What to Know About Alexander the Great and his Mysterious Death

Alexander the Great lived a short life even by the standards of his time. The former king of Macedonia died mysteriously at the age of 32, though he had already conquered much of the civilized world and patched it together by that time. He was among the greatest generals the world has ever seen — but beyond that, the story of Alexander is often based in legend, with stars like Richard Burton and Collin Farrell portraying the leader on the silver screen. Still, the truth presents a much more nuanced view of what made Alexander so great.