Legacy of Alexander the Great

Eve Schoenrock
Mr. Ward
B Block

Legacy of Alexander the Great

Does Alexander deserve to be called "Great"?

Alexander the Great was an incredible commander over the Macedonian military, which resulted in his amazing statistics of never losing a battle. His enemies considered him to be invincible, as did himself; whether his fantastic record is due to talent or a short lifespan, is the real question.

Alexander the Great Statue

Alexander had a burning desire to take over the Persian Empire in order to fulfill his father's, Philip's, original plan before his death. Darius III was the only person who stood in Alexander's way of conquering the entire Persian Empire. Alexander continued on to destroy the Persian Empire and take it under his kingdom. His accomplishment sounds great, but when the details are revealed, people may think differently. Foremost, Darius III was a mediocre at best general in comparison with his father. (Mercer 54) Also, the Persians were at a major disadvantage due to the lack of troops versus the amount of troops Macedonia had. In addition, Darius III had made a huge tactical error by placing his cavalry on a steep bank, not allowing the cavalry the ability to charge. The infantry was placed in the back, and as a final disadvantage, the sun was in the eyes of Darius III's military. (Mercer 58) Alexander had great battle planning; in the center he placed his infantry, and on the sides his cavalry would attack like punches, one side would strike, then the other. (Mercer 60) Darius III and his men eventually surrendered to Alexander, which would be expected due to the immense disadvantage. (Mercer 61) Darius then traveled to Ecbatana, and while he was there he proceeded to raise up an army to fight Alexander. Alexander planned to march with his men to kill Darius, and to celebrate, he prepared a banquet the night before his departure. During the banquet, Alexander's mistress introduced the idea of setting fire to the Persian Palace, and to no ones surprise, Alexander approved of the idea. Alexander's mistress was extremely intoxicated, therefore her plan never took place, but the fact that Alexander approved of her sick idea does not insinuate "greatness". (Mercer 110) Upon Alexander's arrival in Ectabana, he learned that Bessus had imprisoned Darius III and declared himself the new king. (Mercer 112) Alexander later learned that Bessus had murdered Darius, so Alexander set out to kill Bessus. He did so by stripping Bessus naked, whipping him, cutting his ears and nose off, and then he was tied to two saplings that were bent to the ground. When the saplings were released, his body was ripped in half. (Mercer 121) A "Great" leader wouldn't have felt the need to murder Bessus because Bessus killed Darius, whom Alexander wanted to get revenge on.

Alexander was a good commander over his military, but when the other qualities of kingship come into play, he was lacking the skills needed. Alexander assigned another man, Antipater, to rule Macedonia while he was off fighting. Antipater was the Deputy Hegemon of the League of Corinth, which gave him a great amount of power over the Hellenistic Empire. While Alexander was gone, economic growth, education, and military training continued to grow and thrive, but Macedonians were extremely disappointed in their king, Alexander. The people didn't recognize Alexander as a king because he was never present in Macedonia, demonstrating his leadership. When Alexander came back to establish his presence in Macedonia, he demanded that he be considered a god, with his citizens bowing down to him and worshiping him. He associated himself with Achilles and Heracles, gods that the Greeks worshiped regularly. The Greeks did not want to bow down to Alexander as a god because they didn't believe that living people should be worshiped. A "Great" leader would have respected the people's beliefs without pushing them to their limits by demanding to be worshiped. The people refused to bow down to Alexander, but that doesn't change the fact that Alexander considered himself one with the gods, and he preferred to be treated that way.

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

In the eyes of ancient Greeks, Macedonians were an extremely uncivilized and uneducated. (747 Sienkewicz) The Greeks believed that Macedonians were not considered Greek, while Macedonians considered themselves Greek. In all, it seems that the Greek city-states were ashamed to be associated with Macedonia, so they fought against it as much as possible. (745 Sienkewicz) Macedonians seemed to prioritize war and power over education and sophistication, but this stereotype is credited to them due to their ruthless leader, Alexander.

