Alexander the Great

Alexander III of Macedon (a region of Greece), lived from July 21, 356 BC to June 10 or 11, 323 BC; died at 32 years old. Son of King Philip II of Macedon.-worldhistory.org. When Philip was assassinated in 336 BC, Alexander III the Great, became the 19th King of Macedonia, at age 20. Philip “had gained domination over all of Greece by military and diplomatic means, thus laying the foundations for its expansion under his son, Alexander.”-britannica.com. Upon becoming King, Alexander kills his rivals to protect his throne and subdues the Greek states. They agree to supply troops for his planned war against Persia.-britannica.com.

“He is known as ”the Great” both for his military genius and his diplomatic skills in handling the various inhabitants of the regions he conquered.”…He’s “recognized for spreading Greek culture, language and thought from Greece throughout Asia Minor, Egypt, Mesopotamia (which today includes Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Syria and Turkey), to India.”…initiating the Hellenistic (Greek culture) Period from 323 to 31 BC…integrating Greek culture with that of the near east.-worldhistory.org. 👇

At age 12, Alexander showed impressive courage by taming the wild horse, Bucephalus, an enormous stallion with a furious demeanor. The horse becamed his battle companion for most of Alexander’s life….”When Alexander was 13, Philip asked the great philosopher, Aristotle, to tutor his son. ”Aristotle sparked and fostered Alexander’s interest in literature, science, medicine and philosophy.”-history.com. For some 20 years, Aristotle was Plato’s student & colleague at the Academy of Athens…founded by Plato in the 380’s.”-britannica.com.

At age 16, Alexander was left in charge of Macedonia, while his father went off to battle. At age 18, Alexander wanted to prove his military capability and lead a cavalry against the Sacred Band of Thebes, a supposedly unbeatable, select army….during the Battle of Chaeronea…Alexander’s cavalry decimated the Sacred Band of Thebes.-history.com.

“Alexander the Great was a superb military commander. Believing himself invincible and specially blessed by the gods, he often led the cavalry himself, which often proved decisive, and often wore an easy to spot white plumed helmut.”-factsanddetails.com. 👇

“He suffered severe sword, lance, arrow and knife wounds. Alexander once told his men, ”there is no part of my body which has not a scar, and for all your sakes, for your glory and your gain.”-factsanddetails.com.

“Alexander had full confidence that his men would follow him. Admiral Ray Smith, a former Navy Seal, said: ”We have learned that the key to leadership under the toughest possible circumstances, is that officers and men undergo the same training. Men know their officer is not asking them to do anything he couldn’t do or hasn’t done.”…”Alexander also showed great compassion for his men. For the wounded, he showed deep concern…he visited them and examined their wounds, asking each man how and in what circumstances his wound was received, and allowed him to tell his story and exxagerate as much as he pleased.”

“As a warrior and a strategist, no one compares with Alexander, Alexander biographer Lane Fox told Smithsonian magazine. ”He would have made mincemeat of any Roman who came over the hill. Julius Caesar would’ve gone straight back home as fast as his horse could carry him; and Napoleon, Alexander would’ve wiped him out too…”-factsanddetails.com.

Before the reign of King Philip II of Macedon, Macedon was regarded as a second rate power. ”It had almost no importance in Greek politics which, at that time, was regarded as a first-rate power. It was the intellect and assertive leadership of King Philip and then his descendent Alexander the Great that made the Kingdom of Macedon the most powerful empire of its time.” Alexander, using Philip’s tactics, conquered 3,000 miles across the globe in just 13 years. -medium.com. 2/20/21. 👇

Tactics of war : 👇

Alexander the Great, fought and won 18 Battles in 13 years.-ranker.com. 6/14/19. 👇

“Alexander would take away the political autonomy of those he conquered but not their culture or way of life.”- livescience.com. ”Alexander’s main achievement outside the battlefield was to facilitate the blending of various cultures.”-ivypanda.com. 2/24/22.

“During his reign, Alexander the Great had a massive impact in his time and sent ripples into the future. In a reign of 13 years, Alexander shot across the Greek and the Middle East like a meteor, transforming whatever he, often brutally, touched and ensuring the ancient world, and so eventually our world ,could never be the same again.”-Paul Cartledge, Professor of Greek Culture at Cambridge University/ livescience.com. 11/8/21.

“Until the internet age, Alexander the Great was probably the most famous human being who ever lived. His astounding career of conquest inspired not just Caesar and Augustus, but also Mark Anthony, Napoleon, Hitler and other would-be world conquerors from the west.”-Paul Cartledge/Cambridge University/ livescience.com. 11/8/21.

Alexander seemed to act in tandem with Aristotelian principle, by constantly founding cities. The city, according to Aristotle, provided the necessary conditions for the individual, and only those living in a city may be completed as rational beings; this leads to individual happiness, and a life well-lived…people sharing a common education, strong values, unity and safety, shall prosper in peace, adopt commonly accepted ways and creating material and goods for everybody’s benefit.-apeironcentre.org.

Conclusion: There are many theories as to why Alexander died at such a young age. Typhoid, malaria, etc., Just 32 years old, he and his army, had won 18 battles in 13 years, conquering 3,000 miles of land. After these many years, Alexander and his men took a well deserved resbit in Babylon in 323 BC. At the same time, Alexander was planning his next conquests. -lithub.com. 8/28/19. As you can imagine, his army was weary and worn after so many battles in 13 years, but Alexander was possessed. Alexander lost thousands of men before reaching Babylon, due to lack of water.

Alexander’s Generals knew they could not tell Alexander that they had enough. Enough fighting, enough conquering, enough marching, or Alexander would view them as being treasonous and have them all killed. So, it was kill or be killed. ”Fueled by success on the battlefield, power and wealth, he transformed from a monarch guided by reason and moderation, into one viewed as a dictator, corrupted by his ego and a threat to democracy.” …”Finally, his Generals turned to Aristotle to destroy the monster he had created.”-smithsonianassociates.org. Most probably, ”the philosopher was not only complicit in the murder but had an active role in it, preparing the…poison mixed into the wine that killed Alexander.”-smithsonianassociates.org.

Throughout human history, whether a conqueror starts off with good intentions or is evil, there always seems to be that point where the conqueror is consumed/ addicted by his success and cannot stop on his own. That they must be stopped. Such seems to be the case with Alexander the Great as well. / Done