jack maurer

Did Alexander the Great Deserve His Title?

Bust of Alexander the Great [via]

It may seem natural to assign the term great to a man of such remarkable military achievements, but historical demonstrations of Alexander's character should lead us to consider that the word, in fact, does not aptly describe him. Alexander the Great was a violent, quick-tempered dictator who ruled with fear and oppression and struggled with alcoholism throughout his reign. There's no doubt that his exceptional determination and strategical thinking inspired world leaders for centuries to come. Ancient literature heralds Alexander as a brave, intelligent warrior-king, but  Accounts of his life off the battlefield paint a picture of a man who falls short morally and emotionally.

jack maurer

Did Alexander the Great Deserve His Title?

Bust of Alexander the Great [via]

It may seem natural to assign the term great to a man of such remarkable military achievements, but historical demonstrations of Alexander's character should lead us to consider that the word, in fact, does not aptly describe him. Alexander the Great was a violent, quick-tempered dictator who ruled with fear and oppression and struggled with alcoholism throughout his reign. There's no doubt that his exceptional determination and strategical thinking inspired world leaders for centuries to come. Ancient literature heralds Alexander as a brave, intelligent warrior-king, but  Accounts of his life off the battlefield paint a picture of a man who falls short morally and emotionally.

Why Alexander the Great is "Great"

Alexander The Great

Alexander the Great deserves to be considered “Great”, because he was one of the most influential leaders of the classical era. Alexander expanded his empire and Greek culture from Greece to Egypt and all the way to India. He never forced Greek culture upon his conquered civilizations unlike most great conquerors and because of this he was considered the son of Zeus. Knowing not to force culture upon citizens, he was praised as the greatest leader at the time. Alexander conquered some of the most powerful civilizations at the time including the Persians. History has shown on many accounts that Alexander the Great is "Great", one of these accounts includes Napoleon Bonaparte a French general.

Alexander was equipped with an army his father built him, but he perfected it and managed to win amazing battles including The Battle of Issus against the Persian army. Alexander was faced against 200,000 when he had nearly 47,000, but by perfecting the Macedonian unit, the Phalanx he defeated the Persians and caused their leader and Alexander's idol; Darius III to flee from the battle. This is one of the many feats that Alexander has done.

Aristotle

Greek culture had remained in Greece for years, until Alexander spread it all the way to India and Egypt, making Greek culture the most well known language and way of life during that era. When Alexander would conquer new territory he would not force Greek religion and way of life on the inhabitants, instead he would have Greek administration and building styles. This way he would be able to control the new city-states that he conquered and prevent riots. This idea of free religion was taught to Alexander by the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle. “I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well." -Alexander the Great, Alexander had a strong bond with Aristotle, one that was like father and son. Aristotle's influence had great affects on Alexander. Alexander would often have philosophers with him on his campaigns and would send samples back to Aristotle. 

When Alexander was in Egypt and settled the city of Alexandria, the Egyptians declared him as Pharaoh for he ended Persian oppression. Being declared Pharaoh put Alexander in position where he felt compelled to go to the Temple of Ammon across the desert. Alexander put all he had at the time into finding the temple, and when he did he spoke to a priest that declared him the Son of Zeus. After being declared Son of Zeus Alexander went to go conquer all of Asia. Alexander made it all the way to India where he believed Asia ended. When Alexander reached India he listened to his troops that he had been marching for days and decided to return back to Macedonia, but instead of taking the quick route he decided to take the long route along the edge of Persia near the Red Sea, when he became sick with a fever and died a couple days later. After Alexander's death his empire was split into three separate empires by three of his generals. These three empire's would soon contribute greatly to the modern world. These are the reasons why Alexander The Great is "Great".

Citations

@ahencyclopedia. "Battle of Issus." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 24 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2016. <http://www.ancient.eu/Battle_of_Issus>.

Great, Alexander The. "Alexander the Great Quotes (Author of Iuli Valeri Alexandri Polemi Res Gestae Alexandri Macedonis Translatae Ex Aesopo Graeco)." Alexander the Great Quotes (Author of Iuli Valeri Alexandri Polemi Res Gestae Alexandri Macedonis Translatae Ex Aesopo Graeco). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016. <https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/4921445.Alexander_the_Great>.

