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 2nd. 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 2nd
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.
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.
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.
I think its interesting how you adding a lot of facts in all of your paragraphs.
ReplyDeletewe didn't really have any information that was different.
i wish that you would have added a little bit more information on the different battles but other than that its good!
1. One thing I found interesting was Alexander was considered great in ancient times and great in the 21st century.
ReplyDelete2. My research didn't show anything different.
3. You're post was very good, however the only thing I would have added is a battle tactic Alexander used to explain how he got where he did.
I think its interesting how you adding a lot of facts in all of your paragraphs.
ReplyDeletewe didn't really have any information that was different.
i wish that you would have added a little bit more information on the different battles but other than that its good!
1. I like the last four sentences in your conclusion sentence because they close out Alexander very well.
ReplyDelete2. None of my research contradicts what you said.
3. I wish you would’ve mentioned some of his flaws then contradicted them. I also wish you would’ve used more detail. You stated some facts, but didn’t go in depth.