Alexander's Legacy

   
         Alexander the Great or Alexander III was a brilliant military tactician and general. He's inspired leaders such as Hannibal the Carthaginian, Pompey, Caesar, and Napoleon and for good reason too. At its peak, his empire has stretched from Greece and Egypt to as far away as India. Although his leadership decisions might not have been the best, there is no doubt that Alexander can be considered great.

         His path to greatness started long before he was a king, when he was still a boy at Philip II court in Macedonia. Even at a young age, it would have seemed that Alexander was destined for greatness. Plutarch writes that at the age of 12, Alexander tamed Bucephalus, a horse none of Philip's men could tame, simply by using his powers of observation. (Mercer, 16-18) Alexander realized that the horse was afraid of its own shadow, and quickly after he moved the horse from the sun, he was able to tame it. Alexander would then go on to ride Bucephalus to all of his major battles. Then, at the age of 13, his father wanted Alexander to get an education so he got Aristotle to teach the young prince. From Aristotle, Alexander learned to think logically which led him to becoming a military genius. (Mercer 18-20) All of these adventures during Alexander's upbringing help him become the leader he is known as today.

        His path to greatness then resumes at the age of 21 when Alexander becomes king after his father's death. Alexander had large plans to fulfill his father's dreams of conquering Persia, and after two years of preparation he began his conquest. He plunged into Persia and after crushing the Persian at the battles of Granicus and Issus he moved into Egypt. He moved through Egypt in likewise fashion and was actually welcomed by the Egyptians for freeing them from the rule of the Persians. They even made him the Pharaoh and called him the son of Zeus. He feels pretty powerful at this point and decides to keep on going. He takes over Babylon and continues into India. In India, he still continues to fight until 326 BC, where his army mutinies at the Hyphasis River after harsh weather conditions. He is forced to turn back and when he does, he is at the height of his power. He believes he is so divine that the Macedonians should worship him. Ironically though, it is at this height of power where Alexander dies, not by a sword or a spear, but by a fever.  Thus ends the eventful but brief life of Alexander III.

        Alexander's last (and perhaps his greatest) accomplishment was his legacy. Part of his legacy was the creation of the Hellenistic culture. The Hellenistic Culture was a fusion of different cultures from regions that Alexander took over. While Alexander was still alive, he was spreading his culture to the places he went and he also adopted some aspects of the other cultures. For example, while he was in Persia, he married a Persian woman and encouraged members of his army to do the same. This helped spread cultures and also created a bond between the two regions. The creation of the Hellenistic culture was important because it allowed unified cities and it allowed people to communicate and travel throughout the Hellenistic world. Another part of Alexander's legacy was the way people viewed him, and in his case it was quite great. He managed to do the unthinkable. He conquered near all of Europe and a large part of Asia. He was even able to create a culture to unify his empire. After all of his adventures and accomplishments there's no wonder people call him the Great.

        This leads to another question, what does it mean to be great?, and more specifically, what can one learn about the values of Society based on their views of greatness? In Macedonia's case, the people were tired of being looked down upon by the other city states. Macedonians knew that the only way to get the other regions to respect Macedonia was to take action; to make Macedon great. So that's exactly what Philip II did. Philip II used this proudness to turn a group of peasants into a highly trained group of soldiers and together they took over most of Europe. After his father died, Alexander continued this philosophy as he conquered Persia and it led him to be seen as great in the eyes of the Macedonians at the time period and for many years to come.

        For Macedonians back then, being courageous in battle and taking over new lands instilled a new sense of nationalism for them which made rulers like Philip II and Alexander III seem so great, but war isn't exactly as well received in all societies. For example, think back to everyday life now. If the president of the United States announced that we would be invading Canada, just because we can, there would be mass rioting all over the US. Not to mention all the uproar that would come from other countries as well. That just goes to show that how great something appears to be is directly depended on the values of the society looking at it, and that one can learn a lot about a society based on what they view as great.

