Alexander the Great - Essay Example

 Introduction It would not be a mistake to suggest that there are people who were able to influence the development of the mankind by their actions. It is generally thought that great scientists opened new horizons for the humanity, but in many cases rulers also were able to have a significant impact on history. Alexander the Great was one of such remarkable generals who personally changed the course of history to a certain extent. That is why it may be particularly important to explore his life and legacy in order to understand his significance in the world history. This paper will describe the conquests of Alexander, paying particular attention to his influence on history of Egypt, Persia and India as well as the legacy that his empire left. Conquests of Alexander Egypt It must be noted that prior to conquering the entire known world, Alexander made sure that his seized all the power in Macedonia and Greece. So, having performed that, this great general led his army to Asia Minor, then Palestine and eventually Egypt. One should keep in mind that at that time Egypt was under the rule of Persians; that is why it was them who fought against Alexander, not the Egyptians. The latter, in fact, did not show any resistance to him, greeting him as a liberator rather than an oppressor (Randall, 2004). Indeed, there were several battles that Alexander won before entering Egypt. Thus, after the battle of Issus, attacking Tyre and conquering Gaza, his military supremacy was evident. In Egypt he did not introduce any significant change; quite the opposite, he claimed that he was the son of Zeus and Ammon and agreed to be treated as a divine ruler, according to the Egyptian traditions. Persia Persian Empire was the strongest power in the region in question. It emerged much before Alexander and was generally regarded as the dominant player. However, it could not match the military power of the Macedonian general. Battle after battle the Persian king Darius fled the battlefield, leaving his soldiers alone (Cheshire, 2009). It is quite obvious that after Alexander was able to conquer the capital, the military men did not support Darius who was constantly running away from his opponent and killed him. Nevertheless, Alexander executed the assassins and established his rule over Persia. India However, Alexander did not cross half of the known world to stop. He was encouraged by his victory over his mightiest opponent and wanted to conquer the entire world. That is why he moved even further East in order to explore and conquer whatever state he would find there. One of the clans in India surrendered quickly and tried to be extremely loyal to Alexander. He repaid with numerous treasures and trophies that were taken from the Persian Empire. Nevertheless, conquering India was a rather difficult since there were no open spaces that Alexander was used to. In addition to that his army refused to go any further East and he was not able to convince them (Dodge, 1996). That is why the conquest of India finished not because Alexander was not able to go further, but because his army refused to. Alexander’s legacy Spreading culture It would not be a mistake to suggest that Alexander the Great is known primarily for his achievements in the military area. However, thanks to him Greek culture spread across the continents which triggered the hellenization of the known world (Adare, 1999). Indeed, Greek language by many nations that have never been in contact with Greece. In addition to that, Alexander tried to combine Greek and Persian cultures in order to create a unified cultural space (Tucker, 2015). He was in charge of a large empire which consisted of diverse nations and unification seems as a rather reasonable solution. Founding cities It is obvious that Alexander is known to be extremely violent to some of his enemies: some of the cities that he conquered were looted for several days and then burnt to the ground. However, the perception of this person as someone who did more destruction than construction is far from reality. Indeed, Alexander did destroy cities, but he is also responsible for creating many (Skelton & Dell, 2005). Thanks to him many parts of the world, especially in the East discovered a new manner of organizing urban space. What is more important is that many cities that were created by this general exist today. In addition to that, they played an important role in the ancient time, like Alexandria of Egypt (Bose, 2003). Becoming a legend No matter how skillful and famous a person can be, one can hardly be compared with Alexander the Great. Indeed, he is often seen as a unique general who never lost a single battle (Gunther, 2007). This can be explained by the peculiar military tactic and formation that he engaged as well as the fact that he led his soldiers into the batter. Furthermore, Alexander the Great inspired many people who are now considered to be some of the greatest individuals, such as Julius Caesar and Napoleon (Hunter, 2014). It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that every general in the world is dreaming about obtaining at least a light part of the reputation that Alexander enjoyed. Conclusion Having examined all the evidence which was brought up in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: Alexander the Great was able to singlehandedly influence the course of history by conquering the majority of the known world and expanding his rule over a vast territory. He conquered Egypt without any resistance, being seen as the liberator; he defeated the king of Persia in many battles, but, unfortunately, the latter was killed by his own soldiers; the conquest of India stopped because the army revolted and wanted to return home. Speaking of the legacy of the empire in question, one might note the spread of Greek language and culture, foundation of numerous cities some of which exist even today and becoming a role model for future prominent figures. References Adare, S. (1999). Greece. New York, NY: Crabtree Pub. Bose, P. (2003). Alexander the Great's art of strategy: The timeless leadership lessons of history's greatest empire builder. New York, NY: Gotham Books. Cheshire, K. (2009). Alexander the Great. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dodge, T. (1996). Alexander: A history of the origin and growth of the art of war. New York, NY: Da Capo Press. Gunther, J. (2007). Alexander the Great;. New York, NY: Random House. Hunter, N. (2014). Alexander the Great. Chicago, IL: Raintree. Randall, B. (2004). Alexander the Great: Macedonian King and conqueror. New York, NY: Rosen Pub. Group. Skelton, D., & Dell, P. (2005). Empire of Alexander the Great. New York, NY: Facts On File. Tucker, S. (2015). Wars that changed history: 50 of the world's greatest conflicts. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO. Read More