What Were Alexander the Great’s Goals?
Alexander the Great wanted to seize the Macedonian throne, unite Greece, defeat the Persians and conquer Asia. He achieved most of his goals until a mutiny from his men forced him to return to Persia, preventing him from conquering more lands in Asia.
Alexander the Great was determined to reign after his father, Philip II, was murdered by a Macedonian noble. His mother helped him attain the throne, and he wanted to control other parts of Greece by becoming leader of the Corinthian League. Alexander sent his army to force a resistant Thessaly to accept his leadership, and other Greek city-states yielded to his authority. Alexander was given the military power to wage a campaign against the Persian Empire under King Darius III. Alexander’s armies fought in several battles before Darius was forced to flee as a fugitive.
Alexander proclaimed himself king of Persia and went on to conquer Egypt, where he founded the city of Alexandria. He defeated the remaining Persian armies and went on to subjugate the people of eastern Persia. Alexander later defeated King Porus in northern India, but he allowed Porus to remain as king after making a positive impression on him. Alexander wanted to press onward, but his men opposed his plans. He planned a campaign to conquer parts of Arabia during his stay in Babylon, but he died shortly thereafter .
