Did Alexander the Great Deserve His Title?
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| 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.
Alexander was born in 356 BCE to King Philip II of Macedon. Young Alexander was called "bright" and "charismatic" by the adults in his life (Emmons). Philip II commissioned the philosopher and scholar Aristotle to tutor his son. In 336, Philip II died and Alexander became king. At the beginning of his reign, he stomped out an uprising in Thebes, demonstrating military prowess at a relatively early age. His next order of business was to carry to fruition his father's plan of conquering Persia. In 334, Alexander marched his small army of 15,000 to Asia Minor, beginning a crusade of several years to bring down the Persian empire and spread hellenistic culture.
Alexander never lost a battle, though he was often outnumbered. He was feared and respected throughout the ancient world even after his death in 323 BCE. He assembled his armies in phalanxes with long spears called serissas. He "kept the [opposing] army busy, allowing the cavalry to outflank the enemy in a decisive victory" (Emmons). In terms of military strategy, Alexander truly was great.
Unfortunately, Alexander was prone to drunken rages. "After this drunken broil Alexander took Olympias and established her in Epirus, while he himself tarried in Illyria" (Plutarch). He killed and assaulted his men when he was under the influence of alcohol. He died in 323 BCE after much feasting and drinking.
Whether Alexander the Great lived up to his nickname depends on one's definition of greatness. However, for those who consider it to be multifaceted, encompassing both accomplishments and strength of character, he will always miss the mark,
Alexander was born in 356 BCE to King Philip II of Macedon. Young Alexander was called "bright" and "charismatic" by the adults in his life (Emmons). Philip II commissioned the philosopher and scholar Aristotle to tutor his son. In 336, Philip II died and Alexander became king. At the beginning of his reign, he stomped out an uprising in Thebes, demonstrating military prowess at a relatively early age. His next order of business was to carry to fruition his father's plan of conquering Persia. In 334, Alexander marched his small army of 15,000 to Asia Minor, beginning a crusade of several years to bring down the Persian empire and spread hellenistic culture.
Alexander never lost a battle, though he was often outnumbered. He was feared and respected throughout the ancient world even after his death in 323 BCE. He assembled his armies in phalanxes with long spears called serissas. He "kept the [opposing] army busy, allowing the cavalry to outflank the enemy in a decisive victory" (Emmons). In terms of military strategy, Alexander truly was great.
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| Map of Alexander the Great's Empire [via] |
Whether Alexander the Great lived up to his nickname depends on one's definition of greatness. However, for those who consider it to be multifaceted, encompassing both accomplishments and strength of character, he will always miss the mark,
Works Cited
Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Alexander the Great." World History: Ancient and Medieval
Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/575648. Accessed 30 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.
Bunsen, Matthew. “Hellenism.” Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2002, Ancient and
Medieval History Online, http://online.infobase.com/hrc/learningcenter/details/7?articleid=230955.
Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Philip II of Macedon." World History: Ancient and Medieval
Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/577357. Accessed 30 Sept.
2016.
"The death of Alexander." Livius.org, www.livius.org/sources/content/arrian/
anabasis/the-death-of-alexander/?#diaries. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.
"The death of Alexander." Livius.org, www.livius.org/sources/content/arrian/
anabasis/the-death-of-alexander/?#diaries. Accessed 30 Sept. 2016.
Alexander’s drunken rages stuck out to me in the fact that almost all his closest friends were afraid to be near him when alcohol was involved.
ReplyDeleteMy research depicted Alexander the Great as a moral and emotional leader as well as a great leader. When Alexander’s horse Bucephalus died he was emotionally distraught as the horse had been with him from a young age, and Alexander eventually established a city under his name.
I wish you would’ve mentioned the belief that Alexander was the son of Zeus.
1.Your whole view on Alexander really stood out to me and the way you mentioned he is Great based off of his historical achievements changed my perspective.
ReplyDelete2. My point of view is very similar, the only thing different is the comments you made about him being great over his achievements.
3. very well written, i wouldn't have changed anything.
I found it interesting how in your introduction paragraph you compared the word "great" to Alexander's traits that you believed to be not so "great". I found this very interesting to read about. Although my research did not agree that he was a bad leader, I did find your points about Alexander being a violent and tempered dictator compelling to read and learn about. I do however wish that this writing did talk more about his "drunken rages".
ReplyDelete