Alexander III, king of Macedonia from 336 until his death in 323 BC, has been a popular subject of study and debate from then until the 21st century. Even has a child, he held great potential to be a natural leader. At a young age he was off to defend what he thought was rightfully his. Although for many years, Alexander has been judged as a ruthless ruler even though he holds many great accomplishments under his belt. Alexander the Great respectively deserves the title of "Great" for he was the king of kings and even thought of as a god in his lifetime. .
Alexander was born in Pella, Macedonia, on July 20, 356 BC (The Rise and Fall ). Even as a boy, Alexander was fearless and strong. By the time he had turned thirteen, he had gained much respect from his father and the others around him. Alexander tamed the beautiful horse Bucephalus, a horse that no one else had been able to conquer. His father, Philip, was so proud of his son that he said "O my son, seek out a kingdom worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee" (Alexander the Great). Alexander decided to keep the horse and he later rode it on a journey to India. Unfortunately the horse died there, but Alexander founded the city and named it Bucephala after his beloved horse.
Philip and Olympias wanted nothing less than the best for their son, so they hired Aristotle to be his personal tutor and advisor. Under Aristotle, Alexander learned philosophy, politics, and healing which all helped him out later on in life. Alexander loved the Iliad and knew it by heart. The book taught him that he could only possess two passions: furious anger and generous friendship. The Iliad was also his manual of war; he could support pain, hunger, heat, desperation, and great suffering with extreme patience (Alexander the Great). .
Alexander rose to power at an early age and rather quickly at that. When he was sixteen, his father went away to war, leaving him to watch over.