Although Alexander can be considered the protagonist of Greek history, there is overwhelming evidence that suggests that he is the villain as he demonstrates the antagonistic qualities of felony, extreme impatience, and greed. First and foremost, Alexander has used felony and destruction during his rule. “Any visitor to the spectacular ruins of Persepolis - the site of the ceremonial capital of the ancient Persian Achaemenid empire, will be told three facts: it was built by Darius the Great, embellished by his son Xerxes, and destroyed by that man, Alexander” (Ansari 2). Alexander destroyed a monument that was dear to the Persians, and more, while he was drunk. First, any true hero would not drink so much that they would become drunk. It is simple knowledge, and heroes are supposed to be wise, and thoughtful of decisions. In addition, it is cruel to destroy a civilization’s most prized possession. Especially if the monument has religious or national value. For a modern analogy, when the United State’s Twin Towers were destroyed, and many citizens were injured or even killed, the people of the …show more content…
Alexander had some respectable accomplishments that proved him to be heroic. At the “age of 30, Alexander ruled over an empire spanning three continents and covering more than two million square miles” (The John Maxwell Company). Alexander had a large area of land that he ruled at the age of just 30. This means that he is capable of controlled rule at a young age, furthermore proving that he is a hero. This is because he understands the principle of responsibility, which is an essential trait of any hero. For example, a hero must be able to save cities at a moment’s notice. That demonstrates responsibility. In addition, if Alexander can control a two-million square mile empire, you can imagine how well he ruled in his last two years of life (he died at age
Alexander’s empire stretched from the Aegean Sea to the Indus River. (Doc. 3) The land he controlled had many different terrains and would have been different to obtain, but Alexander’s desire to control the “whole world” consumed him. Even when he controlled a large amount of land, he still wanted to gain more and more. (Doc. 2) With a feather-plumed helmet and himself on a horse in the very front of every battle, Alexander made himself an easy target for enemies. (Doc. 6) This is a brave and courageous gesture he made every battle and he knew the dangers of doing that, but still did it anyway. Alexander’s vast land he conquered connected many of these cities and eventually created the Hellenistic Era. In the city of Persepolis, Alexander took over and added it to his collection of cities he now controlled. (Doc. 4) Both saying positives and negatives about Alexander, the document remain
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
While people may think that heroes have some bad things in their past, no hero has ever done what he did. According to A Hero’s Hero, “Here was a man, who walked in flesh and blood, a man who went on to conquer the whole world before he was thirty-two.”(1). A hero's job is to protect the world, and Alexander’s job was the opposite. He conquered the world, he didn’t protect it. Even more so is just how much he conquered, and what he had to do to conquer it. According to Alexander the Great, “A great conqueror, in 13 short years he amassed the largest empire in the entire ancient world — an empire that covered 3,000 miles.”(1). When a person conquers over 3,000 miles of land, one really cannot say that they are still a hero. Just think of what he had to do to get that much land… genocide. He had to inflict mass genocide amongst Asia. The blood that was spilled while the land was being taken over was ridiculous. And when a person does all of this, it’s hard to say that he’s a
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.
Alexander the Great had an amazing political and military mind. With the tutelage of his father, Philip II, and a great education, he became one of the best leaders of all time. And even as a boy, many knew Alexander’s destiny was to rule.
Throughout his life, he conquered many places, including the empire of Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc. He went on and on conquering many lands along with his troops. In fact, he travelled with builders, engineers, poets, scientists, etc. These specialized workers were one of the reasons he was successful in battles. Alexander brought them along for entertainment, and they also supported the army with carriages, supplies, built camps, and support for wounded soldiers. When attacking, his army led battles from the front which define their courage, and he ensured that his men were well-fed and rewarded them so that they were motivated. Alexander may be cruel at times. For instance, he killed lots and lots of men who were traitors in his army. Along with that, he treated his adversaries with respect while conquered people were freed when he’s generous, but killed when he’s disrespected. Alexander the Great defeated the powerful empire of Persia and extended his empire from Greece to India, making it the largest empire of the ancient
Later on in his life, Alexander continued to show his ability to accomplish many difficult tasks. "After three grueling years of warfare and three decisive battles, Alexander smashed the Persian armies at the Tigris River and conquered the mighty Persian Empire, including the legendary city of Babylon" (“Alexander the Great” ushistory.org). This was a great victory that proved Alexander had what it took to be a great leader. Defeating the Persians was something many leaders could never do, but Alexander
In document E it states that, “It took eleven years to build his empire.” The evidence shows that he had a big ego that made him build his empire in little time. Also, he just want it yo have a bigger, and strong empire. Additionally, in document A it states that, “In 334 BCE, Alexander crossed from Macedonia to Asia with an army of about 40,000 people.” Alexander big self-admiration made him take thousands of people to battle, and don't care what happen to them. He should had think about the lives he was going to loss while fighting. Alexander will never fit the honor of amazing because of his huge self-worth, and because he was
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.
When the Peloponnesian war happened between Athens and Sparta, the Greeks were weakened enough to be taken over by the Macedonians. Philip II thought it was a great idea to take over the Greek city states and fight against the Persians. Once Philip II died, a new Macedonian king was brought to heir. The heirs name was Alexander the Great. There is two different standpoints on Alexander, was he great or was he bad? We should all believe that Alexander does deserve the title Alexander the Great because he has done many good things. The reasons are that Alexander showed mercy to the people he conquered, Alexander left the people's culture alone but tried to spread Greek culture, Alexander was interested in others cultures, and that Alexander
This document proves the fragility of his empire, when only ten years after his death his empire fell. If Alexander sought a better life for his people why did his empire fall only eleven years after his death, “great” leaders leave behind a legacy that improves the lives of their people, Alexander was not one of these
One reason that Alexander was not as great as he sounds is because he killed 100,000 people in only 4 major battles. As said in document E, Alexander killed many, many people in order to take over their land. That shows how rude he can be, killing people for what he only really cares about, their land. According to document C, “Alexander ordered that all except those who sought sanctuary (safety in temple) were to be slain.” Document C also stated “Seven thousand Tyrians died… and the number would have been far higher had it
Alexander the Great is hailed, by most historians, as “The Great Conqueror” of the world in the days of ancient Mesopotamia. “Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, single-handedly changed the nature of the ancient world in little more than a decade. Alexander was born in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia in July 356 BCE. His parents were Philip II of Macedon and his wife Olympias. Philip was assassinated in 336 BCE and Alexander inherited a powerful yet volatile kingdom. He quickly dealt with his enemies at home and reasserted Macedonian power within Greece. He then set out to conquer the massive Persian Empire” (Web, BBC History). It is important to note, which will maybe explain his brutal actions, that
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 the Great is remembered as a conquering man who built one of the largest empires. Some describe him as a man with a vision of world harmony. Others see him as a blood thirsty man with a mental illness. One thing that cannot be argued is that he and his empire are fascinating studies. From his rise to power to his mysterious death is interesting, but even after he died the story is fascinating. Due to his death, his empire was divided and a long power-struggle began starting with his generals. Each account has its own story of war and betrayal. These days must have been hard for those in power; they never knew who they could trust. Only the ones who were skilled in the strategy of war and ruthless enough to maintain their power