Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC in Macedonia and was taught by Aristotle. As a teenager, he led armies that defeated rebelling tribes near Macedonia. He then became king after his father's assassination. Alexander swiftly conquered the Persian Empire through the 330s BC, defeating them in battles and destroying cities. By 327 BC, he had reached India but turned back after facing war elephants. Alexander died of illness in 323 BC at age 32 without naming a successor, ending his plans to unite Greece and Persia.