Alexander The Great : The Most Successful Military Mastermind Of The Ancient World

Alexander the Great is the most famous conqueror in the history of the world. His legacy and conquest has shaped the world we know today. Many leaders after him have looked to him as an example of what a good leader should be. “Alexander the Great’s tomb was one of the biggest tourist attractions of the ancient world. Roman emperors, including Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Caligula traveled to Alexandria to pay their respects.” It all started at the age of 18 when Alexander took charge of the Companion Cavalry and helped his father in defeating the Athenian and Theban armies. Starting from such a young age Alexander has been already shaping the empire he would create. At the age of twenty he became king, then by the age of twenty-six he conquered the Persian Empire and at age thirty explored the Indian frontier. He was an unstoppable force conquering the world. Alexander the Great is the greatest conqueror of the known world, because of the personal teachings of Aristotle of Stagira, his innovated military genius and multicultural integration methods.

Many people fail to realize that Alexander has had a definite affect on us today, although not as great as he would have had on people of the past. In most parts the world today, Alexander The Great is considered a legend; however, in some places, Alexander is considered a god. One of the most notable people in history, Alexander has reached an iconic status in our world today. He possibly may have even been referred to in the Quran (Surah 18:89-98). There are still many stories told about him including folktales, and movies. In modern Iran, Alexander is still known as an evil king who nearly destroyed the ancient Persian culture and religion. Although the effect of “Alexander Mania” has died down since the time of his reign, you can still see the mark that he has left on today’s world.

Great men have lived on the face of the earth and left marks of their prowess and legacy that men of the present and even the future find it hard to emulate; a good example of such men is Alexander the Great. This paper seeks to explain further Alexander’s military genius and its positive impact on military impact over the past centuries. The paper also gives a well thought analysis why Alexander was so much successful in his wars and conquests. His big empire spread all the way from Gibraltar to the Punjab and in his leadership made Greek the lingua franca of his new World (Cary, M, 1932).

Alexander the Great was the king of Macedonia and was a great conqueror in 330 BC. He was the son of King Philip II and Queen Olympia. During his childhood, he had an interest in courses like medicine, science, and philosophy. He was tutored by the philosopher, Aristotle, and was influenced by Homer’s Iliad, which made him a great conqueror after he was motivated by the main character in the epic, Achilles. After he was proclaimed as king, he led series of attacks and invasions with his army into Asia Minor in around 320 BC. He was known for his cultural achievements, military strategies, and his empire administration. In fact, he conquered more land at a faster rate than any other commanders. Out of all military leaders known in history, Alexander

In the fourth century BC, rapid cultural, economic, social, and political changes were occurring in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great. In 337 BC, Alexander the Third inherited the Macedonian kingdom after his father, Philip the Second, died. Philip the Second has already taken control over all of Greece, and Alexander used the manpower and money from this to expand even further, into Persia. Beginning in 334 BC, Alexander started an intense campaign through Persia, concurring city after city. Eventually, Alexander had conquered all of Persia and forced the Persian king Darius the third to the city of Ecbatana, where he was killed. Instead of returning to Greece after his victory over the Persian

Alexander never lost a battle. He conquered much of the Ancient world, and only surrendered his goals when his army was not ready to fight. As seen in document A, his empire was huge and unmatched by any in history. He also achieved what many thought was impossible; he defeated the robust Persian army. Alexander's remarkable achievements are a result of his courage and determination, leading him to his outstanding battle record.

For centuries, Alexander the Great has held an eminent place in history. Arguably one of the greatest men the world has ever known, the Macedonian King accomplished many great feats in his short, but glorious life. During his reign, Alexander played several roles in the process of conquering the Persian empire, and in the assessment of his character, aspects of Alexander's capabilities of both strengths and weaknesses must be explored in him as a person, a statesman and a leader.

