Alexander the Great: Chronology
Alexander the Great (*356; r. 336-323): the Macedonian king who defeated his Persian colleague Darius III Codomannus and conquered the Achaemenid Empire. During his campaigns, Alexander visited a.o. Egypt, Babylonia, Persis, Media, Bactria, the Punjab, and the valley of the Indus. In the second half of his reign, he had to find a way to rule his newly conquered countries. Therefore, he made Babylon his capital and introduced the oriental court ceremonial, which caused great tensions with his Macedonian and Greek officers.
Chronology of Alexander's reign
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Spring | Parmenion leads vanguard into Asia |
| Summer | Murder of Artaxerxes IV; accession of Darius III | |
| October | Murder of Philip (text); accession of Alexander | |
| Nov-Dec. | Alexander gains support of the Greek towns | |
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Summer | Alexander campaigns in the Balkans |
| Memnon's counterattack in Asia | ||
| 12? Sept. | Fall of Thebes (text) | |
| Nov-Dec. | Festivals at Dion and Aegae | |
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May | Alexander lands in Asia |
| Early June | Battle of the Granicus river (text) | |
| July | Capture of Miletus | |
| August | Start of the siege of Halicarnassus | |
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Winter | Alexander conquers Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia and Phrygia |
| March-June | Naval offensive of Memnon | |
| April-July | Alexander in Gordium (text) | |
| July | Death of Memnon | |
| Late July | Alexander leaves Gordium | |
| Darius leaves Babylon | ||
| July-Sept | Pharnabazus continues the naval offensive | |
| September | Alexander in Cilicia and falls ill (text) | |
| October | Parmenion sent to the Syrian gates | |
| Alexander campaigns in West-Cilicia | ||
| c.5 Nov. | Battle of Issus (text) | |
| Dec.? | Darius opens negotiations (text) | |
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January | Beginning of the siege of Tyre |
| Spring | Disintegration of Persian fleet | |
| July | Fall of Tyre (text) | |
| Sept-Nov. | Siege of Gaza (text) | |
| November | Alexander visits Jerusalem? (text) | |
| Alexander enters Egypt | ||
| 331 | January | Alexander in Heliopolis and Memphis |
| March | Alexander visits the oracle of Ammon (text) | |
| 7 April | Alexander founds Alexandria (text) | |
| June | Alexander in Phoenicia and Syria | |
| July | Reinforcements leave Macedonia | |
| Alexander's crosses the Euphrates | ||
| Aug-Sept. | Alexander campaigns in Mesopotamia | |
| 1 Oct. | Battle of Gaugamela | |
| 22 Oct. | Mazaeus surrenders Babylon to Alexander (Babylonian text; Latin text) | |
| 15 Dec. | Abulites surrenders Susa to Alexander | |
| 22 Dec. | Alexander leaves Susa | |
| 330 | 20 Jan. | Battle of the Persian gate |
| 30 Jan. | Alexander reaches Persepolis | |
| Jan-May | Alexander at Persepolis (text) | |
| June | Darius leaves Ecbatana | |
| c.17 July | Death of Darius III at Choara; Bessus king (text) | |
| Aug-Sept. | Alexander in Hyrcania, Parthia and Aria | |
| November | Alexander in Drangiana; plot of Philotas | |
| Alexander in Ariaspa; assassination of Parmenion | ||
| 329 | February | Armies unite in Arachosia |
| April | Alexander advances to Gandara | |
| Late May | Alexander crosses the Hindu Kush (text) | |
| c. 1 June | Alexander advances to the Oxus (text) | |
| Alexander captures Bessus | ||
| Alexander advances to the Jaxartes | ||
| July | Alexander founds Alexandria Eschatê | |
| Revolt in Sogdia, led by Spitamenes; battle of the Jaxartes | ||
| Cavalry reorganized | ||
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Winter | Alexander in Bactra |
| Summer | Campaigns in Sogdia and Bactria | |
| Autumn | Murder of Clitus | |
| December | Capture of Spitamenes | |
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Winter | Alexander in Maracanda and Nautaca |
| Spring | Capture of the Sogdian Rock (text) | |
| Summer | Armies unite at Bactra. | |
| Introduction of proskynesis (text) | ||
| Marriage to Roxane | ||
| Late Summer | Conspiracy of the pages; death of Callisthenes | |
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February | Hephaestion advances through Gandara to Indus |
| Alexander campaigns in the Swat valley | ||
| Alexander takes the Aornus rock | ||
| April | Armies unite near the Indus; advance to Taxila | |
| May | Battle of the Hydaspes against Porus | |
| c. 26 June | Crossing of the Acesines | |
| Late July | Mutiny at the Hyphasis (text) | |
| September | Beginning of fleet building | |
| November | Alexander's fleet starts down the Hydaspes | |
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January | Campaign against the Mallians; Alexander wounded |
| February | Disaster at the confluence of Acesines and Indus | |
| April | The Brahman rebellion | |
| June | Craterus starts for Carmania | |
| c. 15 July | Peithon's and other forces arrive at Patala | |
| Late August | Alexander starts for Carmania | |
| 15 Sept. | Nearchus starts on his voyage (text) | |
| Alexander in Gedrosia (text) | ||
| December | Punishment of the satraps (text) | |
| Alexander meets Craterus in Carmania | ||
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January | Alexander meets Nearchus in Carmania |
| February | Alexander in Pasargadae (text) | |
| Death of Calanus (text) | ||
| March | Alexander meets Nearchus in Susa | |
| Marriages at Susa (text) | ||
| Summer | Alexander's decree on the exiles (text) | |
| August | Mutiny at Opis (text) | |
| Veterans set off with Craterus | ||
| October | Alexander at Ecbatana | |
| Late Oct. | Death of Hephaestion | |
| 323 | Winter | Alexander requests divine honors |
| Alexander campaigns against the Cossaeans | ||
| April-May | Alexander in Babylon | |
| May | Preparations for campaign to Arabia | |
| 11 June | Alexander dies (Greek text; Babylonian text) |