, Alexander III of Macedonia 1a

Birth Name Alexander III of Macedonia
Gender male
Age at Death 32 years, 6 months

Narrative

King of Macedonia

Born Alexander III in Pella, Macedon, he was the son of King Philip II of Macedon and Epirote princess Olympias. According to several legends, Olympias was impregnated not by Philip, who was afraid of her and her affinity for sleeping in the company of snakes, but by Zeus. One legend claims that both Phillip and Olympias dreamt of their son's future birth. Olympias dreamt of a loud burst of thunder and that lightening had hit her womb. In Philip's dream, he was sealing her womb with the seal of the lion. Arixstandros determined that the child would have the character of lion. Aware of these legends and of their political usefulness, Alexander was wont to refer to his father as Zeus, rather than as Philip. According to Plutarch, his father descended from Heracles through Caranus and his mother descended from Aeacus through Neoptolemus.

North and east of classical Greece, Macedon was regarded by most Greeks as foreign and semi-barbarian. Olympias herself was from Epirus, another semi-Greek state to the northwest of the Greek peninsula.

Philip selected Aristotle to tutor young Alexander, and their relationship lasted throughout Alexander's life; even after the execution of his nephew, Callisthenes, Aristotle continued to receive presents (plant specimens) from the king.

In 336 BC, he succeeded his father on the throne. Philip's assassination, although perpetrated by a disgruntled young man (Pausanias) who had been one of Philip's lovers, is thought to have been planned with the knowledge and possible involvement of either or both Alexander or Olympias.

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 356-07-00 B.C.E.      
Death 323 B.C.E.      
Christening 2A3CFECE2E65B14D83250338875DA9A0D306 17 Apr 2004    

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father , Philip II of Macedonia95D9A2F9F1E5B649B756E233FA88447C4239336 B.C.E.
Mother , Olympias of EpirusD65FC16B16AC9C4D87AA4DF354CFCB65D04A316 B.C.E.
    Brother     , Lagus of Macedonia 354 B.C.E.
         , Alexander III of Macedonia 356-07-00 B.C.E. 323 B.C.E.
    Sister     , Thessalonica of Macedonia 6F3F34BAC57C644B966CD143F0A91CBA118C

Families

Family of , Alexander III of Macedonia and , Roxane of Sogdiana
Married Wife , Roxane of Sogdiana ( * before 327 B.C.E. + 309 B.C.E. )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 327 B.C.E.   Religious Marriage  
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
, Aesopia of Macedonia

Source References

  1. poepria@comcast.net: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:3237609&id=I442 My Family Tree
      • Source text:

        # ID: I442
        # Name: Alexander I of Macedonia
        # Given Name: Alexander
        # Suffix: I of Macedonia
        # Prefix: King
        # Sex: M
        # Birth: ABT 0515 BC
        # Death: ABT 0450 BC
        # _UID: E6722D5BFD17274BAD464A2F1E3C2876CA10
        # Note: King of Macedonia
        # Change Date: 3 Aug 2003 at 16:48:51

         

         

        Father: Amyntas I of Macedonia b: ABT 0550 BC

        Marriage 1 Spouse Unknown

        Children

        1. Has Children Amyntas of Macedonia b: ABT 0480 BC
        2. Has Children Perdiccas MACEDONIA II
        3. Has Children Arrhabaeus of Lyncestae