Why was Alexander III of Macedonia called 'Great'? The answer seems relatively simple. Alexander conquered territories, founded empires and died young, at the height of his power. However, he was also too ambitious and pushed his men to the limit in his quest for immortality, killing thousands along the way. Alexander is neither deserving nor unworthy of the title "Great". Born in the year 356 BC to the king of Macedon, Philip II, and his wife Olympias, Alexander the Great spent much of his childhood learning to be a leader and claiming the title of the greatest military leader the world has ever known. «My boy, you must find a kingdom large enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you." This quote said by King Philip shows that Alexander's parents were the encouragement that later influenced his behavior (Clode, G 2010). Therefore, the hypothesis “Alexander deserves the title 'great', is only partially true and will be proven throughout this speech by critically evaluating his leadership and military status. King Philip II of Macedonia built a powerful army and used to bring all of Greece under his rule. After his assassination in 336 BC, Philip's twenty-year-old son Alexander inherited the throne. Marching east from Greece, Alexander and his 47,000 men first encountered the Persians along the banks of the Granicus River near the site of Troy in 334 BC. The Battle of Granicus was the first major victory over the Persians and the first meeting place between Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius III. (Fritz, M, Unknown). Alexander the Great fought the Battle of Issus immediately after the Battle of Granicus. Although Alexander was significantly outnumbered by Darius... in the middle of the card... he had honor during this battle when he waited for daylight before starting the attack. Alexander and his troops were outnumbered and at a disadvantage, yet he was still victorious. If Alexander had not shown integrity, his army would not have respected and followed him as a military leader. Alexander, king of Macedonia, died in 323 BC after spending his last thirteen years conquering much of the known world. He was suspected to be weak from past wounds when he caught a fever and died during the night while in Babylon. From this speech it was established that Alexander deserves the title "Great" in his military command, but as regards his statesmanship he is not worthy of it. He was a skilled strategist, but his poor leadership skills affected his entire empire. Overall Alexander III of Macedon partially deserves the title "Great"..’