hstry

Alexander becomes king of Macedon at twenty

336 BCE, Macedon. An event.

Where and when

336 BCEMacedon

2,361 years ago

Explore
3000 BCE2900 BCE2800 BCE2700 BCE2600 BCE2500 BCE2400 BCE2300 BCE2200 BCE2100 BCE2000 BCE1900 BCE1800 BCE1700 BCE1600 BCE1500 BCE1400 BCE1300 BCE1200 BCE1100 BCE1000 BCE900 BCE800 BCE700 BCE600 BCE500 BCE400 BCE300 BCE200 BCE100 BCE1 CE100 CE200 CE300 CE400 CE500 CE600 CE700 CE800 CE900 CE1000 CE1100 CE1200 CE1300 CE1400 CE1500 CE1600 CE1700 CE1800 CE1900 CE2000 CEGreat Pyramid of Giza built, c. 2600 BCERome founded (traditional date), 753 BCELast western Roman emperor deposed, 476 CEGutenberg's printing press, c. 1440 CEColumbus reaches the Americas, 1492 CEFirst people on the Moon, 1969 CEToday, 2026

Swipe the line. Bars: entries. Dots: events.

, Macedon

After Philip II is killed, his son Alexander takes the throne at twenty, with neighbours and Greek cities restless.

Thus it was that at the age of twenty years Alexander received the kingdom, which was exposed to great jealousies, dire hatreds, and dangers on every hand.

Plutarch, Life of Alexander 11.1Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1919)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Alexander 11.1, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Alexander the Great, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

In the reign that began here, Alexander had by the age of 30 created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.

Based on Wikipedia: Alexander the Great

Alexander spent most of his reign conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Asia and Egypt, and by the age of 30, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.

Wikipedia, Alexander the Great (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-10-03. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 406 BCEabout 69.89999999999998 years earlier Euripides and Sophocles die Also in Macedon
  2. c. 350–336 BCEDuring it Young Alexander on his father's victories Also in Macedon
  3. 338 BCE2 years earlier Philip of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes at Chaeronea Same years
  4. 338 BCE2 years earlier Diogenes before Philip, in one story Same years
  5. 336 BCEThis momentAlexander becomes king of Macedon at twenty
  6. c. 336 BCEAbout the same year Alexander visits Diogenes Same years
  7. c. 336 BCEAbout the same year Alexander on being Diogenes Same years
  8. c. 336 BCEAbout the same year Diogenes asks Alexander to step out of his sun Same years
  9. 335/334 BCE1 year later Aristotle opens his school at the Lyceum Same years
  10. 336–323 BCEBegins this year Diogenes meets Alexander Rests on this event

See it among its momentsSee it in the feedExplore by place and time