Turning Points · 323 BCE
Death of Alexander the Great
Babylon, Iraq
What happened
In June 323 BCE, Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, became ill with a fever in Babylon. After about two weeks he died in the palace of the old Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II. He was 32. Historians give the exact day as 10 or 11 June.
Why it matters
Alexander's lands stretched from Greece toward India, and he had named no clear heir. His generals, such as Ptolemy in Egypt, took over different parts of the empire.
What came next
Ptolemy took Alexander's body to Egypt, first to Memphis and later to Alexandria. Ptolemy's family ruled Egypt until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BCE.
Did you know?
By the 4th century CE, people no longer knew where Alexander's body was. His tomb has still not been found.
Timeline
- 323 BCEAlexander dies in Babylon.
- 322 or 321 BCEPtolemy brings the body to Egypt and it is buried in Memphis.
- About 280 BCEThe body is moved to Alexandria.
- 4th century CEThe location of the tomb is no longer known.