Alexander the Great Essay

Alexander The Great

Throughout history, great leaders have left memorable legacies. Alexander the Great marked his place in history when he became king at twenty years old and expanded the Macedonian empire to levels never seen before. However, scholars have recently questioned Alexander’s leadership and if he truly was a great ruler. Alexander was, in fact, great due to his military tactics, value for other cultures and peoples, and influence of the world.

Alexander first cemented himself as great by leading a strong military. In document one, the map shows an extensive empire so vast it eclipsed people’s idea of how big an empire could become. This proves he was a strong military leader who took a lot of land and kept control of it. Also, he was able to conquer Persia, a large, powerful army, further showing his military strength. In document two, which describes the battle against Porus, Alexander was able to cross a river because he had troops on the other side distracting the enemy, and also used the enemy's elephants against them. He boxed the elephants in, causing them to get confused and hurt the opposing side, turning their big advantage against them. These intelligent, unique, and successful tactics, even when outnumbered, prove how great he was. Military strength creates a great leader because it is the reason an empire is able to expand and keep control over foreign lands and people. Without his military, Alexander would never have had an empire, and his strategic thought along with leadership skills shows how he was a master military leader. Because of Alexander’s extraordinary ability to achieve victory in battle and the sheer strength of his military, he is considered to be one of the most powerful and innovative military minds in history.

Alexander wasn’t only great due to his army or the conquering of people, he was also great because he valued and respected the cultures of those he conquered. Though some question Alexander’s character, he recognized how the ideas and cultures of other peoples can be integrated to improve the existing culture in his empire. In document 6, the quote “[Alexander] was a very great man...and generous to his followers” was said by an ancestor of a conquered people. This shows that the people who he conquered respected, and even praised him, meaning that