        Another thing that can affect society's view is time. Time plays a major in how people see things. Time can distort or even rewrite history altogether, and that's just what happened to Alexander's legacy. After he died, many writers took it upon themselves to write down the actions of Alexander the Great. In these works, many of Alexander's life goals and achievements become fantasized. For example, one writing titled Alexander Romance featured fantastic adventures such as getting carried around in a basket flown by eagles, encountering a tribe of headless men, and becoming a mermaid just to name a few.

        Another way time has distorted peoples' views on Alexander is by his credibility. Almost all of the works about Alexander the Great focus on how he was such a great leader and general when in reality he wasn't all that perfect. According to an essay by Ian Worthington, Alexander "was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of his own men and for the unnecessary wholesale slaughter of native peoples". On top of that, he is a "megalomaniac, who believed in his own divinity". Perhaps Worthington's account of Alexander was a little more accurate and could possibly shed some light on how great "The Great" really was. Whatever the case is though, there is no doubt that time has greatly affect Alexander III image today. As Winston Churchill once said, "History is written by the victors." and for Alexander that is exactly what happened.

Works Cited
"Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography." Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.
Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014
Mercer, Charles E. Alexander the Great. New York: American Heritage Pub.; Book Trade Distribution by Meredith; Institutional Distribution by Harper & Row, 1963. Print.
Robertson, John, Joshua Cole, Thomas M. Saftley, and Carol Symes. "The Greek World Expands, 400-150 B.C.E." Perspectives from the Past: Primary Sources in Western Civilizations. By James M. Brophy. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 142-45. Print.
Worthington, Ian. "How "Great" Was Alexander? [P.1]." How "Great" Was Alexander? [P.1]. N.p., 1999. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

Alexander the Great

   1.

           King Alexander was a man of influence as he ruled a very powerful empire of Macedonia. He has a reputation that he left behind known as being “Great.” Alexander had a very big impact on the empire he ruled. He controlled it pretty well, expanded it to a great size, and spread the culture around in his daily life. But to what extent do we exaggerate the term “great”? Alexander was a great leader, great statesman, and a great commander, but the way he ran his empire could have been a little forceful. I totally agree that he does deserve the title given to him of being great, although, I do believe he is praised more than he deserves. He was undefeated because he never lost a battle, but Alexander also only ruled for 13 years, a very short reign. (Dearborn, 11). He also was given a kingdom by inheriting it from his father, and it was all set out for him, but then again you could argue that with his great skills he took over in a tough time, and handled it very well. Alexander deserves to be called great because he smashed the Persian army, which had been never done before at that time. This was a very monumental event, because it gave him confidence as a person and it gave his empire a great reputation. Without King Alexander, much of Greek culture would have not spread.

Alexander explored and conquered more territory to expand his empire. As he took over other areas, the influence he brought spread over these areas. He was also a great learner, because on his journey, Alexander took note of other countries’ tactics and battle techniques, mixed it with his own, and created a greater army for him. He observed that India used elephants as carriers rather than horses. He realized in battle that the elephants were more effective and quickly got rid of his horses and replaced them with elephants. His battle tactics improved and Alexander became more powerful. Alexander III is a very inspiring man to modern people in a way that they follow him and his tactics as a military general. He was a tenacious man who after hard battles kept moving his troops forward, never turning back until his army forced him. The fact that King Alexander had a small army, yet many victories, should blow your mind, because it is a very rare when your small army is defeating the most powerful empires around the world.                                                                                          

2. 

Alexander is considered one of the greatest military leaders of all time because of his accomplishments. He is an inspiration to many other leaders. Many people look at Alexander as a fierce, scary leader. Alexander did have a good side though. He wasn’t all about fighting and killing. He was more about bringing his empire as a whole.  His goal as a king was to bring together all the different groups of people living in his empire. He prayed that the Persians and Macedonians would one-day work together. Sadly, Alexander died at the height of his power. After his death, nothing was the same as it had been under Alexander. The Persians and Macedonians never really united. The Greeks fought for their independence and ended up winning it for Macedon. After Alexander died, it opened up a civil war between the Macedonians. Later, Macedonia fell under the Turkish Empire. They never had that true hero anymore to come save the day like King Alexander. Alexander spread Greek Culture throughout the Persian Empire. He respected others customs and allowed them to continue. Alexander’s values and accomplishments just absolutely show that he is great. It is easy to see how the empire fell apart after Alexander wasn’t under rule. It just emphasizes how important and effective he was in what he did. Even though he didn’t bring all of Macedon together, it is easy to see the sudden swift in power from when he was under rule to after he died. While Alexander ruled it made him look better as a leader, because he had everything under control. After Alexander died, he looked even better because no one could fully take over the throne, and keep the empire stable. Alexander also created the Hellenistic Age. As a king, he embraced other cultures such as dressing in Persian styles. During his reign trade and travel increased in his empire. He also spread Greek art and architecture. The cities in his empire that weren't in Greece all had Greek art, because of the influence Alexander brought upon them.                   

