The Greatness Of Alexander's Empire

The Greatness Of Alexander’s Empire The Ancient Greek empire ruled by Alexander the Great was no doubt a military power. New fighting styles were invented and during this time Alexander took over most of the known world. However, was Alexander’s empire the most influential militarily in the Ancient Mediterranean? Some would argue Ancient Rome was the most influential with the most military prowess. Alexander the Great’s empire was the most successful military force of any Ancient Mediterranean civilization. From Alex’s battle tactics and doing new, maybe even crazy, things to win all the way to him conquering the vast majority of the known world and it’s civilizations. Even more than those things though is his cultural influence after his …show more content…
states in his thesis paper “His (Alexander’s) campaigns included every type of warfare: sieges, mountain and desert fighting, naval engagements, guerrilla operations, pitched battles and major river crossings.” (Pederson). Battle after battle, Alex shows that he will do anything and everything to win. The mega phalanx he utilized and experimented with ended up being an impenetrable wall. Arrows flying at the soldiers and in unison raising their pikes to deflect the projectiles falling from the sky, would instill fear into even the fiercest and most experienced soldiers (Hyde). Alexander’s ability to understand his enemy and predicting their reactions is what set his empire apart. However, cavalry is what made Alexander the Great’s battle tactics shine. His aptitude and uncanny ability to predict and see the weaknesses in the enemy's’ ranks gave him an advantage. Countless battles were won with his cavalry. Granicus, Issus, and Gaugamela are three major battles, that are recorded, that were won with Alexander’s cavalry as a key role in the victory (“Major Battles). His cavalry, himself included, fearless and trained would either break through enemy ranks or charge directly at the enemy …show more content…
148 years to reach its geographical peak. Rome is argued to be the successful military power in all of the Ancient Mediterranean (Joshua J. Mark, “Roman Empire”). Spanning twenty-five hundred miles, the Roman empire controlled the Mediterranean (“Ancient Rome”). Legions trampled anything in their path. Adapting to any environment they had to and changing formation, to give them the advantage. Rome brought forth some of the best military leaders and not by chance. It’s military campaigns and decisive victories lead Rome into power and expanded it’s borders. The flexibility of the legions and the fluidity of their fighting styles cemented them as the greatest and most successful military power among the Ancient