Aleksandri i Madh was born in 356 BC in Pella, Macedonia to King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus. After his father's death, he inherited the Macedonian kingdom. Aleksandri sought to conquer the massive Persian Empire. In 334 BC, at the head of a large army, he crossed the Hellespont into Asia Minor and won his first battle at the Granicus River. He then defeated the Persians at the battles of Issus and Gaugamela, conquering Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and parts of India in the process. However, Aleksandri's untimely death prevented him from organizing his vast empire