Sydney Van Hoorebeke 12-12-17 Hist 1101 Mrs. Stacey Fitch The Greatness in the Great Born to parents, Philip II and mother Olympia, Alexander III , also known as Alexander the Great, was the king of Macedonia from 336 - 323 B.C.E. Students usually learn about Alexander sometime in high school but he is often referred to as Alexander the Great in education. Was he really all that “great” though? This is the question that many students and educators are beginning to ask themselves. Often remembered for shaping the course of history during the Hellenistic Era due to all of his extraordinary achievements, Alexander the Great truly earned his title of being the Great. Some examples of why Alexander the Great earned his name would be his dedication to the Kingdom of Macedon, his military strategies and preparedness, and his conquering and foundings of land and famous cities. While “great” may seem like a fairly common word, it should be used carefully and only in cases where it is deserved. Think about the different meanings of the word “great” and make connections with some of the accomplishment that Alexander the Great was able to achieve in order to see the true greatness Alexander possessed and the greatness that lives on in his legacy. Dedicated and driven are words that describe Alexander the Great’s attitude and way of ruling. At the early age of 19 Alexander’s father, Philip II, was assassinated, leaving the Kingdom of Macedon without a ruler. Though he was young,
Only a small number of people in the world have ever earned the title, "Great". Alexander III of Macedonia is one of lucky few. Alexander the Great started his reign in Macedonia at the age of twenty after his father was assassinated. He then proceeded to expand his kingdom to the largest in the world. So, just how great was he? Alexander the Great was an undeniably brilliant military strategist, yet you could still argue that he doesn't deserve his title because of his cruel treatment of his conquered people and massive ego. This paper will cover his greatness, not-so-greatness, and why he can be a little bit of both.
Alexander the great created a long lasting impressing legacy for himself, his warriors, and his great empire. Alexander was born in 356 B.C.E. in Macedonia, just 20 years later he became the King of an empire because of his father's early death (BGE). Alexander conquered many of the world’s greatest empires ever know, and doing so at a very young age! He created one of the strongest most feared empires seen (Docs A & E). So, how great was Alexander the Great? He showed many signs and characteristics of leadership and remarkable achievement throughout his life and his rule in Macedonia. Alexander was great for three big reasons, he created a strong and feared empire, had a long lasting legacy, and he was a smart strategic leader.
Alexander The Great was born in Macedonia in the year 356 B.C., several hundred years before Christ and even before the rise of Rome. Despite this fact he is still a topic of discussion and study more than two millennium later for a plethora of reasons. His insight and ability on the field of battle has made him a shining example of how to conduct the art of war. He has been studied for centuries by both military journals and colleges. He has also kept the scholars of this world as busy as well. His choices to build cities and centers for learning and the preservation of knowledge such as the library at Alexandria have been able to provide work for generations of archaeologists and other scholars. His image over the years has been one
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.
Alexander the Great was a king and conqueror. He is commonly referred to as “the most powerful leader of all time.” What is it that makes him such a powerful leader? What has he accomplished that has made him so significant? Were his accomplishments positive or negative? These are all questions that when combined as one create a debate that has been going on for decades. There are those who admire Alexander’s military achievements and ability to carve out the largest empire the world has seen. Then there are those who perceive him as a selfish, cruel madman with drinking problems. This paper will outline the different sides taken on Alexander and the question as to what his significance/influence was and whether it
Alexander the Great, he is one the most glorified and historically significant leaders within history. Unique, the one word that could be used to describe the details and importance of his life. Unlike his predecessors that came before him, what sets him apart has to be how he rose to power and how he used that power. And even though he only lived until the age of 33, he accomplished what those that came before him failed to do so. The topics to be discussed are how he rose to power and what he managed to accomplish through military strategies and his cultural influence on the Persian Empire.
