Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great , was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia and Egypt. By the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. Jacob Abbott (November 14, 1803 – October 31, 1879) was an American writer of children's books. Biographies Alexander the Great (1878) Alfred the Great King Charles I King Charles II Cleopatra Cyrus the Great (1878) Darius Queen Elizabeth Genghis Khan Hannibal Josephine Julius Caesar Margaret of Anjou Mary, Queen of Scots Nero Peter the Great Pyrrhus Richard I Richard II Richard III Romulus William the Conqueror Xerxes