Alexander the Great Essay

The greatest commander of all time, Alexander the Great was not only a leader but also a warrior and cultural aficionado. He was a living legend. Since the day he was born, Alexander III was destined to rule. From being the king of Macedonia, Alexander went on to becoming an emperor. His short lived empire spanned from Greece to India to Egypt to the Balkans. Alexander defined the word “great”.  His unmatched conquering reformed the world.  Meet Alexander the Great, the greatest commander the world has ever seen.

Alexander’s father, King Philip II and mother Olympias wanted only the best education for their darling son. At first Leonidas, possibly the brother of Olympias, was Alexander’s tutor. He was very harsh and strict. This taught the boy discipline which he used in the long march across Asia. Next, Alexander was taught by Lysimachus who gained Philip’s favor by referring to the young boy as Achilles. Alexander learned to play the lyre and gained an appreciation for the fine arts. Finally, Aristotle the Greek philosopher was Alexander’s private teacher and mentor. He learned everything from philosophy to government to medicine. Alexander himself even said, “My father gave me life, but Aristotle taught me to live.” This meant that Aristotle had a profound influence on Alexander, molding him into the great leader he would become.

As a child Alexander was immediately recognized for his cleverness of mind.  Legend says that when Alexander was merely 13 Philip wanted to buy a horse. The horse master brought the horse over. However, it was acting wild and neither Philip nor his friends could control it. In disgust, Philip ordered the horse to be sent away. Alexander said it was such a shame that they were passing off such a majestic creature. He said he would be able to tame it.  Philip bet against Alexander; if he won, then Alexander would pay for the horse out of his own pocket, if Alexander could tame the horse, then Philip would get it for him. Alexander noticed that the horse was shying away from his shadow. He led it to the sun so the shadow was behind him. Then Alexander mounted the horse and took off.  According to the historian Curtius Rufus, Philip actually wept for joy saying, “Macedonia is too small for you; you must find a kingdom big enough for your dreams.” This rang true. Little did Philip know, Alexander would end up conquering most of the civilized world.

What made Alexander such a great military leader? It was probably a combination of characteristics: his decisive planning and bond with his soldiers. Not once was the Macedonian Army beaten. Every land they attacked, they came to conquer. Alexander proved his military prowess at a young age. When his father was away conquering, Alexander crushed a Thracian revolt. He was only 15. Not only was he an intuitive battle planner, but he would fight at the front along with his men. He suffered numerous wounds. Most importantly, Alexander formed bonds with his soldiers. He would remember their names and accomplishments. Old veterans were sent home to their families. This loyalty he fostered meant they would follow him through any situation. He almost crossed all of Asia, through heat, rain and difficult battles before his army became worn out. None of this would have happened without his expert military leadership.  Even today he is revered as an ingenious battle strategist.

Not only did he conquer almost all of the know world, he had an enormous impact on culture across the globe.  Alexander was the driving force of the Hellenistic Age, a time where Greece was the center of the arts, science, medicine, and math. Greek was spoken across Europe and Asia. People in cities such as Babylon dressed like Greeks and read Greek literature. He accomplished this with strategic political planning. Every city he conquered Alexander left Greek leaders to teach the culture and help him govern from afar. To prevent rebellion, Alexander dressed like a Persian. He did this so they would not think they had a remote, foreign king. Alexander also married a Persian woman, Roxanne. Even early paintings of Buddha were done in the Greek style. Myths from India and Persia involve the Macedonian conqueror. His influence spans across the world, even today.

As you can see, Alexander the Great truly was a legacy. Full of tireless energy, intuitive ideas, and expert tactics he was the model leader. His empire, while it may have lasted for a mere 13 years, changed the world forever. Foreign cultures gained knowledge and new ideas from the Greek culture. Alexander had a huge effect on the world. Even up to the 15^th century Persians were using Greek art style. Generals today study his strategies. We can all thank Alexander, the truly great.