Alexander the Great (born 356BC), King of Macedon, Greece lived according to mythical proportions. Inspired by Homer's epics, he modelled himself on Achilles and slept with a copy of the Iliad annotated by Aristotle, his teacher, under his pillow. Unrivalled by any historical military figure, he conquered the Mediterranean, Persia, Afghanistan and northwest India during his brief life. A gifted strategist and self-confessed deity, Alexander was impetuous and merciless on the battlefield, a quality that enabled him to win every battle he fought. He exhibited conspicuous personal bravery and, two millennia after his death, he is still remembered as the greatest soldier of all time. By the time he died at the age of thirty-three, through his remarkable imperial domination, he was responsible for introducing Greek civilisation to the world.