Oliver Stone's Alexander is based on the life of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, one of the greatest military leaders in the history of warfare. The story begins around 283 BC, with Ptolemy, who narrates the entire film. The film offers a disclaimer at the end of the credits meaning that the film is "inspired by some historical events" and that some of these events have been moved around a bit. Alexander was not created to be a historical or archaeological documentary. Alexander is the son of King Philip of Macedonia and Queen Olympias. We see Alexander's daily life and the strained relationship between his parents. Alexander grows up with his mother Olympias and his guardian Aristotle, where he finds an interest in love, honor, music, exploration, poetry, and military combat. Young Alexander impresses his father by taming an unmanageable horse, but both mother and son are banished from the kingdom, Olympias advising her son to seize the throne before Philip has him killed. While things are going well, Philip is assassinated and Alexander rules Macedonia. (BBC) Ptolemy briefly mentions how Alexander destroys Thebes and burns Persepolis, then gives an overview of Alexander's journey through western Persia, including his declaration as the son of Zeus by the Oracle of Amun at the oasis of Siwa. It also highlights his great battle against the Persian emperor Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela and his eight-year campaign throughout Asia. The film focuses heavily on Alexander's private relationships with his childhood friend Hephaestion and later with his wife Roxana. Hephaestion compares Alexander to Achilles, to which Alexander replies that, if he is Achilles, Hephaestion must be his Patroclus, who is Achilles' best friend and his lover. The... middle of paper... wife Roxane wasn't as passionate as the movie portrayed her. Historically she appears to have been a devoted wife and mother, whose primary role was to bear children for the king. Both Gaugamela and Babylon are identified as located in Persia, rather than Assyria and Babylon. Although both places were part of the Persian Empire, it makes no sense to identify them as Persian. And one of Aristotle's maps shows “Greece” spread across the southern Balkans, incorporating what today would include Greece, but also Albania, Bulgaria and parts of the former Yugoslavia. In ancient times these regions were never considered part of “Greece”. In the end it's not that important to include everything because otherwise the film would be too long for the viewer. What is important is to ensure that what is included is historically accurate within the bounds of reason.