Barksdale, Nate. "8 Surprising Facts about Alexander the Great." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 13 May 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2016. <http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/eight-surprising-facts-about-alexander-the-great>

Staff, Livescience. "10 Reasons Why Alexander The Great Was Great." Live Science. Livescience, 10 Dec. 2004. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/11315-top-10-reasons-alexander-great-great.html>.

Thayer, Bill. "Plutarch: Life of Alexander." LacusCurtius • Plutarch. University of Chicago, 19 May 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2016. <http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexander*/home.html>

Alexander the Average

Alexander III of Macedon commanded a fit, obedient army. He inherited respected and wise generals from his father, King Philip II, and all of Greek territory. Alexander conquered Persia, and spread and mixed cultures wherever he went. He founded many great cities and brought scholars on his journey across Persia to spread modern knowledge. He was charismatic, courageous, and handsome. These aspects led to him gaining the title of Alexander the Great, and why the majority of historians and the world consider him to be truly great. These reasons are why many great leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Julius Caesar observed his achievements and copied his warfare tactics and ideas. However, there is a darker, less positive side of his actions. Burning cities, murdering thousands, and killing his own companions are but a few of the darker sides of Alexander III of Macedon. Renowned for his title, Alexander the Great is and has been the center of an argument that is centuries old, disputing whether or not he was truly great. Great, in this usage, implies true excellence as a leader. As a leader, Alexander the Great was more like Alexander the Average.

Ancient statue of Alexander the Great

Alexander III of Macedon often acted without forethought. Even with a tutor like Aristotle, and doing well in the arts in literature as he grew up, he often showed immaturity in his decisions. A prime example is reflected by the way he led the cavalry into every battle. While many historians and future leaders of great nations like Napoleon thought he showed great courage and dedication to his troops, there is another angle that should be investigated. With one well placed spear Macedonia’s new leader would have died, having dire consequences upon the whole of Macedonia. Since Alexander was the son of King Philip II, there was no doubt about him becoming the successor to the throne. Charging so riskfully into battle was extremely selfish, as he had no successor to calmly take over and protect his people. Due to the fact that he had no successors, in a case where Alexander dies, there would be a fight to become the new leader. On his deathbed, when Alexander was asked who the next leader would be, he calmly replied “To the strongest.” Library of History - Diodorus Siculus  This is proved true when Alexander died of a disease in 323 BCE and Macedonia becomes the grounds of a civil war as Alexander’s main generals fight for control over the empire. Alexander’s lack of forethought could have led to serious conflicts and ultimately the downfall of Macedonia.

Another claim to Alexander's greatness is that he conquered all of Persia and defeated the great armies that denied him access to Persia. Persia was a land of riches, but no strong army. While Persia did have an army, they were not courageous, determined to win, or well organized. Their only goal was to protect Persia, and many would have rather stayed at home surrounded by jewels and gold, rather than train to fight in harsh, cruel conditions. Knowing this, King Darius III used the wealth of Persia to hire Greek mercenaries from different city-states to come fight for him. Many soldiers did not want to die for another country, so they ran with the money they had. What they lacked in numbers, Alexander's army gained in tactics and organization. Due to these measures, Alexander III of Macedon did not face an organized, determined, and powerful opponent. Alexander also used tactics created by his father, King Philip II, that were very successful as to taking over Greece and defeated northern Barbaric territories. The tactics were using a phalanx with 18 foot spears called sarisass to break enemy

A modern interpretation of the Phalanx accompanied with shields and sarissas

lines while the cavalry followed through to finish off the survivors. While Alexander charged recklessly with the cavalry, older generals from his army controlled tactics and adjusted to changes in enemy strategy. Plutarch observed Alexander’s behavior on the battlefield, claiming that “And since he was charging against hostile missiles and precipitous positions covered with infantry and cavalry, and through a stream that swept men off their feet and surged about them, he seemed to be acting like a frenzied and foolish commander rather than a wise one.” The Life of Alexander-Plutarch

