Jackson Rogers - Alexander Post

Alexander the Great deserves to be called great because he had many great accomplishments and also was a very good leader. Even though he was an alcoholic, he was still a great leader in the military and government. “Alexander III the Great, the King of Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian Empire is considered one of the greatest military geniuses of all times.” (www.historyofmacedonia.org) Alexander never stayed in the back of his army and watched, he would always lead from the front and fight. Because he did this, his troops had more confidence and it made him look strong and fearless.

Many people believe that Alexander’s father created the powerful army and government and Alexander just took over and didn’t do anything. That may be true but Alexander still conquered so much land and his army just got better and better. “Perhaps the greatest military genius of the ancient world, the warrior-king Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 B.C.) conquered territories stretching from Greece to Egypt and through present-day Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.”(Nate Barksdale) He used a special battle tactic called the Phalanx which was a group of men and they would use sixteen foot long spears and it proved to be unbeatable. In one battle, the battle of Issus in 333 BCE, Alexander and his troops were outnumbered and he still defeated them. That was the second time Alexander defeated Persia, the first was the battle of Granicus in 334 BCE. Alexander kept attacking Persia and in one battle, the battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE, he defeated the Persian army once again and captured the Persian treasury. After the battle of Gaugamela, Darius III was killed by one of his generals and Alexander was furious because he thought that it took away his ability to say that he had defeated him. After that, Alexander became the ruler of Persia.

Alexander was a great leader in Persia and had great intentions for his new empire but he died at age 32 so he couldn’t fulfill those intentions. Today, we still do not know how Alexander died but many people think it was from malaria. There are a lot more conspiracies to how he died but we still have no clue which is the actual way he died. Alexander intended for Persia to become a Greek empire and to have a unified culture. After he defeated Darius III, Alexander captured Darius’ mother and daughters but didn’t harm them and then later he married one of the daughters.

Alexander has had so many accomplishments in his life which makes him deserve to be called great. When he was a boy, there was a horse that no one could tame called Bucephalus. At age 11 or 12, Alexander tamed him and rode with him all over the ancient world. “Greek culture undoubtedly penetrated into western Asia as the result of his conquests, and western Asia, up to the Mesopotamian frontier, became for the first time a part of the Greek world. This is Alexander’s most certain, though unintended, historical achievement.” (History.com Staff) Alexander conquered so much land and created over 70 cities which he named most of them after himself and one after Bucephalus. A lot of people think that naming over 70 cities after yourself is very egotistical which may be true.

In the end, Alexander deserves to be called great because of his accomplishments and his leadership skills military and government wise. He created a huge empire and had an unbeatable army. Even though Alexander had some flaws, he was a great leader and will be remembered through all of time.

Works Cited

“Alexander the Great. Philip II and Rise of Alexander.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1185179?cid=140&sid=1877942. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

“Alexander the Great. Alexander’s Career and Conquests.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO,2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1185179?cid=140&sid=1877943. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

“Alexander the Great. Spread of Greek Culture.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1185179?cid=140&sid=1877944. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

“Alexander the Great. Division of Alexander’s Empire.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1185179?cid=140&sid=1877945. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

“Alexander the Great.” Changing Minds, changingminds.org/disciplines/warfare/commanders/alexander_great.htm. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

“Alexander the Great Alexander of Macedon Biography.” Alexander the Great, www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Barksdale, Nate. “8 Surprising Facts about Alexander the Great.” History.com, A+E Networks, 2014, www.history.com/news/history-lists/eight-surprising-facts-about-alexander-the-great. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

History.com Staff. “Alexander the Great.” History.com, A+E Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/alexander-the-great. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Plutarch. “Plutarch, the Parallel Lives.” penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexander*/3.html. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Watts, Tim J. “The Hellenistic Age.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/15. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Emma Grace's Alexander Post

 Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was a reigning leader beginning at 336 B.C. known for conquering most of the land known today with his military tactics. Alexander the Great holds up to his title and deserves to be great. Alexander became the king of Macedonia at the age of 20 after his dad, Philip II was stabbed to death at his daughter’s wedding. He grew the strongest empire in only 12 years. Not only did Alexander the Great just conquer land, but he spread culture throughout the European, Asian, and African continents. He spread Macedonian, Indian, Greek, and Persian influences which are known as the hellenistic culture today and have impacted many religions now to such a diverse selection. Alexander even married a Persian women after conquering Persia. People nowadays just assume that what they hear is true, but indeed Alexander was great. Alexander was a distinctive leader with powerful military tactics, and influenced a blend of cultures which are now treasured by lots of people.

