Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (356 BC - 323 BC) was the eldest son of King Philip II of Macedon and his wife, Olympias. Physically speaking, Alexander was handsome and supremely self-confident. He was known as being headstrong and impatiently boyish, yet exuded grace and intelligence as well as the ability to be a great warrior.

Philip II had a great effect on Alexander and his methods as a soldier and commander. Throughout Alexander's childhood, the boy was well educated in many areas suitable to a young royal. Alexander's education included learning to sing and play the lyre, hunt and ride and how to debate, and to appreciate epic poetry, mostly as it related to Homer.

The author states that Alexander was deeply affected by two things during his childhood - his love of Homer's epic poetry and the extreme and eccentric beliefs of Olympias. Alexander also developed a reverence...