While many leaders of powerful nations had an end goal, to beat a country, or to unite warring states, Alexander’s main goal was to kill King Darius the III of Persia. He wanted to spread knowledge, but he did not do so directly, as he allowed scholars to travel with the army and to distribute knowledge in cities they passed through. Alexander initially invaded Persia on the sole reasoning that King Darius III ancestors had burned multiple Greek cities. Alexander also turned down multiple offers from King Darius to become allies. Once again he acted without forethought, and charged across Persia to capture and killed King Darius. If he had accepted the offer, he would have saved thousands of lives, and there would have been more money to spend on advancing technology instead of destroying each other's cities and cultures. When King Darius was assassinated by Bessus, Alexander chased Bessus until he captured and killed him. Arrian of Nicomedia documented Alexander’s chase of Bessus observing “After being thus disgracefully tortured, he was sent away to Bactria to be put to death.” The Anabasis of Alexander - Arrian the Nicomedian Alexander wasted resources chasing two men across Asia, when he could have been expanding Macedonian territory, or helping fund advances in the arts and literature. Another example of recklessness and chaos is when Alexander destroyed and looted Persepolis. Persepolis was a beautiful city with grand architecture, and after Alexander had pushed through Persia to arrive at the city, he told his men to go into the houses, kill the people inside, and loot the location. A very immature and deadly decision, many soldiers died fighting against each other to gain control of the loot. When he reached the Royal Palace, after drinking and celebrating much, Alexander burned down the palace, destroying in hours which had taken years to build and was the pride of Persia.

While Alexander III of Macedon might seem a courageous, charismatic and handsome leader, he also possessed standard human frailties such as selfishness, cruelty, arrogance, and other common irresponsible character traits. The majority of the world believes that Alexander was truly great. However, due to his lack of forethought, immature decisions, and recklessness, Alexander the Great should be better known as Alexander the Average.

WORKS CITED

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

2004. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

Arrian. "The Anabasis of Alexander." The Anabasis of Alexander. N.p., 27 Sept. 2014. Web.

25 Sept. 2016.

Siculus, Diodorus. "Book XVII (beginning)." LacusCurtius • Diodorus Siculus. Loeb Classical Library,

n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Plutarch. "The Life of Alexander." Plutarch, The Parallel Lives. Loeb Classical Library, n.d. Web. 25

Sept. 2016

Howe, Timothy, E. Edward Garvin, and Graham Wrightson, eds. Greece, Macedon and Persia. Oxbow,   2015. Web.

Woodcock, By George. "Persia and Persepolis, Part II." History Today. History Today, May 1967. Web. 29   

Sept. 2016.

Tronson, By Adrian. "The 'Life of Alexander' and West Africa." History Today. History Today, Jan. 1982. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Garland, Robert. "Greek Mercenaries." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016,

ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1732807. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Images

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/Army1.jpg

http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Images2/Alexander/Alexander_in_Persepolis.jpg

http://factfile.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Alexander-the-Great-Statue.jpg

Alexander the Great Conquerer

         Alexander the Great was not great, because he only conquered large amounts of land and did nothing to improve it. Alexander managed to conquer Egypt and almost half of Asia but his success ended there. The overtaking of  peaceful and stable civilizations like Persia caused huge amounts of unrest and Alexander did nothing to eradicate the problems he made. Instead of spending time establishing order over new territories Alexander continued conquering. Alexander also had very little trust in his close friends and was responsible for many of their deaths because of his paranoia and overly strong and unchanging opinions. Finally, after Alexander conquered areas of land he often had to keep it under military control as rebellions were so common. As soon as Alexander died his empire completely disintegrated. Historically Alexander has been portrayed as a godlike hero whose brilliant leadership freed oppressed nations and allowed them to advance. In many cases, such as in the Persian satrap of Bactria, Alexander destroyed the already existing towns and cities and did not bring any development or advance Alexander the Great's Little Star. 

18th century painting of Alexander and his wife Roxane by
Pietro Rotari. This interpretation used the popular belief that
Roxane and Alexander fell in love, while Alexander actually
married Roxane because she was part of the Bactria-Sogdiana
nobility who were currently fighting agains him 

