ALEXANDER IS GREAT

Jackson Vest

9/30/14

Does Alexander deserve to be called “Great”?

Alexander deserves to be great, because of his great contributions to Macedonia. He was elevated unexpectedly into the thrown at a young age of 20 years old(Fox pg.22). Many people doubted him, but he was ready for the task at hand.

Alexander began his journey by following his fathers next step in leading Macedonia to greatness. He conquered the mighty Persian empire(Salowey pg.224). It took many devastating battles but Alexander prevailed as the victor. A victory the Greeks never could accomplish. Alexander began to like the culture and arts of the Persians. He began to dress like one, and he even married and Persian woman(Salowey pg.225). Many of his men disagreed with his decision, and because of this he publically executed them(Salowey pg.225). This struck fear into all the citizens of Macedonia. This was one of the reasons he kept such a strong empire across such a vast amount of land. Alexander also became the Pharaoh of Egypt as soon as he arrived, he was met by the Egyptian people with no armed forces. They openly accepted him as their new ruler. Alexander continued by conquering most of Southwest Asia. He would’ve conquered more land if he wouldn’t have had to turn around because of his soldiers fatigue. Along his journey Alexander did one thing most rulers wouldn’t have done. He blended many cultures into one, this is called the Hellenistic Civilization. This was a combination of Greek, Persian, and Egyptian cultures that Alexander believed to be the perfect culture for his perfect empire. Alexander was very confident in his empire and his power. He was confident in himself and his citizens. Because of these accomplishments he will always be known as one of the greats.

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

The Macedonians considered Alexander great, because of the courage he showed and his commitment to always strive for more. This shows the Macedonians believed there was no limit when money, fortune, or power was at stake. The Macedonians thrived on the chaos that Alexander provided. They all believed they could never face defeat because he was the greatest general and they were the greatest empire. Some people did not approve of him, but when they publicly spoke out Alexander would kill that person himself, just like he did to his brother and his best friend(Grant pg.167). He was a ruthless killer, and the people enjoyed having a leader that showed no fear in politics and in battle. This shows that the people at the time valued and accepted his violent nature.

People liked Alexander because he never stopped expanding. He had conquered most of Minor Asia and Egypt. This shows the Macedonians had become greedy. While Alexander and the soldiers were marching day after day. Many people in the home state of Macedonia were having the time of their lives. They were more powerful than they had ever been. The architecture wasn’t grand at the time, even though wealth was still present in the great city. They encouraged the efforts to keep expanding, but at the same time they were ungrateful and wanted all of the cites, new and old, to be luxurious with grand architecture. The people were full of greed and violence, but they could not help themselves for that is what they had been exposed to. They feared Alexander’s ruthless acts but as long has he continued to provide them with the spoils of victory they were willing to compromise their moral values.

Do time and distance impact someone’s popular perception?

Distance and time do have an impact how we see people. Over time people tend to slowly disappear from our memories. Alexander remains in our memories due to the great and massive accomplishments during his life. A very long time ago when Alexander roamed this earth, many people knew his stories. We know his stories today in modern times but we do not have the same connections as those who had the honor to stand before him. He has lasted the test of time due to the legend he built.

Distance can change the way a populus perceives an individual or an army. Distance allows for rumors to spread allowing the legend to begin. It can fuel hatred, fear, and love. The Egyptians were afraid as they had never seen Alexander’s army. They surrendered without a fight, and never thought twice about that decision. The Thebes(Salowey pg.227) formed an opposite position as they revolted and fought out of pure hate for Macedonia and Alexander. They used to look down upon Macedonia like a little brother, and now they were second class citizens. They knew that Macedonia used to be a rat hole of a city state. This sparked a fire inside their minds that they can defeat them. Distance can affect point of views even if it is a few hundred miles.

Works Cited

Fox, Robin Lane. Alexander the Great. New York: Dial, 1974. Print.

Grant, Michael. A Guide to the Ancient World: A Dictionary of Classical Place Names. Bronx, NY: H.W. Wilson, 1986. Print.

Salowey, Christina A. Great Lives from History: The Ancient World: Prehistory - 476 C.E. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem, 2004. Print.

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-Clio, 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.

"Alexander the Great." Britannica School.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 26 Sep. 2014.