Alexander the Great

TIME LINE

Some dates are speculative or debated.

B.C.

382

Philip II born in Macedonia.

c. 373

Olympias born in Molossia.

357

Philip and Olympias marry.

356

Their son Alexander is born at Pella.

July 20 or 26

Philip captures Potidaea.

c. 355

Their daughter Cleopatra is born.

354

Demosthenes attacks project for a crusade against Persia.

Philip captures Methone; loses an eye.

352

Artabazus (with daughter Barsine) and Memnon seek refuge in Pella.

351

Macedonian fleet harasses Athenian shipping.

340s

Olympias’s brother Alexander becomes king of Molossia with Philip’s help.

343/42

Aristotle is appointed Alexander’s tutor.

338

Battle of Chaeronea; Alexander leads Macedonian cavalry.

Building of Philippeum at Olympia.

337

League of Corinth formed, appoints Philip as leader of an anti-Persian crusade.

Philip marries Cleopatra, ward of Attalus.

Alexander and Olympias escape from Macedonia.

Alexander recalled to Pella.

Pixodarus affair (possibly early 336).

336 spring

Parmenion and Attalus take an advance expeditionary force to Asia Minor.

June:

Accession of Darius III of Persia.

Cleopatra, Philip’s wife, gives birth to a daughter, Europa.

Alexander of Molossia marries Cleopatra, Olympias’s daughter.

Philip assassinated.

Alexander succeeds Philip as king of Macedonia.

Late summer:

League of Corinth appoints Alexander as leader of the anti-Persian crusade.

335 early spring

Alexander campaigns in Thrace and Illyria.

Memnon campaigns in Asia Minor.

Olympias puts to death Cleopatra, Philip’s wife, and her daughter.

Alexander orders the death of Attalus.

Revolt and destruction of Thebes.

334 spring

Alexander’s army crosses to Asia Minor.

Battle of the Granicus River.

Siege of Miletus.

Autumn:

Siege of Halicarnassus.

334/33 winter

Conquest of Asia Minor.

333 early spring

Naval offensive by Memnon.

Memnon dies.

Persian army musters at Babylon.

Alexander at Gordium.

Alexander marches to the Cilician Gates.

Persian army moves westward from Babylon.

September:

Alexander in Tarsus, falls ill.

Autumn:

Battle of Issus.

Darius makes peace offer, refused.

332 winter (?)

Submission of Byblos and Sidon.

Siege of Tyre.

June (?):

Darius makes second peace offer, refused.

July 29:

Fall of Tyre.

Disintegration of the Persian fleet.

Autumn:

Siege and fall of Gaza.

Alexander welcomed as pharaoh in Memphis.

331 early spring

Alexander visits oracle at Siwah.

April 7–8 (?):

Foundation of Alexandria.

Alexander returns to Tyre.

Summer:

Alexander reaches Thapsacus on the Euphrates.

Darius leaves Babylon.

September 18:

Alexander crosses the Tigris.

September 20:

Eclipse of the moon.

Darius’s final peace offer.

September 30 or October 1:

Battle of Gaugamela.

mid-October:

Alexander enters Babylon.

Revolt of Agis defeated at Megalopolis.

December:

Alexander captures Susa unopposed.

330 (?) January:

Alexander enters Persepolis.

May:

Alexander sacks Persepolis.

Early June:

Alexander sets out for Ecbatana.

Darius leaves Ecbatana for Bactria.

Greek allies dismissed.

Alexander campaigns in Tapuria, Hyrcania, Parthyaea, and Areia.

July:

Darius murdered near Hecatompylos.

Bessus in Bactria, appoints himself Great King.

Late August:

Alexander at Lake Seistan.

October:

“Conspiracy” of Philotas.

Alexander marches through Arachosia to Parapanisadae.

329 spring

Alexander crosses the Hindu Kush into Bactria; Bessus retreats across the Oxus.

June:

Alexander crosses the Oxus, dismisses veterans and Thessalian volunteers, reorganizes his cavalry.

Bessus handed over to Alexander.

Revolt, led by Spitamenes, of Bactria and Sogdia; annihilation of a Macedonian force.

329/28

Alexander winters in Bactra.

328

Campaign against Spitamenes.

Autumn:

Murder of Cleitus.

328/27

Defeat and death of Spitamenes.

Late winter:

Siege and capture of the Sogdian Rock and the Rock of Chorienes.

327 spring

Macedonian army reunites at Bactria.

Alexander marries Rhoxane.

30,000 Persian “Successors” recruited.

Pages’ conspiracy, fall of Callisthenes.

Early summer:

Alexander recrosses the Hindu Kush; invasion of India.

Hephaestion builds bridge and fleet on the river Indus.

327/26

Dionysus episode at Nysa.

Capture of the Aornus rock.

326 spring

Macedonian army reunites at the Indus.

Battle of the Hydaspes; death of Bucephalas.

“Mutiny” at the Hyphasis.

Reinforcements arrive from Greece.

November:

Macedonian fleet sets off downriver.

326/25

Campaign against the Malli; Alexander badly wounded.

325

Revolt in Bactria.

Harbor and dockyard built at Patala in the Indus Delta.

Craterus sets off for Carmania.

Late August:

Alexander marches through the Gedrosian desert.

October:

Nearchus sets sail for the Persian Gulf from the Indus.

Harpalus, Alexander’s treasurer, flees to Greece.

December:

Alexander meets Craterus in Carmania.

Purge of the satraps begins.

324

Nearchus joins Alexander in Carmania; fleet is sent on to Susa.

Tomb of Cyrus the Great King robbed.

Alexander returns to Persepolis.

February–March:

Alexander in Susa; mass marriages at Susa.

Spring:

30,000 Persian Successors arrive.

Summer:

Recall of the exiles, announced at the Olympic Games.

Mutiny at Opis.

Craterus appointed to replace Antipater as regent; restores order in Cilicia and leads veterans toward Macedonia.

Alexander moves from Susa to Ecbatana.

Hephaestion dies.

323

Harpalus assassinated in Crete.

Spring:

Campaign against the Cossaeans.

Alexander returns to Babylon.

Arrival at court of Antipater’s son, Cassander.

Final preparations for Arabian campaign.

May 29–30:

Alexander falls ill.

June 10–11:

Alexander dies.

321

Death of Cynnane, Alexander’s sister.

319

Death of Antipater.

317

Death of Philip III Arrhidaeus.

316

Death of Olympias.

310–309

Deaths of Alexander IV and Rhoxane.

309–308

Deaths of Heracles, Alexander’s natural son, and Barsine.