Alexander the Great was often referred to as one of the most influential and the greatest leader of the world has ever seen. He accomplished a large heap in his governance role and military voyages. He conceived of himself as super-human, he was set up to rule by his father, King Philip the II, who had taken to him to military battles and given him mastery of the cavalry during one important battle; the Battle of Chaeronea. It was after his father’s death that Alexander began to affirm his authority and to set in question his father’s dream of intruding on the Persian Empire. His father, Phillip II, who was “The Greek philosopher Aristotle” and he helped to blow up his son knowledge in science and philosophy of the mod globe. He was known as Alexander the Great not only for his military intelligence but how he conquered vast territories and dominated lands from the west of the Nile to the Indies. He amassed the largest empire in the entire ancient world
Alexander The Great, 356 – 323 B.C., is the Macedonian king that forever lives as a hero. Parented by King Philip II and Queen Olympia, Alex led an army at the young age of 18 and conquered the entire region from the Mediterranean to India, leaving him to be one of the greatest military leaders the world has known. Strategy, generations of passed down wisdom, and even Aristotle’s mentoring all added up to make him extremely smart and unpredictable. Such a remarkable title for a young man, many say. The
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.
Alexander III of Macedon or Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia when he was about fourteen years old, and thus began his reign of terror and destruction. Alexander’s worthiness of his title, “Alexander the Great” has been highly debated. Historians have opposing views on whether Alexander is deserving of such a hyperbolic title. Alexander was an excellent military leader who conquered many lands and created an empire, however despite his victories his empire came crashing down only ten years after his death. This begs the question how great was Alexander the Great?
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority” (Acton Institute 1). Alexander the Great was and absolute ruler that had both influence and authority; he abused both which is why many of his subjects followed him out of fear and not loyalty. Rulers are defined by how they use their power, the decisions’ they make; and how those decisions will affect the people. In my essay, I will analyze two viewpoints’ made by two professors and their viewpoints about Alexander III and whether or not he was deserving of the title “The Great”.
In history Alexander the Great is always one of the topics to learn, and one of the most asked question is what did Alexander do to be so great. Alexander might have been born great to achieve greatness or have greatness thrust upon him and this one of the reasons we still talk about him today. Alexander the Great took the crown at the age of 20. When he was only 13 Alexander tamed a horse that no one else could ride that was named Bucephalus which impressed his father. At the age of 16 he was a horseman and went to war, riding his horse that no one was able to ride on. Alexander the Great was born in Pella (capital of Macedonia) on July 20, 356 B.C and died from a fever in Babylon on June 323 B.C. After the assassination of Philip II in 336 B.C his son Alexander inherited one of the most powerful armies in the world and started an invasion attack in Persia. Alexander defeated his rival King Darius of Persia during the Battle of Issus in 333 B.C completing his father's dream and becoming a great leader. Through his schooling with his tutor Aristotle, Aristotle philosophy helped him achieve invading attacks his father couldn’t accomplish and giving him a chance to “admire and maintain these disparate cultures” (Jarus). Alot was accomplished by Alexander after he had died and for that he was known to be great. Even when he died because of a fever his people wanted to believe it was caused by alcohol poisoning or asassianly-poisoning. He had defeated
One reason that Alexander the Great was such a Great, was because he was a really good military leader. Alexander knew how to give a motivation speech to his army and could take over any city, he had good strategies and was a good political leader. Alexander the great was born on July 20, 356 B.C., to his parents King Phillip the second and Queen Olympia. “In 336 B.C., Alexander’s father Philip was assassinated. Just 20 years old, Alexander claimed the Macedonian throne and killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty. He also quashed rebellions for independence in northern Greece. Once he’d cleaned house, Alexander left to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue Macedonia’s world domination” (History, n.pg.). Alexander wanted the throne right from the start, some say that Alexander hired someone to assassinate his dad and others say he did it himself. Anyways though we know that Alexander wanted the throne right away, and he was not afraid to kill and fight people for the throne by, he killed his rivals and he
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.
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.