“Detail of the Alexander Mosaic, representing Alexander the Great on his horse Bucephalus, during the battle of Issus.”

Alexander the Great is mostly known for conquering land with his unique military tactics, but he could not do this if he did not have the mental driver. When Alexander was young, he tamed a horse tamed Bucephalus that nobody could tame, and was considered to be from a god. Men older than him had tried to tame the horse just before him, so when Alexander was put up to the challenge, they laughed but Alexander had the eye for details. He noticed that the horse was afraid of his own shadow, so in order for Bucephalus to remain calm, he turned him towards the sun. With this kind of thinking, Alexander went on to do many great things. Also, Alexander himself believed that he had come from the god Zeus. So in order to prove he was worthy, Alexander pushed himself to strive for greatness, in every situation, to prove himself worthy. A statement Plutarch makes on learning about Alexander the Great is, "’It must be borne in mind that my design is not to write histories, but lives” (Facts on File1).  The phrase of “borne in mind” refers to the mental drive Alexander had. Plutarch states that Alexander uses his drive to write lives, so Alexander was indeed great, because he had the strong, sturdy base to build himself up to such a great leader.

Alexander the Great was one person, no matter on the field or off the field, but he would stay strong and thrive to be great at anything. On the battlefield, Alexander the Great would always lead his battles and fought vigorously against any opponent. It was important, to the empires, that Alexander would not go easy on any empire because of their lacking military or because he thought they were weak. This proves to the empires that he was not He attacked every empire just as strongly, no matter the size, and came out successfully every time, never losing a battle. By doing this, the empires had trust in Alexander, even though he might have conquered them. Every battle, Alexander challenged his soldiers, but he always gave them a choice of going into battle. In a speech before a battle he stated, “If you have any complaint to make about the results of your efforts hitherto, or about myself as your commander, there is no more to say. But let me remind you: through your courage and endurance you have gained possession of Ionia, the Hellespont, both Phrygias, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Lydia, Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia, Phoenicia, and Egypt” (Facts on File2). In this part of the speech, Alexander gives his men an option to back down but reminds them that they would be considered a coward for turning around in a battle. Alexander the Great had his strategic skills that made his army so powerful.

Map of Territory Alexander the Great conquered

In the public opinion, many people hold on to the reasons on why he was not great and do not see the reason for Alexander’s conquering. Those reasons include that he was over drank too much alcohol, he was a destroyer, and that he did not even try to fix what he broke. First of all, there was not a point at the time, but for Alexander to prove he was great and powerful. All his conquering of different empires joined and collaborated cultures, which has influenced many cultures today. There was never a great ruler that made such a huge impact on society today as Alexander. What many people hold against him is the fact that he tore down buildings and left them, but his army did not intentionally ruin those buildings, it was in the act of war. Alexander was planning on rebuilding the other empires into one huge empire, but he passed at the age of thirty two before fulfilling his plan. At one point in the beginning of Alexander’s reign, people did not take him seriously, so in order to make his point clear that he was serious, he made a jolting move. In the Holt McDougal Textbook3, it states that, “When the people of Thebes rebelled, he destroyed the city. About 6,000 Thebans were killed. The survivors were sold into slavery. Frightened by his cruelty, the other Greek city-states quickly gave up any idea of rebellion.” Alexander had to come out strong, but he did take it a little too far. People still argue if Alexander was even great today in modern history, but in my opinion, I believe he was great.

