"(1) Shortly after the battle of Chaeronea in 336, BC his father was assassinated and he became the king of Macedon.
As the new king "Alexander had many enemies at home and was threatened by revolts abroad. He quickly had the conspirators put to death. Then Alexander went to Thessaly and regained control"(2) which proved to his soldiers that he was an able leader and he gained their respect by fighting alongside them, which is not as a king in those days would do. .
In 334 BC Alexander continued with his father's plans of the taking over of Persia. What began as a war of revenge against the Persians, for destroying Greek buildings, became the start of the building of Alexander the Great's empire. He fought and won many battles showing his military genius, he swiftly took over complete control of the Persian Empire. Alexander's empire spanned from Greece to India.
Alexander the conqueror was also a great statesman. He learned from his father Philip II that treating his conquered enemies with respect would aid him in gaining their cooperation and loyalty, which proved helpful during his reign. He did not destroy the cities he conquered and did not interfere with the local religions. This earned him respect from the people he conquered, which was another building block at the base of his empire. .
As king, Alexander instituted the ideals of "democratic liberty; the freedom to think and to speak, and the duty of the individual to take his share in the government of his city." (16,169) "He instituted new methods of government in civil, military, and financial administration." (16, 172) "He adopted Greek as the universal language of the empire and introduced a universal currency." (16, 172) These things helped to further unite his empire.
Alexander encouraged and participated in intermarriage between his soldiers and the women of conquered regions, believing this would further instill Greek culture throughout his empire.