or Aleta, (anc. geogr.) a town of Celtic Gaul, now extinct. From its ruins arose St Malo, in Brittany, at the distance of a mile. Its ruins are called Guich Aletb in the British.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT, king of Macedo- nia. His father Philip laid the plan of that exten- sive empire, which his son afterwards executed.— Philip, having made himself master of Greece, began to cast his eyes upon Persia, with a view to retaliate upon that haughty empire the injuries of former times. It was the popular topic of the day. But this prince was cut off in the midst of his enterprise. Such, how- ever, was the influence of Alexander in the assembly of the Grecian states, that he was created general of their combined forces in the room of his father. Having made every needful preparation, at the head of a veteran army he invaded Asia. The lieutenants of Darius, who was then king of Persia, opposed him at the river Granicus, where Alexander obtained a complete vic- tory, after which he pursued his march through Asia. At Issus, near Scamanderon, he was met by Darius in person, at the head of a prodigious army. Here he obtained a second victory; and took the camp of Da- rius, together with his family, whom he treated with the utmost humanity. Contrary to all the maxims of war, instead of pursuing Darius, he made an excursion into Egypt; and, as far as appears, through no better motives than those of vanity. Here he was acknowl- edged to be the son of Jupiter Ammon. In the mean time Darius recruited his strength, and got together an army superior to what he brought into the plains of Issus. Alexander having finished his Egyptian expedition, tra- versed Asia, and passed the Euphrates. At Arbela, a town in Assyria, he met Darius. Here a decisive bat- tle was fought, which put all Persia into the hands of Alexander. His ambition not being satisfied with the conquest of that vast country, he projected an expedi- tion into India. Here he met with great opposition from Porus, a gallant prince, whom in the end he re- duced. Beyond the Ganges lay a country still unsub- dued. He notified it to his army, that he proposed to pass the river. But these veterans, harassed with the fatigues, and seeing no end of their labour, mutinied, and refused to march further. The disappointed chief was therefore obliged to return. At Babylon he pro- posed to receive ambassadors, appoint governors, and settle his vast monarchy; but his execrable put an end to his life in the midst of his designs, and in the flower of his age.—Alexander had a noble education under Ar- istotle, and other masters of the first eminence; the good effects of which were seen in the early part of his life. No prince ever gave nobler instances of genero- sity, candour, justice, prudence, and fortitude. But the tide of his successes changed his manners; and he became luxurious, arrogant, cruel, and even brutal. With regard to his public character, he hath been as much the subject of different opinions, as any prince of antiquity. By some, his conquest of Persia has been considered as the greatest effort of heroism. His In- dian expedition has likewise been magnified as an ap- pendage to one vast plan of universal commerce and le- gislation. But they seem to have a truer idea of Alex- ander, who consider the whole scheme of his conquests as the project solely of ambition.