Concluding this, Alexander the Great’s title was not a hyperbole. Alexander worked hard to build up his empire and dedicated his life to follow in the succession of his father. Alexander was an extravagant leader that has affected culture to today. The hellenistic culture made a big impact on the empires in the European, Asian, and African hemisphere and we can thank Alexander for bringing together people from different heritages. Alexander the Great may have had some flaws, but he was not perfect, and neither is anyone today. When people started to follow Alexander with the great, many people questioned it, but with all that he has accomplished, he is worthy of the name and is definitely great.

Works Cited

"Alexander's Gulf Outpost Uncovered." BBC News, BBC, 7 Aug. 2007, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6930285.stm. Accessed 20 Sept. 2016.

"Alexander the Great. Spread of Greek Culture." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1185179?cid=140&sid=1877944. Accessed 20 Sept. 2016.

"Alexander the Great. Closing." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1185179?cid=140&sid=1877946. Accessed 20 Sept. 2016.

Donald L. Wasson. “Bucephalus,” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified October 06,

2011. http://www.ancient.eu /Bucephalus/.

"Introduction." Great Empires of the Past Online. Infobase Publishing. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

<http://online.factsonfile.com/RecURL.aspx?did=63267>.

Plutarch. "The Life of Alexander." Plutach, The Parallel Lives, penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexander*/3.html. Accessed 23 Sept. 2016.

Quotes:

1 “”Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans Life of Alexander excerpt”.” Ancient and

Medieval History Online. Facts on File. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

2 ""To This Empire There Will Be No Boundaries"." Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts

On File. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

3 "The Spread of Hellenistic Culture." Holt McDougal, my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547521084.

Abby's Alexander the Great Post

Though Alexander the Great died at thirty-two he accomplished much in his short life. Alexander the Great is known for his military achievement of conquering the known land and for his influence on the spread of Hellenistic culture. His name and achievements still influence people to this day. Historians define a person being great due to the fact that they conquered much land. The modern everyday definition of great is above average, or above normal. By both definitions Alexander the Great has earned the right to be called great.

One of the main points that Alexander the Great is known for his military achievements. At the young age of sixteen he was placed in charge of a part of the Macedonian army by Phillip the 2^nd. At the age of eighteen, he was in charge of cavalry in the First Battle of Chaeronea and won over the Greek city-states Athens and Thebes. At twenty after his father, Phillip the 2^nd was assassinated he became the king of Macedonia. Shortly after becoming king Alexander had to stop a revolt in Thebes. Thebes was destroyed and the survivors were sold as slaves. In 334 B.C Alexander started to conquer portions of the Persian Empire. Alexander the Great was a brilliant tactician who in his twelve years as king never lost a battle. Alexander eventually conquered land from Macedonian all the way to the Indus River. Shortly after, Alexander’s soldiers made him turn around. Alexander was also a brilliant speaker and he spoke to them to try to get them to continue on. “I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your exhausting marches and your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labor and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all.” (Alexander) Alexander was dedicated and willing to march with his soldiers if it meant reaching his goal.

                                                             Map of Alexander the Great’s empire.

A side effect of Alexander’s conquering was the introduction of new cultures and mixing them together to form Hellenistic Culture. Hellenistic culture blended aspects of Greek, Persian, Indian, and Egyptian. These cultures would have never mixed if it were not for Alexander the Great. Especially since the Greeks did not view other civilizations with much respect. “The ancient Greeks had a certain smugness, a sense of superiority: They felt they had the most civilized, the most sophisticated society, so there was no great need to rush off to seek out new places.” (Bowman) The Greeks superior view of themselves lead to Macedonia becoming annoyed, and eventually conquering. Alexander the Great also began to adopt certain aspects of the varying cultures, such as court procedures, dress, he married a Persian woman, and encouraged his generals to do the same.  The beginning of Hellenistic culture ushered in many new improvements and discoveries such as the heliocentric theory for the solar system. Herophilus and Erasistratus discovered the nervous system and the Library of Alexandria contained the knowledge of this time.  Many other accomplishments were made in the fields of science and the arts. All the accomplishments made in the Hellenistic age would not have occurred if Alexander had not conquered the known world, and thus introduced the cultures to one another.

