Alexander the Great, the famous Macedonian conqueror, was born in which year before the Common Era?

Introduction / Context:
Alexander the Great is one of the most widely known figures in ancient world history. Questions about his birth and campaigns are frequent in general knowledge exams because they connect to the spread of Greek culture, the fusion of East and West and contacts between ancient India and the Mediterranean world. Knowing his birth year helps place his life and conquests on a historical timeline along with other important ancient events.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question focuses only on the year of birth of Alexander the Great.

The four options give two years in the period before the Common Era and two in the period after.

We are expected to know that Alexander lived in the fourth century before the Common Era.

Concept / Approach:
Alexander was born in ancient Macedonia and later created a vast empire stretching from Greece to parts of India. His life is usually dated from 356 before the Common Era to 323 before the Common Era. Therefore, we must select the option that corresponds to a year in the mid fourth century before the Common Era. Among the options, 356 BC directly matches this well known date and fits the historical context of his wars with the Persian Empire and his later campaigns towards India.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Alexander the Great was a contemporary of fourth century philosophers like Aristotle, who was his tutor. Step 2: Remember that Alexander began his major campaigns after coming to the throne in 336 BC and died in 323 BC. Step 3: Since he died in 323 BC at roughly the age of thirty two or thirty three, his birth must be about three decades earlier. Step 4: The exact commonly accepted year of his birth is 356 BC in the city of Pella in Macedonia. Step 5: Therefore, among the options, 356 BC is the correct birth year.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick mental check is to pair his birth and death years as 356 BC and 323 BC. This pair appears in many standard history textbooks and reference charts. Once you recall that his death is usually dated to 323 BC, you can remember that he ruled for about thirteen years and lived for just over thirty, making a birth date in the mid fourth century BC quite logical. This simple association confirms that 356 BC is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
189 BC: This year belongs to a much later period of Hellenistic history, long after Alexander had died and after his empire had broken into successor kingdoms.
189 AD: This year belongs to the Common Era, many centuries after Alexander. It is completely inconsistent with ancient Macedonian history.
356 AD: This is again in the Common Era and corresponds to late Roman times, not to the age of Greek city states and Macedonian expansion.

Common Pitfalls:
A common confusion is between years labelled BC and AD or CE. Students sometimes pick a correct number but with the wrong era. For famous ancient personalities such as Alexander, Ashoka or Buddha, it is important to remember that they belong firmly to the period before the Common Era. Another pitfall is mixing Alexander with later rulers of the Hellenistic period. To avoid this, keep a simple chart in mind: Alexander s life is roughly from 356 BC to 323 BC, and his campaigns in the East, including the battle near the Hydaspes river in India, took place shortly before his death.

Final Answer:
Alexander the Great was born in the year 356 BC.