            Alexander the Great’s conquests began when he decided to free Greek cities from Persian control. After Alexander managed to reconquer the Greek cities and get them back under his control he decided to continue conquering Persia instead of returning to Macedonia and working on fixing many of the issues in the already existing, such as unrest among the Greek city states. Alexander’s main motives of these conquests were to simply become famous and obtain more money for Macedonia Life of Alexander. At the time of Alexander’s conquest of Persia during the Achaemenid Era the empire was extremely wealthy and advanced Persian Empire. After many deadly battles that resulted in the deaths of over a hundred thousand Persian civilians and soldiers Arrian: Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus. Alexander took over Persia. Around one-hundred and fifty years of unrest and fighting followed this take over until the Persians pushed out the Greeks and became free again. Even though Alexander was very liberal with most of Persia and even adopted Persian dress and married a Persian women he was simultaneously burning and sacking ancient Persian cities, such as Persepolis, and violating ancient cultural boundaries, such as the founding of the city Alexandra-Eschate between Sogdiana and Scythia which, traditionally, was blurred together with no clear boundary Alexander the Great's Little Star. This caused many months of fighting that resulted in huge losses on both sides. After Alexander conquered Persia he then went on to conquer Phoenicia, even though they were not a threat to his empire. Most cities surrendered but the fortified island city called Tyre refused. After a seven month siege that cost Alexander many men the city was defeated. Alexander lost so many soldiers because he ordered them to build a land bridge in range of the cities weapons. As Tyre had put up a strong resistance Alexander punished its citizens by killing thousands of the inhabitants and enslaving the rest Diodorus Siculus: Alexander the Great’s Siege of Tyre (Ca. 60–30 BCE).  Another instance of Alexander’s cruel treatment of conquered people was in Thebes. After the Greek city revolted Alexander sold its inhabitants into slavery and burned it to the ground The Beginning of Alexander's Empire. The lives of many innocent people were destroyed by Alexander and his army through unnecessary slaughter and destruction. . 

Coin showing Alexander portrayed as Heracles on the heads side and
Zeus on the tails side, which could be possibly referring to Alexander's
belief that he was a demigod and the son on Zeus.
ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1846225

Another fault of Alexander was his dogmatic opinions and little trust in his friends. Alexander could also sometimes be careless with his life and his soldiers’ lives as he believed that he and his army was unstoppable Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE). On Alexander’s return to Persia from India almost three quarters of his army died due to lack of resources Life of Alexander. Alexander also frequently argued with his friends and officers. As over-drinking was a common occurrence in Alexander's court many fights ended in violence and, in some cases, the person he argued with was actually killed. One of Alexander's top commanders, Cleitus, got into an argument with Alexander over a song that made fun of Macedonian soldiers that had lost battles against the Persian's. Alexander enjoyed the song but it offended Cleitus. According to Plutarch during the argument Cleitus brought up the point that many of the experienced officers thought that Alexander's campaigns were wasteful and were not worth the many soldiers lives he had lost Plutarch: Alexander the Great Kills Clitus, Life of Alexander. Eventually Alexander became so angry that Cleitus was questioning him, that he killed Cleitus without thinking of the consequences. Even though the death of Cleitus upset Alexander it possibly made him more arrogant and self- centered  Life of Alexander. A few months before Cleitus's murder Alexander also had his father's top general Parmenio killed along with his son Philotas because he did not believe Philotas was trustworthy and Parmenio had too much power Alexander the Great: Hunting for a New Past?. After these two deaths Alexander's friends became afraid of him and more distant as they no longer trusted Alexander. Alexander made this situation worse as he began to adopt Persian customs and tried to force his friends to do so also Alexander the Great's Little Star.  It is very possible that the collapse of Alexander's empire was caused by the deteriorated trust in his friends.

Though Alexander the Great’s empire was one of the largest empires ever he failed to keep it together without scaring citizens into submission by destroying their cities and killing their families.  Even though Persia and other conquered regions were still in turmoil Alexander continued on to India until his men revolted and refused to go any further. Alexander had to destroy many cites to keep areas of empires under control, like Tyre, Gaza and Thebes. After Alexander's death his empire was split into pieces between three of his generals. One of the reasons why the empire was never peaceful and did not stay together is because Alexander did treat not all his conquered people fairly. Rulers of more successful empires like Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian empire, treated all their subjects equally instead of giving preferential treatment to a select few. Alexander adopted Persian dress, but at the same time abandoned his Greek culture instead of combining it with Persian and other cultures Alexander the Great: Hunting for a New Past?. As few centuries earlier, when Cyrus the Great conquered much of the same land he experienced much less conflict and created a more stable empire as he let his citizens continue living the same way they always had. Unlike Alexander, Cyrus did not sack or destroy cities. Many different cultures admired him as he appealed to everyone by being liberal. Even though Cyrus died earlier in life, either in battle or in his sleep, he empire still stayed together and even expanded throughout future generations in stead of collapsing like Alexander's empire Cyrus the Great. Another possible reason of the collapse in Alexander's empire goes back to the trust Alexander lost in his friends. Alexander had an heir, Alexander IV, but he ruled for a very short time with no control before being assassinated by one of Alexander's generals.  Instead of trying to continue Alexander's legacy and allow his son to rule, all the generals that Alexander had considered friends fought amongst each other for the empire Alexander the Great's Little Star.

