The death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC marks the beginning of the Hellenistic period and covers 300 years until the Roman invasion of Egypt . The word Hellenic only concerns the Greeks, but the term Hellenistic designates the groups of Greek influence that appeared following Alexander's conquest. The Hellenistic world extended from Greece to Afghanistan and led to the beginning of the mass diffusion of Greek culture. Three reasons why Hellenism affected the ancient world are Alexander the Great, Macedonian expansion, and Hellenistic culture itself. Alexander the Great was known to be one of the smartest and most brilliant military minds in history. He was born in 356 BC in Pella, located in the center of ancient Macedonia. Alexander was the son of Philip II, king of Macedonia, and Olympia, princess of neighboring Epirus. His father, Phillip, sought out and hired the famous historical philosopher Aristotle, who mentored and taught him. At the age of 16, his father left the country with his army to invade Thrace and...