Alexander the Great, son of King Philip II of Macedonia, undertook a journey of overwhelming difficulty. Alexander led his army through multiple victories in the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt without the agony of a single defeat. A notable battle of Alexander's was the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC The Battle of Gaugamela is significant because it ended Darius' rule over Persia. [new par.] There are several forces and factors that contribute to making Alexander the Great superior as a leader. Alexander's battlefield successes are the result of his early education and prestigious education. Private tutor to Aristotle, a Greek epic philosopher and scientist, Alexander was educated in philosophy, ethics, politics, and healing, all of which play a key role in Alexander's future life story. The education and difficulties that Alexander the Great faced in his early life helped prepare him for his role as a great general. Alexander, a great commander who possessed impressive critical thinking skills and a prestigious educational background, it is no wonder why he earned the title "Alexander the Great". Alexander encountered several growing pains and important school lessons during his early childhood. Family dysfunction existed between Alexander and his father, which created a feeling of non-acceptance for Alexander. Alexander had closer ties to his mother, Olympias, than to his father, King Philip. This missing link between him and his father conveys the importance for Alexander to be determined to be the best at everything asked of him. If he could be great, maybe he would eventually be accepted by his father. Alexander's parents had marital problems, which Alexander witnessed...... middle of paper......Bose, Partha S. The Art of Strategy of Alexander the Great. New York: Gotham Books. 2004.Dryden, John. "Alexander." Classical archives. http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/alexandr.html (accessed December 3, 2011). Heckel, Waldemar and Ryan Jones and Christa Hooks. Macedonian Warrior: Alexander's elite infantryman. Osprey: Oxford. 2006.KHOLOD, Maxim M. 2011. “PERSIAN POLITICAL PROPAGANDA IN THE WAR AGAINST ALEXANDER THE GREATER.” Iranica Antiqua 46, 149-160. Academic research completed, EBSCOhost (accessed November 19, 2011).L. Michael Whitby "Alexander 'the Great'" The Oxford Companion to Military History. Ed. Riccardo Holmes. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Online Reference. Oxford University Press. (Accessed November 13, 2011).