Alexander III of Macedon also known as, Alexander the Great, made a name for himself many years ago but today his “greatness” is being questioned because of research conducted due to modern technology. In order for someone to be viewed as great, they would need lots of evidence supporting that they were a well-rounded person. I believe that alexander had rightfully earned this title because through my research I have only found evidence that Alexander was indeed a man of greatness. Although Alexander displayed many characteristics of greatness there are three that have stood out me, his strategy, selflessness, and influence. These reasons show clear support that Alexander was Great and never anything less.

Throughout the history of humanity, there have been countless leaders, conquerors, kings, or people of note. They are all noteworthy because of their achievements, or maybe their lack of achievements in a time where history was being made. These men and women are remembered because they accomplished something worth remembering. One of the most polarizing characters of the ancient world is Alexander of Macedonia, better known as simply Alexander the Great. With a name like that, one knows that Alexander must have done something during his lifetime that would still be remembered centuries later. What made Alexander so extraordinary is just how driven he was, how he conquered most of the known world by the time he was thirty-two. Alexander wanted to seize the Macedonian throne, unite many people under one rule, exact revenge on Persia, and to take more land for his nation. He may not have achieved all his goals before his untimely death, but he accomplished so much that his legacy has lived on for thousands of years, and will continue to live on for thousands more.

The primary reason Alexander was victorious in his battle against Darius was his use of resources. Alexander used the minimum amount of resources to achieve his goal of victory on the battlefield. Alexander was able to keep close communications with his entire army to relay important information about the attack. Equifinality is the principle that a goal can be achieved from multiple approaches (Graham & Weingart, 2015). Alexander knew he could not win the battle with a direct head on approach so adapted a unique approach to overcome Darius’ massive numbers. Alexander knew that his vision was to beat Darius in battle. A clear vision is important to define future threats (Ozdem, 2011). With a clear vision, and communication, Alexander was able to defeat Darius in battle. Even though Alexander was outnumbered at least 4-to-1 by Darius’s army. Alexander chose to use his men sparingly and retained resources until later in the battle to ensure they were fresh and could take advantage to the tiring troops of Darius.

Alexander the Great won his first battle at the age of 18, Alexander gained a reputation of leading his men to battle with impressive speed, allowing smaller forces to reach and break the enemy lines before his foes were ready. After securing his kingdom in Greece, in 334 B.C. Alexander crossed into Asia (present-day Turkey) where he won a series of battles with the Persians under Darius III. In the middle of Alexanders army was a 15,000-strong Macedonian phalanx, which helped hold off Persians and defeat them.

In 334, Alexander embarked on his Asiatic expedition, arriving in Troy that spring. Alexander then faced Persian King Darius III's army near the Granicus River, in which they were swiftly defeated. By fall, Alexander and his army had made it across the southern coast of Asia Minor to Gordium, where they took the winter to rest. In the summer of 333, the troops of Alexander and Darius once again went head to head in battle at Issus, and Alexander came out victorious again. In November of 333, Alexander declared himself the king of Persia after capturing Darius and making him a fugitive.

Alexander the Great earned his title. He conquered all of the known world with amazing strategies and won when he was often out-numbered. He had one of the most perfectly organized, trained and equipped armies of all times. He inherited the army at the age of 20, when his father was assassinated.

Throughout history, there have been many prestigious leaders of armies and people, but none who were superior to Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was a young leader who had strong abilities to lead a great army. Throughout this paper I am going to argue that Alexander the Great was the greatest leader of all time. To prove my point, I will go into detail in: how he was brought up to be a leader, his impressive military tactics, the Macedonian Conquest he led, and the everlasting legacy he left that still has effect on people today. Alexander the Great, also known as Alexander the III, was the son of Phillip the II of Macedon.

Alexander III of Macedon, more commonly known as Alexander the Great, is one of the most legendary figures in our history and in the history of the world. His conquests and endeavors echoed far and wide, bringing about new eras and ideas to the world. Alexander earned his place in the world’s history and is worthy of the title ‘The Great’ because of his military prowess, his idealism and his legacy.