                                                                         Bust of Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great’s greatness is also attributed to the fact that people think he is great. His name and life have been immortalized as legend. Most people today know who he is and what he did. To this day his life and achievements influence amaze many around the world.  The fact that all primary records from his time have been destroyed help to hide any cracks in his name. Many people have made movies or have written about him. Plutarch wrote about Alexander the Great in The Parallel Lives. “The multitude of the deeds to be treated is so great that I shall make no other preface than to entreat my readers, in case I do not tell of all the famous actions.” (Plutarch) It is clear that Plutarch deems Alexander worthy of greatness, for he writes about all the great deeds he had accomplished.  With many books that preach Alexander’s greatness it is hard for some people to think he is not.

Even though Alexander the Great has done bad he still deserves to be called great. Alexander conquered the known world with brilliant tactics while fighting and marching alongside his men. He spread Hellenistic culture in the areas he conquered. Western civilization would not be where it is today if it were not for the achievements made in the Hellenistic age. He made himself a legend that has lasted to this present day. A legend that still influences many people young and old. Alexander the Great has gone above and beyond the average man in his time. For all the actions that Alexander has done he has earned the right to be called great.

                                                                      Works Cited

Bialo, Ellen. "Career of Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1185181. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

Bowman, John S. “Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World.” Exploration in the World of the Ancients, Chelsea House, 2004, Ancient and Medieval History Online, http://online.infobase.com/hrc/search/details/396825?q=alexander the great hellenistic culture.

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575648. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

“Hellenistic Age.” Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2014, Ancient and Medieval History Online, http://online.infobase.com/hrc/learningcenter/details/7?articleid=29180.

"P225 The Life of Alexander (Part 1 Of 7)." Plutarch • Life of Alexander (Part 1 Of 7). N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

Sacks, David. “Alexander the Great.” Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Third Edition, Facts On File, 2015, Ancient and Medieval History Online, http://online.infobase.com/hrc/search/details/224479?q=alexander the great .

Sandler, Stanley L. "First Battle of Chaeronea." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575700. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

""To This Empire There Will Be No Boundaries"." Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

Watts, Tim J. "The Hellenistic Age." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/15. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

Jackzons Alexander the Great Post

        Does Alexander the Great deserve his title and what does history have to say about this?  Well I believe Alexander does not deserve his name and that history would most likely disagree with me. Most historians such as Plutarch, Diodorus, and Arrian believe Alexander was the greatest leader in the world and considered him to be a demigod.  Diodorus says himself, "These achievements were not the work of Fortune but of his own force of character, for this king stands out above all others for his military acumen, personal courage and intellectual brilliance.".  

         While many people may see Alexander as a military and diplomatic genius,  Alexander never truly made any flourishing cities except Alexandria in Egypt which only became prosperous after his death.  While I admit he did create the Hellenistic culture which is a great, but he did more for his country dead than alive.  The people who did make the kingdom prosperous were his generals that took over for him after his death.  I am not the only one who believes this either, many historians today agree that he never did anything great for his country and instead just went on a rampage through the continent.    

        Many ancient philosophers and civilizations see Alexander as the greatest military leader of all time.  However, they never acknowledge how poor of a ruler

 he was for his kingdom, also Alexander never came up with any powerful strategies or armies it was all his father who set him up with the perfect base for Alexander to take the credit.  Not only that but his mother Olympias also had a major influence on Alexander's decisions, his mother was basically the ruler despite Alexander being king.  Basically Alexander was never a true king and doesn't deserve to be called great.
        Throughout history thoughts about Alexander have wavered, ancient historians see him as an amazing ruler where as more modern day historians and professors are a bit more skeptical of his achievements and capabilities as a ruler.  Now there are still some people who believe that Alexander was a good ruler but the numbers are less than they used to be.  The historian Plutarch wrote himself,"Crying that this day had brought forth something that would prove fatal and destructive to all Asia."  This quote talks about how when the temple of Diana was burnt down people suspected a being to be born that would destroy all of that land, by this they mean Alexander the Great.
        In conclusion Alexander does not deserve his name for he was never a true leader and was pushed around by his mother and his father did everything for him.  While ancient history disagrees more modern historians believe him to be nothing more than an uncivilized barbarian.  While Alexander did create a good culture and conquer a lot of land, he was not a very good ruler and never made any great cities or kingdoms; it was after death is when he actually did some good.

