Roger A. Hayes
AC1106275
HS150 World Civilizations I
Assignment 02 “Early Civilizations”
August 8, 2011
Alexander of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, is widely considered to be one of the greatest military minds of history or, one of the greediest. His conquest swept across the known world of his day. First of all, his reign began in 336 B.C.E and lasted until 323 B.C.E, after succeeding his father, King Phillip II, following his death. He then furthered his father’s campaign by, leading the army that had already been sent by Phillip, to occupy the opposite shores of the Hellespont. With an army of 30,000 men, he set out to conquer Arisbe, with success. Additionally, with Greece and the Balkan Peninsula under his control, in 334 B.C.E., Alexander then crossed the Hellespont and, as commander of an allied army, continued with the war on Persia that King Phillip II had in his sights. This was the beginning of one of the greatest advances in military history. At the Granicus River, he defeated the Persian forces and moved on to take Miletus and Halicarnassus. Persian forces had to battle a united Greece, and Alexander saw himself as the purveyor of Pan-Hellenic ideals to the world. After taking most of Asia Minor, in 333 B.C.E. he entered north Syria and met Darius III in the battle of Issus who ran after seeing his forces defeated. (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008)
Alexander had a burning desire to conquer all of Persia so he then took Syria and Egypt. While in Egypt he founded the city of Alexandria, that still exist today. In 331 B.C.E. in the battle of Guagamela, he encountered Darius III again. There Alexander again, became victorious. Battle after battle, Alexander always seemed to come out on top. His determination for world domination drove his desire for more. His strict rule, and conquer hungry attitude, was taking its toll on the relationship between he and most of his men. Finally, after domination of Bactria and Sogdiana, his troops did not want to continue his plan for world rule and conquest. They were getting tired and wanted to return home. He led his men through the desert land of Afghanistan and Iran, where many of his soldiers died in attempt to make it back to their homeland. They made the march all the way to Susa, there Alexander the Great, caught fever and died at the very young age of 33.
The Term Paper on Alexander The Great Men Leadership Empire
... third element that defines a great man is the man himself. Alexander! |s very character and personality ... part due to factors which Alexander had little influence upon. Phillip, his father, not only ... apprehend Darius during the resolution of the battle of Gaugamela, he relentlessly led his ... cultural formation of the greater Hellenistic world. Thus, within a dozen years Alexander! |s Empire stretched ...
For this class, I bought the movie Alexander by Oliver Stone that was suggested in my textbook. After reading historical references and watching this, my take on the man that history calls “Great”, is that he was hard set on conquering the entire world. All he ever knew was battle and conflict. Even at a young age he saw nothing but that in his life with the ideas of his father. He was a great military mind, of course, but, he appears to me to be a greedy king that always wanted more. He was never content with what he had. Although, he left a legacy that will probably never be duplicated. His need for more possessed his life to the point that it controlled him; his every thought appeared to be driven by insatiability to conquer every land in existence. Sure he was a great warrior, but even great warriors can become ravenous.
References
“Alexander the Great.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved August 07, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-AlexGreat.html