          The legacy of Alexander the Great can no longer be considered flawless or the perfect way to rule. Alexander is not the greatest leader of all time, as a leader must be more receptive to ideas to be fully great. Alexander had too little trust in his friends which, combined with his unchanging opinions, resulted in the fall of his great empire. Alexander also conquered too much land too quickly, without stopping to fix problems he had caused or to stabilize overtaken areas. Perhaps Alexander the Great should have his name changed to Alexander the Great Conquerer, as conquering was the only area he was successful in when it came to creating an empire.

Works Cited

"Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE)." BBC, 2014, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

"Arrian: Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus (Second Century CE)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1835816. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

"The Beginning of Alexander's Empire." Great Empires of the Past Online. Infobase Publishing. Web. 29 Sept. 2016. <http://online.factsonfile.com/RecURL.aspx?did=63268>.

Carney, Elizabeth D. "Olympias." Great Lives from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476 c.e.. Ed. Christina A. Salowey. Hackensack: Salem, 2004. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 29 Sep. 2016. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Cartledge, Paul. "Alexander the Great: Hunting for a New Past?" History Today, vol. 54, no. 7, July 2004. History Today, www.historytoday.com/paul-cartledge/alexander-great-hunting-new-past. Accessed 27 Sept. 2016.

"Diodorus Siculus: Alexander the Great’S Siege of Tyre (Ca. 60–30 BCE)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1837044. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

"Diodorus Siculus: Death of Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1839179. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Holt, Frank L. "Alexander the Great's Little Star." History Today, vol. 38, no. 9, Sept. 1988. History Today, www.historytoday.com/frank-l-holt/alexander-greats-little-star. Accessed 24 Sept. 2016.

Plutarch. "Life of Alexander." Penelope.edu, Chicago University, penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexander*/3.html. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

"Plutarch: Alexander the Great Kills Clitus, Life of Alexander." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1902567. Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.

Stockdale, Nancy L. "Cyrus the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc- clio.com/Search/Display/573747. Accessed 27 Sept. 2016.

Stockdale, Nancy L. "Persian Empire." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc- clio.com/Search/Display/574753. Accessed 29 Sept. 2016.

Substandard Alexander

Sean O'Hare
Block C
September 30, 2016

Alexander III of Macedon is one of the most renowned leaders of ancient times. He is known for having never lost a battle during his conquests in Ancient Greece, parts of Africa, and Asia. This caused ancient Roman historians like Quintus Curtius Rufus to give him the title Alexander the Great, which he has been known by ever since. However, there has been a lot of debate in modern times discussing whether he deserves his title or not. I believe that Alexander does not deserved to be called great because although he was an outstanding cavalry leader, he fought poor opposition, he was self-centered, and he was extremely destructive and violent.

Alexander never lost a battle in any of his conquests because he faced very weak opponents. Three of Alexander the Great’s four most famous victories were against Persia, and although Persia had a very large army, it was very undisciplined, it was very unorganized since most of the soldiers spoke different languages, and it was not trained well. The only positive of the Persian army was that since Persia was rich, Greek mercenaries could be hired. The Persian army was usually made up of about 20,000 Greek mercenaries, who were the only units capable of fighting the Macedonian army. Historian Paul Davis said, “More important, the Persian Army had lost the ability to work together in a combined fashion. The mercenaries were the only truly professional force left in the empire” (Davis). On top of this, Darius was a very poor military leader. In all of the battles between Alexander and King Darius II, King Darius II always fled out of cowardice, causing the Persian army to completely fall apart. One example that illustrates these points is the Battle of Issus. At this battle, Alexander had around 30,000 soldiers, while King Darius had over 100,000 soldiers which had around 30,000 Greek mercenary units, which their front lines consisted of. When the two infantry phalanxes collided, Greek mercenary troops were able to push Alexander’s army back slightly. Alexander and his cavalry flanked the Persian army though, causing King Darius II to immediately flee, which caused complete chaos within the Persian lines. Eventually, the Persian army fled, giving Alexander the Great the victory. Alexander the Great was able to defeat the Persian army multiple times because the Persian army reacted similarly at each of their battles, proving that defeating Persia multiple times wasn’t a very big accomplishment.  

 The Alexander Mosaic was created in the 3rd century B.C. and is thought to be created after the Romans conquered Pompeii. This mosaic shows Alexander the Great’s army defeating the chaotic Persian Army at the Battle of Issus.

