350 BC to 310 BC; Organic Chronology of Interesting Events

In this open source review of world history, we are concentrating on the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean royal families that feature so prominently in the Old Testament. Each post is a rough sketch, intended to be fleshed out by comments from you the reader, and expansions of posts by myself. I will also respond to intriguing, intelligent comments, but not always immediately.

Circa 350 BC, Alexander I becomes king of Epirus after his brother-in-law Philip II of Macedon dethrones Alexander's cousin Arymbas, while over in Greece Aristotle argues for a spherical Earth using lunar eclipses and other observations. Also he discusses logical reasoning in Organon.

Around 330 BC according to wikipedia.org:

• January 20—Alexander the Great defeats the Persians, led by satrap Ariobarzanes, at thePersian Gates. In this battle, Ariobarzan, supported by only 700 Persian Immortals, holds the vast Macedonian army of 17,000 men at bay for 30 days. At the end, his troops are surrounded by Alexander's army, because of a Persian shepherd, who leads it around the Persian defenses. However, instead of surrendering, Ariobarzan and his 700 Immortals fight to the last man. Some historians consider him to be the Leonidas of Persia.
• January 30—After gaining the Pass of the Persian Gates, Alexander enters Persepolis. There he ceremonially burns down the palace of Xerxes I, as a symbol that the Panhellenic war of revenge is at an end.
• Before continuing his pursuit of Darius III, who has retreated into Bactria, Alexander assembles all the Persian treasure and entrusts it to Harpalus, who is to hold it at Ecbatana as chief treasurer. Parmenion is also left behind in Media to manage communications between Alexander and the rest of his rapidly growing lands.

By 320 BC:

• Alexander the Great's various generals control different parts of Alexander's empire. Ptolemy controls Egypt, Seleucus controls Babylon and Syria, Antipaterand his son Cassander control Macedon and Greece, Antigonus controls Phrygia and other parts of Asia Minor, Lysimachus controls Thrace and Pergamum and Eumenes controls theCappadocia and Pontus areas.
• Judea and Syria are annexed by Ptolemy and he gives Judea a large measure of self-government.
• Eudemus makes himself master of the territories of the Indian king Porus, and treacherously puts that monarch to death.

Here is a more recent explanation of Dhul-Qarmayn, Alexander the Great in Muslim tradition.

Persian Empire era 2009 research study by Charles Pope