 3.
      Napoleon Bonaparte was a very influential leader.  He in similar ways had the same lifestyle as Alexander. He grew up, ended up going to a Military Academy at a very young age of 15. From there, Napoleon grew up in a military lifestyle and he worked his way up in the ranks. Within eight years, Napoleon decided to leave and go towards politics. He became a great leader at the age of 23. Napoleon was a very great military leader. He was a self-centered person and always wanted more, so he became the ruler of France and had a pretty good run while he was at it for only a short time of about 14 years. Napoleon was a short man, but that didn’t stop him from anybody. He took over France in 1802, and in the short amount of time he ruled, he actually made a significant difference.  Napoleon invaded at the time, the powerful Spain and also took over Portugal. He became insanely powerful at the time.  Napoleon Bonaparte handled France in a tough time.  He took a torn country that had fallen apart and created equality and stability within it.  As he secured military victories, he headed back and was looked at it from France as their savior and their hero.

 I believe that time does somewhat impact someone’s popular perception. Napoleon only ruled for about 14 years, yet completed so much for the torn country. He became powerful in such a small time frame. Although, people like King Alexander and Napoleon are great, not because the big picture looks great. They are great, not because they did a lot in a short time. They are great, not because they acquired so much territory. Figures like them are great because of how they change lives. Alexander saw a path where he would defeat the most powerful empire, and he accomplished that task. Napoleon saw a country that needed help and he brought them together and created a stable, well run country. But the way they ran their country or empire or how they got to the end the result could be a bit questionable, they still completed what they needed to do to change and influence lives of modern times. Time and distance doesn’t just base off someone’s ability. They are just the bonuses you can add to the list. I think what really matters is how they started off and how they really impacted others and influenced their empires.

Works Cited

"Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography." Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography. Ancient Sculpture Gallery, 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html>.

Bennett, Matthew. "Alexander (III) the Great." The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. 11. Print.

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." Http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575648?terms=alexander+the+great>.

Giotto, Mr. "Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age." Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age. Penfield, 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.penfield.edu/webpages/jgiotto/onlinetextbook.cfm?subpage=1653418>.

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: New Directions, 1951. 11+. Print.

Rawlinson, George, M.A. "History of Macedonia." History of Macedonia. The Colonial Press. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. <http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/Rawlinson.html>.

Ushistory.org. "Alexander the Great." Ancient Civilizations. Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/civ/5g.asp>.

Worthington, Ian, Professor. "How "Great" Was Alexander? [P.1]." How "Great" Was Alexander? [P.1]. University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. <http://www.utexas.edu/courses/citylife/readings/great1.

