Alexander the Great

Richard Davis
9/25/14
Ward History

Alexander the Great

          Alexander the Great was a one the most revered leaders of all time. Many other famous rulers considered him the measure of greatness, compared themselves to him, or imitated his style. Famous leaders who visited his tomb include Pompey, Caligula, Julius, and Augustus Caesar.  Alexander the Great was very different compared to other leaders because not only was he a  politician,but he was also a great general, and an educated later. He was a strict, but just leader and decimated those who did not agree with him. Being a great tactician played a very major part in why  he was able to conquer and acquire the Greek city states, and the later Persian, and Egyptian acquisitions. He had also gained combat experience prior to his rule, as a teenager aiding his father in battle. He was a well educated leader having been taught by the likes of Aristotle. Who introduced, and exposed a young Alexander to Greek culture. Alexander the Great was a well rounded leader, and one of the few men who fit the title of "Great."
         Alexander was a jack of all trades who was very skilled in almost all fields he worked in, especially in the art of battle. Alexander was a very impressive tactician who had gained experience on the battlefield as a teenager, directing some of his father's troops, against the Greeks. It helped that his troops had also mastered, and perfected the phalanx technique. He showed his great intellect on the battlefield, with his careful planning, and phenomenal improvisation on the battlefield. During the Battle of Issus against Darius III, Alexander faced a Persian army much larger than his own, and lead his troops into battle. Darius sat behind his troops as it was a safer choice. Very similar to the Battle of Thermopylae, this war was fought between a mountain, and shoreline. Alexander used the terrain to his advantage by having his phalanx charge through Darius III's troops straight for Darius himself, and while it proved ineffective it still was a fairly well thought out plan.

Roman Mosaic of Alexander charging Darius.

          Alexander proved to be a decent politician, who helped mesh cultures, and diversify his army. Darius fled the scene after Alexander trampled his troops, and left his mother, wife, and two daughters. However, Alexander treated them kindly, and Darius III's mother became one of his chief advisors. People did not exactly view Alexander as a great politician during his time, but he implemented a lot of new, and innovative ideas. He merged Asian and Greek culture, and created Hellenistic culture. He also tried to introduce a universal language, and created a new dialect of Greek which would help communication throughout the empire. Alexander may not have been considered "Great" then, but that is because people did not understand how practical, and innovative these novel ideas were. This just goes to show that perspective plays a huge role in how people view someone.
          Alexander was most likely not considered as great as he is now, mainly because he was only view as a good general. He was very successful in terms of war, he killed many enemies, and dominated on the battlefront. This is probably why Roman leaders who came after him viewed him as great, and probably why he was used as a benchmark for chivalry during the Middle Ages since war was glorified during these periods of time. Alexander gained recognition later on when his novel ideas became the norm. The Roman Empire used Latin as a universal language, but many years ago during Alexander's time other cultures may have viewed this as repressing their cultures.
          Alexander was great back then, but he is even greater now, having left his legacy in history, and having his stories told, and researched today. Alexander the Great had few flaws, the main one being he was an alcoholic, but he still remained a great leader, general, and politician. He introduced new ideas, blended cultures, and improved Greek society in many ways. While he may have been unjust in sacking Thebes for their opposition he did it to prevent further chaos from within his empire. Alexander did die at the height of his power, so what he would, or could of done will remain unknown to us. However, the legacy he left behind, and the ideas he introduced definitely earn him the title Alexander the Great.

Works Cited:

"Alexander of Macedonia." Alexander of Macedonia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Giotto, J. "Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age." Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2014.

History.com Staff. "Alexander the Great." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Ralph, Philip L., Robert E. Lerner, Standish Meacham, and Edward M. Burns. World Civilizations. 8th ed. Vol. 1. N.p.: n.p., 1988. Print.