Works Cited

"Arrian: Alexander the Great Founds Alexandria, Egypt." World History: Ancient and Medieval 
            Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1839178. Accessed 30 Sept. 
            2016.
Flower, Michael A. "Not so Great Man." Jstor. John Hopkins Press, 2007. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
@ahencyclopedia. "Alexander the Great." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia,             14 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.
Worthington, Ian. "How 'Great' Was Alexander?" Iran Chamber Society. N.p., 1999. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.             <http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/how_great_was_alexander2.php>.

Morgan's Alexander Post

Morgan's Alexander Post

https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com

Alexander the Great was well educated from the beginning. He took over “Persia, Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Bactria, and the Punjab”. He was also ruler of Macedonia from 336-323 B.C. He had a great army and good strategies of how to take over.  He also Improved the Hellenistic culture. These all are the reasons why Alexander deserves his title as great.

Alexander Was born in the Pella area of Macedonia on July 20, 356 B.C. He was given a good education from a young age from learning horseback riding, math, and and archery. Also at a older age he was taught “philosophy, poetry, drama, science, and politics” with his friends by Aristotle's. He became a soldier while still a teenager after he finished his education at Meiza. In 336 B.C Alexander's sister got married to the King of Molossian and at their wedding Philip II was murdered. After his father's death Alexander became King of Macedonia.

http://www.conservapedia.com/Alexander_the_Great

Alexander became king of Macedonia in 336 B.C. Alexander then decided to continue with his father's plan in conquering Persia. In 334 B.C when alexander won his first battle against Persian army and governors as King. Also while he was King he won many other battles. He won the Siege of Tyre, Siege of Gaza,Battle of Gaugamela,Battle of the Persian Gate, Siege of Halicarnassus, Battle of Issus, and the Battle of the Granicus River. While conquering all this new land and winning all theses battles Alexander spread new cultures and improved the hellenistic culture.  Also during 331 B.C Alexander founded Alexandria. As you can see this is a map of where all these battles took place and where Alexander's Empire was.

People today have very mixed opinions about Alexander being Great or not great. From research and observations most people today think that Alexander does deserve to be called the Great. “The life of Alexander the Great has inspired people from antiquity to modern times.” Most of the time there are very positive things about Alexander but not everyone agrees that he deserved to be called great. People’s opinions do not always agree with our own but, we are free to have our own opinions on anything, like Alexander the great.

Alexander Accomplished many things in his life, being King of Macedonia, winning battles, and conquering new land. Alexander did all these things in a  span of 13 years. Alexander was only 22 when he lead his first battles and was King of Macedonia. Today he has many people that believe he truly is Alexander The Great, and as History shows for now he will stay Alexander the Great.

Work cited
Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575648. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

Cartledge, Professor Paul Cartledge. "Alexander the Great:Hunting For a New 
     Past." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/ 
     alexander_the_great_01.shtml#seven. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016. 

Biography.com Editors. "Alexander The Great Biography." Biography, A&E 
     Television Networks, www.biography.com/people/alexander-the-great-9180468. 
     Accessed 29 Sept. 2016. 

Lee's Alexander blog post

       Alexander the Great deserves his name because of the many accomplishments he made after the death of his father Philip the 2nd. Many people throughout history have looked at Alexander for inspiration as a military leader, and also to copy his tactics in battle. Alexander was relentless in pursuing the Persians and destroying their empire. He helped to change the way of Greek culture and brought in a new era called the Hellenistic era. Some people think that Alexander does not deserve his name, but after many successes; it’s obvious that he does deserve to be called great.

       There are some reasons why people dispute Alexander’s greatness.  It is said that Alexander possessed an extreme temper and would sometimes release this anger by killing advisors or even his friends. He also killed many innocent people who were just in his path during campaigns. Alexander might have had a temper, but he made up for it with his knowledge and leadership.