Alexander The Great

1.  Does Alexander The Great deserve to be called Great?  

    What does it mean to be great?  The definition of "great" in Webster's dictionary says Large in size, Large in measure, important, or remarkable.  Alexander The Great (Alexander III) had one of the most powerful armies at the time.  Philip, Alexanders father, was the king of Macedonia and had a very powerful army.  In 336 B.C.  Philip was about to invite Anatolia, but one of his bodyguards assassinated him during his daughters marriage.  Alexander then was the king of Macedonia at such a young age.  At age 16 Alexander was commanding his own troops. (Grossman, 12).  He was ambitious and ready to conquer the world. Alexander conquered many cultures and created the most powerful empires the world had ever seen.  He was well educated when he was a child because he was tutored by Aristotle and taught about the art of war from his father.  In 335 BC, the first year of Alexanders reign, he was challenged by a rebellion in Thebes.  After Alexander destroyed Thebes, he moved to Corinth.  Alexander wanted to conquer the Persian Emire.  One of the first things Alexander did was he marched into Asia Minor to continue his dads plans.  But before he left he wanted to make sure Macedonia was not in chaos when he left.  Alexander led his 30,000 well-trained troops 22,000 miles across India and back to Macedonia fighting.  (Grossman, 12).  After conquering many city-states, Alexander continued south into Egypt. Alexander and his troops fought in many battles and never lost a battle.  Many military generals copied Alexanders tactics and strategies of fighting like Julius Caesar.  People copied Alexanders tactics because he had such great success in the field of fighting.  Alexander was not just a spectacular military leader, he introduced people to a new era.  Alexander spread greek culture throughout the Persian empire, including parts of Asia and Africa.  Alexander created the Hellenistic Age, a time where many people advanced in reading, math, and architecture because of the peace they had.  The Hellenistic Age was a very good time for Macedonia because they communicated with other cultures.   Alexander accepted other cultures well during the Hellenistic Age. Macedonia and countries near by traded during this time period.

Alexander does deserve to be called great.  Alexander's army was very large in size also was very remarkable.  Also, Alexander was super important.  Alexander turned small city-state of Macedonia into the largest and most powerful Empire in the Universe.  So therefore Alexander technically was great, even though Alexander didn't treat his troops right and only cared about himself.  Alexander didn't care what the people of Macedonia said and was a very selfish person.

2.  What can one learn about the values of society based on their views of greatness?

   A society can be viewed by what their views of greatness in many different ways.  If somebody thinks great means excellent or outstanding they would have different views than if somebody thought great meant large in size or remarkable.  Those people would think different things are great. Many people in Macedonia thought it was great.  Alexander had a very powerful empire and that kept Macedonia protected from other countries from attacking them.  Most people thought good about Alexander the Great because he was brilliant on the field of fighting and on keeping Macedonia having a powerful government.  He made Macedonia great in my opinion.  Alexander spread Greek culture throughout many countries and that helped unite Macedonia.  Throughout many years, Macedonia tried to build up their empire and make it stronger.  Alexander built up Macedonia's Empire and made it the most powerful empire ever.  People in the United States might not think our society is great if they think great means excellent.  The reason why is because our government is going downhill and many people are loosing money that they work for.  But some people might think the United States is great because the United States is a very large country and is very remarkable.  Peoples definition of greatness might change throughout their life, and so will their perspectives of how great things are.


3.  Do time and distance impact someone’s popular perception?  

   Time and distance impact someone's popular perception majorly.  When somebody does something important that impacts the whole country or even the whole world, it will be heard from very quickly.  With technology these days, information can be passed through countries instantly.  For an example, Abraham Lincoln only served 2 terms as the president of the United States.  But in those 2 terms he did some very important things.  Abraham Lincoln is known for abolishing slavery, this affected over half the population of the United States. Many people liked what he did, but many people did not like what he did.  But, Lincoln abolishing slavery benefited the country.  He gave black people rights.  As soon as he declared no slaves, everybody with slaves had to let them free.  After Lincoln abolished slavery John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln because he was angry that he had to give away his slaves and thought it would make the whole country happy, but it didn't.  Throughout the country, they found out very fast that they could not have slaves.  Distance  impacts someone's popular perception also.  No matter what happens these days, the word gets around throughout the whole country.  And throughout time people views of things change.  Also the United States is large is measure, we have a large military that is very strong.

Works Cited

Nardo, Don. "Alexander And His Successors." The Ancient Greeks. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2001. 84-86. Print.

Robinson, Charles A., JR. "Philip And Alexander The Great." Ancient Greece. The United States: Franklin Watts, 1960. 52-55. Print.

Grossman, Mark. "Alexander The Great (Alexander III)." World Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Facts On File, 2007. 11-13. Print.

"Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age." Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.

"The World as We Know It." The World as We Know It. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.

"Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander." Thomas R. Martin, An Overview of Classical Greek History from Mycenae to Alexander, The Creation of Macedonian Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

"How "Great" Was Alexander? [P.1]." How "Great" Was Alexander? [P.1]. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.