Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC in Macedonia. He was tutored by Aristotle and showed great intelligence and leadership skills from a young age. After his father Philip II was assassinated, Alexander became the ruler of Macedonia at age 20. He went on to conquer the vast Persian Empire and amass a territory of over 2 million square miles before his death at age 33 in 323 BC. After his death, his empire quickly fractured into multiple successor states.