Before Alexander took over the throne, Philip II created a devastating military, in which all peasants were forced to serve. He organized a well thought out formation that over time proved to be extremely effective when used during battle. (142 McDougal) Alexander traveled the region, destroying empires and building cities which he would name, Alexandria. Alexander created the Hellenistic Culture in which many different cultures united to become one. Hellenism brought Greek culture to any race that came in contact with it. (60 Durando) Macedonian society was also known, due to Alexander, for many devastating battles that were won because of ruthless acts of violence. Two examples are the Battle of Issus and the Battle of Granicus, both of which Alexander led. In the Battle of Issus, Alexander and his men attacked the Persians, and the Persians suffered greatly because of the major loss. (406 Pomeroy) Darius III was humiliated, which appeared to be Alexander's main goal in the battle. (408 Pomeroy) The Battle of Granicus was a disaster that was barely avoided. It had been suggested to Alexander to attack the following day, but Alexander refused to accept the suggestion, and he attacked the present day. Due to Alexander's prominent attire, the "armor of Achilles", he was almost killed because he stood out in contrast with his men. (402 Pomeroy) Alexander and his infantry won the battle, and Alexander announced the victory to Athens by sending three hundred Persian suits of armor to them in dedication to Athena. (403 Pomeroy)

The Macedonian society seems to have placed Alexander on a pedestal by considering him "Great" and rejoicing over his many victories. The reactions presented suggest that Macedonians congratulated unnecessary death and severe violence. They rallied behind destruction and formation of cities egotistically named Alexandria, after their king, Alexander. Contrary to common belief, not all Macedonians considered Alexander to be a "Great" king. They felt that he was absent from Macedonia a majority of the time, and looking back on factual evidence of Alexander and his accomplishments, it seems that he was a better commander than king. Alexander did not even earn his epithet until after his death, proving that Macedonians originally had to intention of prioritizing him in that way. Macedonians did not value Alexander and his values as "Great", showing that Alexander had semi forced his opinions and virtues onto his citizens. 

Do time and distance impact someone's popular perception?

Popular perception is greatly impacted by amount of time that has passed and the distance related to the subject matter. Alexander was a good commander and general at the time, and it is true that he never lost a battle, but his young age had a major role in his record. Over time, Alexander accumulated a title that is extravagant and not quite deserved.

Kim Jong Il, for example, was a terrible leader in North Korea. He brought the economy down, and he isolated North Korea, so no outside help was available. He was unable to feed his citizens, and the poor went hungry daily. He was self-centered, as his birthday was celebrated as a national holiday. He claims to be born in the exact location of Tan'gun's birth, who is the mythic father of Koreans, when in reality he was born in a prison camp. Kim Jong Il began a nuclear weapons program, and he sealed North Korea's isolation by stating they obtained nuclear weapons. Outsiders view Kim Jong Il as a horrid political figure, one that has done no good for his people, but the citizens of North Korea view him much differently. Kim Jong Il's picture was in the houses of his citizens, they sang songs about him, and notebooks were carried around to take note of his instructions. All of his accomplishments were considered great and they were exemplified.

Alexander is considered a "Great" leader currently, but in the past he could be considered a drunkard, malicious leader that placed an extremely high importance on himself and his accomplishments. He required that he be worshiped as a god, and he was the first mortal to demand that he be put on a Greek coin. (Hopper 226) His self centered character and his absence caused his citizens to think less of him as a king and person. Alexander placed Antipater on the throne when he was away, and it shows that he prioritized winning battles rather than governing a body of people. (Schlesinger 52) In the past Alexander would have been viewed as a good leader in the military, but he would not be considered a "Great" king. Over time, Alexander's accomplishments have been exaggerated for the better, and his distance from the United States has made his accomplishments seem even greater because of the United State's detachment from the matter. Many stories written about Alexander are bias towards his "greatness", and that doesn't allow the reader to view the whole truth of Alexander. When looked at today, Alexander is considered great by many, but when his life is fully delved into, a much different Alexander is discover, one that isn't as great as previously thought.

Alexander the Great Coin

Works Cited

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Burstein, Stanley M., Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Tolbert Roberts. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. By Sarah B. Pomeroy. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. 402+. Print.

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Durando, Furio. "The Fourth Century BC and the Rise of Macedonia." Ancient Greece: The Dawn of the Western World. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1997. 60-61. Print.

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"Macedonia." Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. Ed. Thomas J. Sienkewicz. Vol. 2. Pasedena: Salem, 2002. 745+. Print.

Mcdougal, Holt. "Alexander's Empire." World History: Patterns of Interaction. S.l.: Holt Mcdougal, 2010. 142+. Print.

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Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. World Leaders Past and Present Alexander. N.p.: Chelsea House, 1986. 52+. Print.

Stobart, J. C., and R. J. Hopper. The Glory That Was Greece: A Survey of Hellenic Culture and Civilization. New York: Hawthorn, 1964. 223+. Print.