Assess the Legacy of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great’s legacy was the spreading of Greek (Hellenistic) culture across a large part of the Middle East and Asia, and significantly increasing the relationship between the East and West, which led to improved trade and the sharing of ideas.
During his 13 years of empire expansion, Alexander the Great transformed the world. He had numerous military successes, almost conquering the entire known world at the time, and he is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. However, Alexander the Great's legacy goes much further than his military conquests; his legacy also includes founding cities, influencing the Roman Empire, and bringing the western civilisation to the rest of …show more content…
His battle triumphs were, and still are, astounding, and he did not lose a significant battle in all of his campaigns. His most celebrated victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC in what today is Iraq. His leadership was successful in part due to his ability to motivate his soldiers, focus his army on a common enemy, and lead from the front.
Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon all studied his military methods and widely acknowledged that they would have never had reached the heights they did without Alexander’s experience to draw from. No other commander has come close to equalling Alexander’s conquests.
Although Alexander ruled an expansive empire by the time he was 25 years old, he had higher ambitions. When he died at age 32, Alexander's empire was the most extensive state of its time, covering approximately 5.2 million square km.
Alexander’s most immediate legacy was the introduction of Macedonian rule to large areas of Asia. Although his empire could not survive his death, out of the conflict over succession came four distinct Greek dynasties, Attalid Anatolia, Antigonid Macedon, Seleucid Mesopotamia, and most famously, the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt founded by one of Alexander’s generals, which would end with the reign of …show more content…
Polybius began his Histories by reminding Romans of Alexander's achievements, and subsequently, Roman leaders saw him as a role model. Pompey the Great assumed the nickname ‘Magnus’ and searched the captured lands of the east for Alexander's 260-year-old cloak, which he then wore as a sign of greatness. Julius Caesar dedicated a statue but replaced Alexander's head with his own, and Augustus visited Alexander's tomb in Alexandria and briefly changed his seal from a sphinx to Alexander's profile. There has also been some speculation that Julius Caesar wept by a statue of Alexander, embarrassed that the Macedonian had accomplished so much more at a younger age than he had. Plutarch, a Greek who became a Roman who lived four hundred years after Alexander, wrote his Life of Alexander as one of a series of 'Parallel Lives', comparing ancient Greeks with 'modern' Romans (Alexander was compared to Julius
Alexander the Great’s legacy was the spreading of Greek (Hellenistic) culture across a large part of the Middle East and Asia, and significantly increasing the relationship between the East and West, which led to improved trade and the sharing of ideas.
During his 13 years of empire expansion, Alexander the Great transformed the world. He had numerous military successes, almost conquering the entire known world at the time, and he is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. However, Alexander the Great's legacy goes much further than his military conquests; his legacy also includes founding cities, influencing the Roman Empire, and bringing the western civilisation to the rest of …show more content…
His battle triumphs were, and still are, astounding, and he did not lose a significant battle in all of his campaigns. His most celebrated victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC in what today is Iraq. His leadership was successful in part due to his ability to motivate his soldiers, focus his army on a common enemy, and lead from the front.
Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon all studied his military methods and widely acknowledged that they would have never had reached the heights they did without Alexander’s experience to draw from. No other commander has come close to equalling Alexander’s conquests.
Although Alexander ruled an expansive empire by the time he was 25 years old, he had higher ambitions. When he died at age 32, Alexander's empire was the most extensive state of its time, covering approximately 5.2 million square km.
Alexander’s most immediate legacy was the introduction of Macedonian rule to large areas of Asia. Although his empire could not survive his death, out of the conflict over succession came four distinct Greek dynasties, Attalid Anatolia, Antigonid Macedon, Seleucid Mesopotamia, and most famously, the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt founded by one of Alexander’s generals, which would end with the reign of …show more content…
Polybius began his Histories by reminding Romans of Alexander's achievements, and subsequently, Roman leaders saw him as a role model. Pompey the Great assumed the nickname ‘Magnus’ and searched the captured lands of the east for Alexander's 260-year-old cloak, which he then wore as a sign of greatness. Julius Caesar dedicated a statue but replaced Alexander's head with his own, and Augustus visited Alexander's tomb in Alexandria and briefly changed his seal from a sphinx to Alexander's profile. There has also been some speculation that Julius Caesar wept by a statue of Alexander, embarrassed that the Macedonian had accomplished so much more at a younger age than he had. Plutarch, a Greek who became a Roman who lived four hundred years after Alexander, wrote his Life of Alexander as one of a series of 'Parallel Lives', comparing ancient Greeks with 'modern' Romans (Alexander was compared to Julius