Alexander The Great: A True Hero?

Alexander the Great was born on July 20, 356 BC in Pella, Macedon. He was the son of King Philip, ruler of Macedonia. When Alexander was a child he was taught by the famous philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle taught alexander to read and write, and how to become a good leader in the future. One of Alexander’s biggest heros was Achilles, who he honored and who he strived to be like. Alexander the great? Or Alexander the not so great? Alexander the great was a true hero because he was a leader, he had respect for others, and he was self aware of his actions. The first reason Alexander was a hero is because he was a true leader. “Alexander led his troops from the front and set an example for his Companions and his army” (“A Hero’s Hero”). He not …show more content…
The second reason he was a hero was because he had respect for others. Alexander may not have been considered the nicest leader of them all, but “the evidence suggests that he retained a healthy respect for the Persians themselves” (Ansari). Although he might not have had the best history with the previous leaders of Persia, he still respected the Persian people. He didn’t judge the people, and saw them for their true selves. The third reason Alexander was a hero was because he was self aware of his actions. Although Alexander might have destroyed many cities, “Alexander came to regret the destruction his invasion caused……. he was much distressed by what he found and immediately ordered repairs to be made” (Ansari). He had respect for other cultures, and was caring and compassionate. He realized his wrong doings, and felt bad for want he had done. He made a big and bold decision to have his people repair the damage. That takes courage, which rest insides all true heros. However, some people would say the opposite about Alexander the Great, that he was a villain, not a hero, because he made some irresponsible decisions, was self absorbed, and was sometimes