Phalanx was a military tactic developed by Alexander

       Despite some doubt to his greatness, there are several examples to prove that he does deserve his title.  Alexander was the only person who could train a horse by the name of Bucephalus. Bucephalus was a stallion that no man could train, but at the age of 12; Alexander proved his worth by taming the wild horse and claiming it as his own.  Alexander also had the gift of great communication skills that earned loyalty and trust from the people.    Alexander was a great king with many of his achievements coming from the battlefield.  He was an exceptional warrior who always lead his men from the front line. Also, he was very strategic when it came to attacks. One example of his strategic genius is the phalanx, which was rows of men with spears long enough to hit the enemy without getting too close.

       Many leaders throughout the course of history, such as Julius Caesar, have admired Alexander’s tactics in war, and have compared themselves to him as if he were a king among kings.   Alexander’s unwavering vision for a unified people changed the Greek culture for the better, once again; setting himself apart from other rulers in history. His determination to destroy the Persian empire has inspired generals throughout the ages, making many people see him as a great leader.

       Alexander was a military genius with his advanced tactics and his visionary leadership in battle. His practices left an impression and extended the Greek culture throughout the ages.    Although he had a temper, numerous military leaders and great rulers looked to Alexander for inspiration, and this is why Alexander was indeed great!

Works Cited

“Alexander the great.” ushistory.org, www.ushistory.org/civ/5g.asp.

“Alexander the great.” www.historyofmacedonia.org, Historyofmacedonia.org, www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html.

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575648. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Ty's Alexander the Great Blog Post

   

1. Does Alexander the Great deserve his name and why or why not?

2. Has the world of public opinion always agreed with you?

     Over the course of history, questions have arose if Alexander the Great really deserves his title as "Great".  Many examples support both theories that Alexander is great and is not.  Alexander is not the substantial leader that many think he is, for many reasons.  First, his life style is full of alcoholism and he was power hungry for control over numerous countries.  However, Alexander was capable of reuniting Greece and conquering Persia and Egypt with his superior armies and tactics.  But, after he accomplished these feats, he left the conquered, destroyed territories to reconstruct themselves and create a stable system for the people to live in.  Also, some believe the credit should be given to Alexander's father, King Philip II, for creating the great Macedonian civilization and forming the armies and culture of Macedonia.  King Philip was on the rise of power, until he was murdered by one of his own guards.  When King Philip II was killed, his power was given to his young son, Alexander the Great.  It can be seen that Alexander had no involvement in the creation of the Macedonian civilization, but instead just inherited it from his father.  Although, Alexander's leadership cannot be overlooked.  As stated previously, Alexander conquered many countries and in none of the battles had he lost.  Again, there are examples supporting both theories about Alexander's greatness.  But throughout history Alexander has been more dishonorable and cruel than great.  Although his leadership skills were superior, they were put to bad use when he left territories to reconstruct themselves as he moved on.  Even if Alexander the Great was a eminent leader, there are more characteristics about him that would lead people to believe he is not great. 

Alexander the Great

https://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com

     People from different time periods definitely saw things differently and experienced things differently.  A person in World War II will have had many different experiences than someone from today.  The same had to be during Alexander the Greats life time.  Someones opinion on if Alexander deserves the title "Great" could be different if they lived in the time of Alexander than if they live today.  Alexander showed great leadership over his armies in conquering many countries.  A soldier in Alexander's army would have seen him as a great person and a great leader, but a victim of Alexander's raids woulds have seen him as a monster who did not know when to stop.  But, today, people have no first hand knowledge of Alexander the Great.  All people rely on basing their opinion on is what they have heard or researched about Alexander the Great.  In the world of public opinion, people think Alexander the Great was great because they do not know much about him and mainly base their opinion on the fact that their is "Great" in Alexander's name.  While the world of public opinion of people who have researched Alexander the Great will vary.  These people will find examples of why Alexander is great and is not great and have to form their opinions around that.

Work Cited

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval    

               Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575648. 

Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

Bialo, Ellen. "Career of Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval 

Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1185181. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.

"The Beginning of Alexander's Empire." Great Empires of the Past Online. Infobase 

Publishing. Web. 30 Sept. 2016. <http://online.factsonfile.com/RecURL.aspx?did=63268>.