Timeline of Alexander's Life - Full

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Alexias
Strategos (general)
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Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:16 am

Timeline of Alexander's Life - Full

Post by Alexias »

ALEXANDER’S LIFE - FULL TIMELINE

369 BC Death of Amyntas III, Alexander’s grandfather
368 BC Death of Alexander II, Philip’s brother
365 BC Death of Ptolemy of Alorus, regent for Perdiccas III, Philip’s brother
359 BC Death of Perdiccas III, King of Macedonia: Perdiccas leaves infant heir Amyntas; his brother ]Philip IIelected King of Macedonia
358 BC Philip subdues Paeonians and Agrians
357 BC Marriage of Philip II and Olympias, mother of Alexander. Philip captures the cities of Amphipolis and Pydna

356 BC Philip founds Philippi, gains goldmines of Mt Pangaeum. His horse wins at Olympia. Third Sacred War starts.
July 20 or 26 Birth of Alexander III, son of King Philip II and Olympias, at Pella, Macedonia
August Philip captures city of Potidaea. Parmenion defeats Paeonians and Illyrians
355 BC Birth of Cassander, son of Antipater, ruler of Macedonia after Alexander
354 BC Demosthenes attacks idea of ‘crusade against Persia’. Philip captures city of Methone and loses right eye
353-2 BC Philip defeats Greek state of Phokis, Thessaly after initial losses
352 BC Persian noble Artabazus and son-in-law Greek Memnon receive asylum at Philip's court. Philip appointed archon of Thessaly for life
351 BC Philip’s fleet harassing Athenian shipping
350 BC Demosthenes’ First Philippic
349 BC August-September Demosthenes’ Olynthiac speeches
349-8 BC Philip besieges city of Olynthus (Chalcidice peninsula)
348 BC August, September or October Olynthus falls. Philip eliminates his two remaining half-brothers.
346 BC End of Third Sacred War. Peace of Philocrates. Demosthenes and Aeschines among Athenian ambassadors to Pella to ratify the treaty. Alexander debates with another boy before the delegates. Philip celebrates Pythian Games at Delphi.
Isocrates in his Philippus urges Philip to lead ‘crusade’ of Greek states against Persia.

343-2 BC Aristotle appointed as tutor to young Alexander. Artaxerxes III of Persia recovers Egypt.
342 BC Philip founds Philippopolis (Plovdiv) in Thrace which becomes a Macedonian province. Alexander, Olympias’s brother, becomes King of Epirus with Philip’s backing. Alexander gets Bucephalus, his personal horse (died in 326 BC after Hydaspes battle)
340 BC Philip besieges Byzantium and Perinthus. Athens declares war on Macedon. Alexander regent in Macedon; campaigns against Thracian Maedi and founds Alexandropolis.
Persia aids city of Perinthus against Philip
Probable end of the tutorship of Aristotle
339 BC Philip campaigns in Scythia. Alexander summoned to join him.
338 BC August 2 Battle of Chaeronea: King Philip's Macedonian army defeats Greeks, Alexander breaks the Greek left wing. Alexander among the Macedonian envoys to Athens.
Autumn Philip summons Peace Conference at Corinth.
Artaxerxes III dies.
337 BC Spring First meeting of the Corinthian League: Philip appointed Hegemon of League. Philip reveals plans for invasion of Persia and is appointed Strategos autokrator.
Possible Pixodarus affair.
Marriage of Philip and Cleopatra; Alexander and Olympias leave for exile.
Autumn Alexander returns from his exile in Illyria

336 BC Spring Parmenion and Attalus take advance force into Persia. Accession of Darius III to Persian throne.
October [July] Marriage of Alexander of Epirus, Olympias's brother and Cleopatra, sister of Alexander;
Murder of Philip by Pausanius at Aegae; Alexander succeeds Philip as king, Hegemon and Strategos autokrator .
Execution of Amyntas, son of Perdiccas III and heir to the throne; Execution of Cleopatra, widow of Philip, and her newborn daughter Eurpoa by Olympias; Possible execution of Alexander's brother Caranus;
Third meeting of Corinthian League at Corinth: Alexander confirmed as hegemon of Greece; Possible legendary meeting with philosopher Diogenes;
335 BC Spring Campaign to the Danube; Battle of the Lyginus: Alexander defeats Triballians
May Alexander crosses river Danube: establishment of northern frontiers
June-August Attack on Pelium: Alexander defeats Illyrians
September/October Alexander ends revolt at Thebes and destroys city
Persian commander Memnon stops advance force of Parmenion and Attalus

