Born on 20 th July 356 B.C , A lexander the Great was a powerful king of Macedonia who conquered an imperium that extended from modern-day Pakistan all the way to the Balkan Peninsula ( Heckel, 2012; New World Encyclopedia, n.d ). Alexander was the son of Olympias and Philip the Second . He was a visionary, a trait that helped him come up with unique strategie s that enabled him to win many battles even when the odds were against him. This paper will discuss the exploits of Alexander the G reat and the legacy of his empire . As evidenced by his conquests in Egypt, India, and Persia , as well as his impact in Africa and Greece , Alexander’s influence and accomplishments as a king cannot be overstated .
At 16 years of age, Alexander was left in charge of Macedonia by his father during one of his military campaigns. Alexander took the opportunity and defeated the Maedi people of Thracian and even established a city he named Alexandroupolis ( Heckel, 2012 ). Following his father’s assassinat ion in 336 B.C , Alexander was declared the king of Macedonia at the age of 20 years . He quickly consolidated his power , gain ing the solid support of the Macedonian army. This enabled him to conquer the Balkan region and several Greek states such as Thebes in 335 B.C. (Stoneman, 2004). Building on this accomplishment, Alexander set his campaign to conquer the Persian Empire . He used the Persian invasion of Gree ce during the 5 th century as an excuse to invade the Persian Empire . The P ersians were supported by Sparta, a former enemy city in their efforts to resist Alexander ’s attack . However, i n spite of fierce opposition from Sparta, Alexander’s military campaign against Persia was a success.
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Alexander gained his first major victory against the Persians in the Battle of Granicus in 334 B.C. in the antediluvian city of Troy, which is located in present-day Turkey ( Heckel, 2012 ). In this battle, Alexander used an army of 40,000 soldiers and defeated a Persian force of 20,000-foot soldiers and an equal number of riders . The Sardis treasury and the Persian capital were surrendered to Alexander. Alexander proceeded to conquer cities down the coast of West Turkey. His second significant successful battle was the “Battle of Issus,” which took place in 333 B.C. near the city of Issus in the pr esent day Southern Turkey ( Heckel & Tritle, 2011 ). In this battle, Alexander defeated a force of 600,000 soldiers led by Darius III. Darius III fled after th e defeat leaving behind his children, wife, mother, and possessions. Darius was later on betrayed and killed by his generals who sought favor from Alexandria. This marked Alexander’s conquest of the Persian empire.
Alexander continued to move south on the eastern side of the Mediterranean . This strategy was aimed at strip ping the Persian s of their naval might . Most of the cities he came upon ceded except Tyre and Gaza which put up a fight ( Heckel & Tritle, 2011 ). In 332 B.C. Alexander entered Egypt after taking Gaza. The Egyptians welcomed him openly as a benefactor and the priests declared him the son of Zeus. The declaration took place at the Oracle of Ammon , which was situated at the Siwa Oasis in the Libyan d esert. Alexander founded the city of Alexandria on Egypt’s northern coast . The city later became one of the most prosperous cities that he ever built. Scholars claim that Alexander even marked the location where the Agora (a place of assembly) was to be built . He also determined the number of temples that were to be built as well as the gods to whom they were to be devoted.
Alexand er’s campaign in Asia encountered significant setbacks . O ne of his bigg est loss es was his killing of Parmerio who was a command er in his army . This was as a consequence of a failed attempt to kill him by some of Parmerio ’s men. The second loss was the murder of Cleitus, a close friend. Alexandria killed Cleitus for telling him about how he had adopted Persian ways and for bragging about saving him at the “battle of Granicus” ( Heckel & Tritle, 2011 ). Despite these setbacks, Alexander went ahead to conquer a great deal of Asia. He moved on with his campaign to India where he allied with Taxiles , a local ruler , who allowed him to use his city of Taxila as a military base. Alexander in return agreed to fight off Porus , a rival of Taxiles ( O'Brien, 2003 ). He used his cavalry to assault and defeat Porus’s troops . Alexander also captured Porus but later made him an ally due to his bravely. In 324 B.C. , Alexander embarked on his journey back to Babylon . However, on his return , he fell ill and died in 323 B.C.
The widespread proliferation of the Greek culture in the regions that Alexander conquered is one of his greatest legacies . His reign saw the dawn of a new epoch in history called the “Hellenistic age .” Due to his vast travels, Alexander spread Greek culture and civilization to all those he conquered (Joshua, 2012). As a result, Greek statues, inscriptions, dedications, and architecture became commonplace. Greek literature was introduced to the former Persian Empire as well as Palestine whereby it influenced philosophical writing and thought. In Palestine, Greek literature influenced the scripture of Judaism as well as the overall religious thought (Joshua, 2012). In Egypt, The Great Library of Alexandria became a vital center of learning. Moreover, Greek theatre spread throughout the lands that Alexander conquered. This was characterized by the construction of amphitheaters bearing Greek features. On Alexander’s death, his four generals took over, with each getting a portion of his empire. Thus, under these generals, the Hellenic influence spread further in all the conquered lands.
Most of the metropolises that Alexander conquered were named Alexandria. These include Alexandria (Egypt), Alexandria Asiana (Iran), Alexandria in Ariana (Afghanistan), Alexandria on the Indus (Pakistan), Alexandria Eschate (Tajikistan) and Alexandretta (Turkey) among others. Greek was also adopted as the standard language hence unit ing peoples across his empire. U nder Alexander’s reign , all religious beliefs were tolerated . Also, a common currency was used . Thus, Greek language and influence were spread through coinage in which the portraits used became more realistic. Alexander’s legacy was preserved by his four generals Lysimachus, Ptolemy , Cassander and Seleucus who shared his empire after his death.
Based on the above , Alexander the G reat was one of the most influential and successful king s and conqueror the world has ever seen. It is clear that he used his educational upbringing and the military tactics he had acquired from his father to drive his conquests. This , together with the discipline, love, and support of his army propelled him to expand the Macedonian empire throughout many regions of Europe and Asia. Overall, by influencing almost every culture globally, Alexander the Great left behind a legacy incomparable to none in his time .
References
Heckel, W. (2012). The conquests of Alexander the Great . Cambridge University Press.
Heckel, W., & Tritle, L. A. (Eds.). (2011). Alexander the Great: a new history . John Wiley & Sons.
Joshua J.M (2012). The Hellenistic World: The World of Alexander the Great. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/article/94/the-hellenistic-world-the-world-of-alexander-the-g/
New World Encyclopedia ( n.d ). Alexander the Great. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Alexander_the_Great
O'Brien, J. M. (2003). Alexander the Great: the invisible enemy: a biography . Routledge.
Stoneman, R. (2004). Alexander the Great . Routledge .
