Alexander was the king of Macedon,
a nation with close ties to Greece, but which many of the Greek city states
considered barbaric. Under Philip, Alexander's father, Macedon had risen
to prominence in the Greek world as a result of its superior army and Philip's
use of the phalanx. Alexander continued his father's military successes,
and eventually conquered much of the known world. In addition, he was a
cultured and well educated man, the pupil of Aristotle, and it was his desire
to bring Greek culture and language to much of the world.
