Alexander III of Macedon Aléxandros III ho Makedn; commonly known as Alexander the Grea was a king (basileus) of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon[a] and a member of the Argead dynasty. He was born in Pella in 356 BC and succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of 20. He spent most of his ruling years on an unprecedented military campaign through Western Asia and Northeastern Africa, and by the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered one of history's most successful military commanders.