Alexander the Great was a self-centered leader who didn’t think about any of his subjects. One example of this was Alexander’s want to push east as far as possible. Many ancient historians believed that the Greek word pothos motivated Alexander to push east as far as possible. Pothos is a Greek word that means a deep longing for something that can never be satisfied. Alexander’s army did not share this drive, but Alexander didn’t care. Alexander the Great really only thought about himself, and not about how pushing east for too long without rest would tire his army. The only reason Alexander the Great finally turned back in September of 326 B.C. was because his army forced him too. Once Alexander the Great returned west to Susa, Persia, Alexander the Great released all the men who were unable to fight anymore, and replaced them with 30,000 Persians that were subdued during war. He did this because he wanted to combine the Persians and Macedonians into one culture. When making this decision, he didn't really think or care about if other Macedonians wanted to combine their cultures too. Once Alexander the Great did this, the Macedonians revolted, because they believed that Persians were barbaric. Despite this, Alexander further tried to combine Macedonian and Persian cultures by forcing Macedonians to marry Persians. This caused many to disapprove of and criticize Alexander the Great. According to ancient Roman historian Arrian, “All this offended the Macedonians, who thought that Alexander was becoming altogether Asiatic in his ideas, and was holding the Macedonians themselves as well as their customs in a position of contempt” (Arrian). Rather than doing what the majority of his citizens wanted, he bribed them, so he could get his way. He honored and gave money to those who followed these orders. Alexander the Great was a self-interested leader who always acted without thinking about what others would think.

Modern painting by Tom Lovell that shows Alexander the Great celebrating a mass marriage in Susa, Persia. This was created based off descriptions in ancient writings about Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great was destructive and violent of in many ways. He often destroyed cities for absolutely no reason. Then, he would never bother to rebuild them. One example of this was the destruction of Persepolis. In January of 330 B.C., Alexander arrived at Persepolis, and instructed his army to completely destroy the city along with all of its residents. According to ancient Greek historian Diodorus, “As Persepolis had surpassed all other cities in prosperity, so she now exceeded them in misfortune.” (Diodorus). Alexander destroyed and looted many cities similarly to Persepolis. This had many negative affects. This caused Alexander’s Empire to be a complete wreck, filled with hundreds of destroyed cities where Macedonians weren’t able to live. This eventually caused hostile tribes to build up in these areas that became hindrances to Macedonia. Alexander the Great was also very violent towards his subjects. If anyone ever questioned or criticized Alexander the Great, then he would immediately kill them without a trial. Also, he would often assume that people committed crimes without any proof. According to historians Pamela Dell and Debra Skelton, “In October 324 B.C.E. Alexander's dearest friend, Hephaestion, became ill and died in Ecbatana. Alexander was devastated by the death and ordered Hephaestion's doctor to be killed” (Dell and Skelton). Alexander the Great’s temper was even worse when he was drunk, which was quite often. Alexander killed a lot of his subjects over small matters because since he was drunk, his temper was made worse. Alexander was an extremely violent leader whose temper often got the best of him.

             Modern painting by Tom Lovell that shows Persepolis being destroyed by Alexander the Great's army. This was created based off ancient descriptions in ancient writings about Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great does not deserve his title because he was a leader who was only focused on what was best for him, and not for Macedonia. He was also overly aggressive and ruinous, leaving most of his empire in ruins. Even though he conquered over two million square miles, he faced poor opposition, making this an easy task for him. Overall, Alexander was a very poor leader who should not be called great. Although Alexander was looked upon highly in the past, people today are starting to see the substandard leader that Alexander III of Macedon really was.

Works Cited

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Dell, Pamela. “Final Years of Alexander’s Empire.” Facts On File, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/397263?q=alexander%20the%20great%20government. Accessed 27 Sept. 2016.

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Lovell, Tom. Alexander The Great Celebrates a Mass Marriage In Susa, Persia. Ancient Origins, www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/pompeii_art_gallery_07.shtml. Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.

---. Destruction Of Persepolis. American Gallery, americangallery.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/tom-lovell-1909-1997/attack-on-the-ancient-city-of-persepolis-destruction-of-persepolis-by-alexander-the-great/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2016.

Plutarch. “The Parallel Lives by Plutarch.” 1919. Penelope.uchicago.edu, penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Alexander*/3.html. Accessed 23 Sept. 2016.