¶ … life of Alexander the Great is one of the most well documented lives of the time and within all of that documentation there is a sense that Alexander was either a tyrant or a saint like human. It is clear that the mystery of his existence is challenged by the propriety of the ancient writings and the individual author's ideal of the hero, whom they wished to portray. In Alexander's time and in many times to follow it was the ideal to be feared, with zeal by the enemy and loved with zeal by the ally.
Then Alexander, eager to show his father his prowess, and second to none in excess of zeal, and also with many good men at his side, first succeeded in breaking the solid front of the enemy line and, striking down many, he fought those opposite him into the ground. (Diodorus, 16.85.5-86)
The value of Michael Wood's documentary film, "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great," lies in the extensive manner in which Wood discusses the differences between the right and wrong of Alexander's time vs. our own.
Additionally the modern reader and even the modern man has a great deal of opinion regarding war, cruelty and any number of other seemingly senseless occurrences that are repeated to the farthest degree within most fable like histories of great men. The challenge is then to interpret,...
Hamilton notes the biographies of Alexander often reflected the backgrounds of authors who wrote about him. For example, Sir William Tarn, a Scottish gentleman of the British imperial era, characterized Alexander as a chivalrous Greek gentleman with a missionary zeal to spread Greek civilization. In contrast, Fritz Schachermeyr, a German historian who had experienced the rise and fall of the Nazi Germany, described Alexander as a ruthless and cruel
Many people did not like him because of his tactics, but he spread Greek culture around the world and helped the world modernize and become more global and more interested in trade and culture between nations. However, most experts agree that Alexander was one of the greatest leaders ever. The Columbia Encyclopedia notes, "Incontestably, he was one of the greatest generals of all time and one of the most powerful
Both points-of-view may be absolutely correct, but neither really addresses the issue of whether or not Alexander was truly great. Perhaps the best way to evaluate Alexander's greatness is to look at the lasting effects that he had on civilization. First and foremost, Alexander conquered the known world. "Before Alexander world civilization had been dominated by eastern cultures - Persians, Egyptians, and Babylonians. Alexander shifted the spotlight once and for all.
Alexander had taken Roxana, a Bactrian princess as one of his many wives, however, his Macedonian officers rebelled at his attempt to force them to intermarry with the Persians and "resisted his Eastern ways and his vision of an empire governed by tolerance," and although there was a mutiny, it was unsuccessful (Alexander Pp). In 323, while planning a sea voyage around Arabia, Alexander caught a fever and died at
Alexander's execution of his trusted general Parmenion and his son Philotas, and how it affected the remainder of Alexander's life, and his reign. ALEXANDER THE GREAT Alexander the Great was born sometime around July 20th, in 356 B.C., the son of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, in Pella. As a child, the great philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, tutored him. His father was murdered in 336 B.C., and Alexander took the
Alexander the Great and his life. The writer focuses on presenting a historical biography of his birth, life and accomplishments while pointing out the things he was most well-known for. There were five sources used to complete this paper. He conquered much of the world before he hit his mid-twenties. He traveled the globe collecting thousands upon thousands of admirers, standing at the ready to address his every need. As
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