Dawson
Geography 3
20 October 2015
Alexander the Great; Questioning the credibility of his title
“On the night of the birth of Alexander III of Macedonia, his mother [Queen Olympia] dreamed of mighty thunderbolts and his father [King Philip II of Macedonia] dreamed his son would be as strong as a lion” (Demi, Alexander the Great). Alexander didn’t disappoint his parents; he grew up to be just that and much more. Alexander the Great, was born in Pella, Greece in 356 BC. In his childhood years, Alexander was educated by Aristotle (greek philosopher) in academics, politics, sports, and warfare. He inherited the throne after his father’s assassination in 336 BCE at age 20. As soon as he inherited the throne, Alexander set …show more content…
He is universally known for expanding his empire farther than any other Greek. At the time of his death, Alexander’s empire spanned for two million square miles. Throughout his empire, he founded seventy cities. People commend Alexander for being an excellent warrior, which is reflected in the one hundred thousand enemy soldiers and civilians that he killed in four major battles. Unlike other Greek rulers, Alexander was able to incorporate Greek language and beliefs into other languages and cultures through his influence. Such an example is described by Kasi Khushnawaz, a native of northern Pakistan, who is quoted in the book In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great (1997); “Still some of our [Kalish] words are the same as the [Greeks’], our music and dances too; we worship the same gods” (Michael Wood, In the Footsteps of Alexander). It is truly remarkable that Alexander was able leave such a long lasting impact on the Kalish culture. He must have been very influential if his ideas are still present in a modern society. Due to his and power, Alexander’s empire spanned from Greece to Egypt and through present-day Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. Alexander’s long lasting impact was due to the wide range of his empire and his integration of Greek into other …show more content…
Yes! The conquests he went on/the wars he fought, his achievements, and his legacy (Hellenistic Age) all contribute to the great person that he is remembered as today. Additionally, Alexander possessed the characteristics of what it means to be great; he was a courageous, intelligent, creative, disciplined, and integrous leader with remarkable achievement. Alexander had all of these! Although Alexander is criticized for his cruelty, one can confidently say that Alexander the Great was great and his cruelty was a result of a burning desire to his empire. Alexander was certainly the “lion” with “mighty thunderbolt” powers that his parents dreamed him out to