334 BC April Alexander crosses Hellespont into Persia. Antipater left in charge of Greece and Macedonia.
May/June Battle of the Granicus: Alexander defeats Persian defence force. Alexander establishes democracies in liberated cities.
Summer Alexander captures Miletus
August-September Siege and capture of Halicarnassus, Persian stronghold; Alexander grants winter leave to newly wedded soldiers
Autumn/winter Campaigns in Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia
Antigonus the One-Eyed appointed as satrap of Phrygia; Queen Ada re-instated as ruler of Caria
Alexander winters at Gordium.

333 BC Winter Alleged conspiracy: arrest of Alexander of Lyncestis; Legendary miraculous passing of Mount Climax; Campaign against Pisidians
March Alexander solves riddle of the 'Gordian Knot'
May Alexander of Epirus invades Italy (defeated and killed around 331 BC)
May [July] Alexander leaves Gordium
June/July [Spring] Memnon dies of illness during siege of Mytilene. Persian naval offenses continue in Aegean
Summer King Darius III and Persian army leave Babylon
September [July] Alexander forces Cilician Gates and falls ill at river Cydnus
September Alexander arrives at Tarsus, Cilicia
September/October King Darius III and Persian army arrive at Sochi, base camp near Mediterranean
November Battle of Issus: Alexander's victory over Persian King Darius III; Alexander captures Persian Royal family
December Parmenion captures Damascus: capture of Barsine, widow of Memnon and future mistress of Alexander and possibly mother of his first child, Heracles. Idarnes (or Hydarnes) re-captures Miletus; Balacrus defeats Idarnes
Persian envoys reach Alexander at Marathus with first peace offer.
Agis III of Sparta hires Greek mercenaries who survived Issus
332 BC January-July [August] Siege of Tyre
Spring [Summer 331 BC] Second Persian peace offer reaches Alexander. Statira, wife of Darius III, dies in childbirth
July 29 [August] Fall of Tyre
September-October Siege of Gaza. Agis collects more mercenaries in Crete

November Persian satrap surrenders Egypt. Macedonians regain control of Aegean.
November 14 Alexander crowned Pharaoh in Memphis, Egypt.
331 BC January Oracle of Siwah allegedly confirms divinity of Alexander
April 7 [Winter] Foundation of Alexandria, Egypt
Spring Return to Tyre. Reorganization of financial machinery. News arrives of revolt of Agis.
July-August To Thrapsacus on Euphrates
September 20 Army witnesses total eclipse of the moon in northern Mesopotamia: single 100% sure dating of the Alexander period.
September [May 331 BC] Antipater defeats and kills Agis at Megalopolis in Arcadia
October 1 Battle of Gaugamela (Arbela): final defeat of Persian King Darius III
October 21 Alexander enters Babylon
November 25 Alexander leaves Babylon
December 15 Alexander enters Susa
December Campaign against the Uxians
330 BC January Alexander forces his way through Persian Gates: defeat of last Persian defence troops
Winter/Spring Persepolis occupied and sacked. Five months stay in Persepolis, ceremonial Persian capital
April Campaign against the Mardi
May Alexander burns palace of Persepolis, ceremonial Persian capital
Mid-May Alexander departs for Ecbatana
Early June Alexander dismisses allied troops at Ecbatana where he leaves Parmenion in charge of the Treasury
Late July Persian King Darius III murdered by his kinsman Bessus who assumes position of Great King. Reception of Nabazarnes and Phrataphernes

