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Shortly after crossing into Asia Minor in 334 BC with perhaps 30,000-50,000 troops, Alexander quickly won his first major battle at Granicus.<ref>For more on this battle, see: Matthews, Rupert. 2008. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1862274487/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1862274487&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=5cd69acbd10c5367b89300d97a9862e7 Alexander the Great at the Battle of Granicus]</i>. Stroud: Spellmount.</ref> This victory allowed him to take the western half of Asia Minor. After a few sieges and taking the city of Sardis, one of the most important cities in Asia Minor, he proceeded toward Syria, where he . He encountered the Persian King Darius III in 333 at Issus's battle.<ref> For more on the battle of Issus, see Delbrück, Hans. 1975. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0803265867/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0803265867&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f94cfc51938674926b5abff31bc432d5 History of the Art of War]</i>. Lincoln, Neb: University of Nebraska Press/ Bison Book, pg. 191. </ref> This is the first major battle he had with the Persian king, and once again, Alexander proved his excellent strategic thinking by outflanking the Persian army through his cavalry. He made a direct attack on the Persian king's centerline, where this key moment in the battle became a famous Roman-era mosaic found in Pompeii (Figure 1).

Here, he became considered the Amun's son of Amun, the chief of the Egyptian pantheon, further exalting him in his new subjects' eyes. Alexander also began the process of founding cities, the most famous of which was Alexandria. Its position along the Mediterranean reflects a key change, where Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean worlds would be more strongly integrated into culture and trade in the centuries to come.<ref> For more on Alexander's time in Egypt, Bowman, Alan K. 1996. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520205316/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0520205316&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b3b436dd2cc5146e4b70f06b8ab1d48b Egypt after the Pharaohs: 332 BC-AD 642] ; from Alexander to the Arab Conquest. 2. paperback printing. Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California Press, pg. 22</ref> That was Alexander's intention from the outset, showing that he likely had long-term, strategic thinking about the nature and future of his conquered lands long after his own time.

Alexander's success lay in his military genius, knowing how to use his cavalry and troops precisely at key moments in battle. It seemed he was close to defeat several times but was able to could use the situation to his advantage by luring his enemies into a deeper trap. Furthermore, his troops were well trained in holding their positions and not panicking in battle.<ref> For more on the battle tactics of Alexander, see Bose, Partha Sarathi. 2004. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FJ16XNM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01FJ16XNM&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=641707a6856af1049e12d1340ff7334f Alexander the Great’s Art of Strategy: Lessons from the Great Empire Builder]</i>. London: Profile.</ref> However, a lot of the success had little to do with Alexander but the Achaemenid Empire's nature.

While Alexander died before he could realize realizing his dream of a super empire, the east's benefits became more apparent to his generals and men. Many of them stayed after the wars. New Greek populations began to migrate to the Near East, and the process of mixing Hellenic and eastern cultures had started. The mixture of Greece and the Nearly mixed knowledge and created an integrated understanding that facilitated the rise of astronomy, physics, mathematics, and other scientific fields. Alexander's legacy lasted long after his death. His military success paved the way for the tremendous Classical achievements that eventually became one of the foundations of the Renaissance and our modern Western world.