiquity have clouded a full and complete understanding regarding all the details of Alexander the Great�s life and conquests, nonetheless we must depend upon the ancient sources in order to reconstruct at least a reliable overview of his brief but significant life. Amidst the jumbled and oft times contradictory accounts of the ancient historians Diodorus, Curtius, Plutarch, and Arrian, there lies virtually untouched the Old Testament prophetic announcements concerning God�s sovereign election of Alexander�s Empire for His own higher purposes. 

There exists a body of evidence concerning Alexander the Great which is most often ignored by students of his reign. This evidence consists of four important prophetic references in the Biblical book of Daniel each written centuries before Alexander�s birth.

Alexander III the Great in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Read Full Article)

Alexander III
(helper of men--brave) king of Macedon, surnamed the Great, the son of Philip and Olympias, was born at Pella B.C. 356, and succeeded his father B.C. 336. Two years afterwards he crossed the Hellespont (B.C. 334) to carry out the plans of his fathers and execute the mission of (Greece to the civilized world. He subjugated Syria and Palestine B.C. 334-332. Egypt next submitted to him B.C. 332, and in this year he founded Alexandria. In the same year he finally defeated Darius at Gaugamela, who in B.C. 330 was murdered. The next two years were occupied by Alexander in the consolidation of his Persian conquests and the reduction of Bactria. In B.C. 327 he crossed the Indus; turning westward he reached Susa B.C. 325, and proceeded to Babylon B.C. 324, which he chose as the capital of his empire. In the next year (B.C. 323) he died there of intemperance, at the early age of 32, in the midst of his gigantic plans; and those who inherited his conquests left his designs unachieved and unattempted. cf. Da 7:6; 8:5, 11:3 Alexander is intended in Da 2:39 and also Dani 7:6; 8:5-7; 11:3,4
the latter indicating the rapidity of his conquests and his power. He ruled with great dominion, and did according to his will, Da 11:3 "and there was none that could deliver .... out of his hand." Da 8:7

Alexander the Great in Wikipedia (Read Full Article)

Alexander the Great (Greek: λέξανδρος  Μέγας or Μέγας λέξανδρος, M�gas Al�xandros; July 20, 356 BC � June 10 or June 11, 323 BC), also known as Alexander III of Macedon (λέξανδρος Γ'  Μακεδών) was an ancient Greek king (basileus) of Macedon (336�323 BC). He was one of the most successful military commanders of all time and is presumed undefeated in battle. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks.

Alexander assumed the kingship of Macedon following the death of his father Philip II, who had unified most of the city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian hegemony in a federation called the League of Corinth. After reconfirming Macedonian rule by quashing a rebellion of southern Greek city-states and staging a short but bloody excursion against Macedon's northern neighbours, Alexander set out east against the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which he defeated and overthrew. His conquests included Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia, and he extended the boundaries of his own empire as far as Punjab, India.

Alexander had already made plans prior to his death for military and mercantile expansions into the Arabian peninsula, after which he was to turn his armies to the west (Carthage, Rome and the Iberian Peninsula). His original vision, however, had been to the east, to the ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea, as is described by his boyhood tutor and mentor Aristotle.

Alexander integrated many foreigners into his army, leading some scholars to credit him with a "policy of fusion". He also encouraged marriages between his soldiers and foreigners, and he himself went on to marry two foreign princesses.

Alexander died after twelve years of constant military campaigning, possibly a result of malaria, poisoning, typhoid fever, viral encephalitis or the consequences of alcoholism. His legacy and conquests lived on long after him and ushered in centuries of Greek settlement and cultural influence over distant areas. This period is known as the Hellenistic period, which featured a combination of Greek, Middle Eastern and Indian culture. Alexander himself featured prominently in the history and myth of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. His exploits inspired a literary tradition in which he appeared as a legendary hero in the tradition of Achilles.