Autumn [Summer 329 BC] Alleged but unlikely legendary meeting with the Queen of the Amazons
Autumn [August] Revolt of Satibarzanes, satrap of Aria; Satibarzanes killed by officer Erigiyus
September/October [Autumn] Alleged conspiracy and execution of Philotas and his father Parmenion; Craterus becomes second in command; trial of Amyntas and his brothers; execution of Alexander of Lyncestis
Winter Into Arachosia to foot of Hindu Kush. Foundation of Alexander-by-the-Caucasus
329 BC Spring Alexander crosses Hindu Kush into Bactria in Central Asia. Older men and Thessalian volunteers sent home.
May Army crosses Oxus. Arrest of Bessus, usurper of Persian throne by Ptolemy
Summer Alleged massacre of the Branchidae; Founding of Alexandria-the-Furthest; Battle of the Jaxartes: Advance to Samarkand on River Oxus; Alexander defeats Scythians north of the river;
Rebel leader Spitamenes annihilates Macedonian forces at Maracanda
329-8 BC Winter Alexander winters at Balkh (Zariaspa)
328 BC Execution of Bessus. Visits of Scythian envoys and Chorasmian king, Pharasmanes
328 BC Spring/Summer/Autumn Army split in five divisions against rebellions to pacify Sogdiana. Guerrilla warfare against Massagetae and against Spitamenes
November Alexander kills officer Cleitus the Black during brawl at Samarkand. Spitamenes killed by Massagetae
328-7 BC Winter Alexander winters at Nautaca.
327 BC Early Spring Alexander captures 'Sogdian Rock', rebel stronghold and Marriage to Roxane, daughter of Bactrian noble Oxyartes;
Spring Surrender of rebel Chorienes and capture of ‘Rock’; Defeat of rebels Catanes and Austanes;
Attempt to introduce 'proskynesis'; Alleged Pages’ conspiracy and execution of court historian Callisthenes

Summer Alexander recrosses Hindu Kush. Invasion of India, and campaigns in Bajaur and Swat. Visits Nysa in the Kabul valley
326 BC Winter Siege of Massaga: Massaga's Queen Cleophis allegedly conceives a son of Alexander (named Alexander). Capture of Rock of Aornus (Pir-Sar)Alexander advances to Taxila.
May [July] Battle of the Hydaspes: Alexander defeats King Porus; Death of Bucephalus
September Army refuses further advance at river Hyphasis: Alexander orders retreat to Hydaspes
Autumn Death of officer Coenus; Roxane's first child dies at the river Acesines
November Start of voyage down the Indus from Nicaea
325 BC Indian massacres. Campaign against the Malli: Alexander's lung pierced by an arrow
Mercenary revolts in Bactria;
June Craterus leads part of the army through Arachosia towards Carmania
July Alexander reaches Indian Ocean at Pattala
End August Alexander starts march through Makran desert (Gedrosian desert)
September 20/21 Alexander reaches Oreitae. Fleet under command of Nearchos leaves mouth of Indus. Waits 3 weeks anear Karachi.
October/November Alexander reaches Pura, capital of Gedrosia
Mid December Nearchus reaches Hormozeia (Hormuz)
Late December Reunion of Alexander and Craterus in Carmania

324 BC Winter [December 325 BC] First reunion between Alexander and Nearchos near Salmus(Gulashkird), Carmania
January Restoration of plundered tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae
Winter/Spring 'Reign of Fear': Alexander punishes and executes Persian satraps who abused power in his absence. Flight of Harpalus
Second reunion between Alexander and Nearchos near mouth of the Tigris
March Alexander and Nearchus reunite at Susa
Spring Alexander orders mass wedding at Susa, Persia: marriage to Statira, daughter of Darius III, and to Parysatis, daughter of Artaxerxes III. Paying off of soldiers’ debts. Arrival of the ‘Successors’ army trainees
April/May Alexander founds last Alexandria (Charax) at the mouth of river Tigris
June Mutiny of the army at Opis (Baghdad). Craterus leaves with veterans for Macedonia to succeed Antipater
July Harpalus arrives at Athens.
31- July - August 4 [September 3] Proclamation of Exiles' Decree at Olympic Games. Issues Alexander requests deification.
October Death of Hephaestion, Alexander's lifelong friend and possible lover, in Ecbatana
323 BC Winter Campaign against Cossaean nomads
April Alexander returns to Babylon. Visits of Greek envoys acknowledging Alexander’s divinity. Arrival of Cassander in Babylon.
May Funeral of Hephaestion. Alexander explores Pallacopas canal. Preparations for Arabian expedition.
29 May Alexander falls ill
June 10 or 11 Death of Alexander aged nearly 33 after ten days of severe illness

Summer Birth of Alexander IV, Alexander's posthumous son by Roxane
321 BC Ptolemy hi-jacks Alexander's sarcophagus and brings Alexander's body to Egypt (Hellenism)

Winter = December-February Spring = March-May Summer = June-August Autumn = September-November

Originally compiled by nick. Revised 2023.
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