Preview

WAS ALEXANDER THE GREAT REALLY GREAT?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
736 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
WAS ALEXANDER THE GREAT REALLY GREAT?
Nicole Mtchedlidze April 26, 2013 6-Murray How Great Was Alexander The Great? What is a truly great leader? It is someone with courage, discipline, creativity, remarkable achievement, and integrity. Unfortunately, Alexander the Great does not have any of these valuable traits to be called a “great” leader. Even though Alexander left a mark in history’s book, it was a mark of a brutal tormenter. Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C.E. in a kingdom on the edge of northern Greece called Macedonia. (B.G.E.) His parents, Phillip and Olympia, constantly adored and spoiled him. They hired a famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle, to teach him academic subjects, politics, sports, and warfare. (B.E.) As he grew older, an inner beast was growing inside of him and at last it exploded when his father died, and Alexander was only then able to take the throne. But who would want an unjust leader, who is an egomaniac, a ruthless narcissist, and whose empire would not last? Alexander the “not-so-great” was a psychotic maniac with a huge ego. He was conceded and had absolutely no concern for others. For example, when Alexander’s army was struggling across the hot, dry desert of sand, he could’ve taken them around the desert, so they didn’t have to suffer. (doc.D) Also, every new place Alexander went to he founded a new city and named it after himself….. Alexandria!!! In total he named eleven cities after himself. Because he was spoiled and everyone treated him like he was royalty at a very young age, he came up with the idea that he was part god and told everyone to treat him that way. (B.E.) There were always consequences for when people tried to stand up against Alexander. One example is in the battle with Tyre, when they refused to surrender, so he wouldn’t let them be and ordered his army to destruct and destroy all of Tyre into little pieces.(Doc.C) Therefore, because of his lack of concern for others and huge ego, he was proven,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    After Alexander the great died, he was given the title "the great" due to his success in conquering Europe. People thought he made many great to change Europe. Was that really the reason he was given the title the great? What goals do you have to achieve in order you can receive the tile of "the great"? Someone great should be a leader that contributed to the society greatly and made a significant achievement to change the world and make the way we live today better. He should be someone who is respected by others and also pays respect to others. One should be also kind hearted. Alexander did succeed those goals therefore, should not receive the title "the great".…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Moshe Metz English 9 Ms. Van Gundy 8 May 2018 Alexander the Great’s Life Journey and Lessons Alexander pushed and helped the wave of the Hellenistic belief throughout the western civilization with the help of his father. Alexander and his father were the cause of the destruction of the classical Greek civilization. In Alexander’s lifetime, he nearly conquered the whole civilized world by dominating the West all the way east into India. Alexander the Great impacted society during his time of power by spreading his values and beliefs by conquering many lands. From a young age Alexander the Great was taught to be a fierce warrior with the mindset of a lion (The book: Alexander the Great).…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Secondly, Alexander was arrogant and cocky. “Alexander believed himself to be Achilles’s descendant.” (Document A). Alexander also believed “...that he himself was a god.” (Background Essay). How incredibly arrogant and full of yourself do you have to be do have such incredibly high standards for yourself? How does that make him a “great” man? Someone who is known to be “great” normally wouldn’t have an ego the size of Texas. They are much more modest than…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Historian Arnold Toynbee said, ‘Had he not died young, he might have politically united the world’ “(Smith 1). He could have continued gaining power if he did not die and could have taken over all of the known world. Alexander changed so much of the world that even though he died, there is a good chance that what he did has even influenced places he has never seen or been to. Many people might say that all of the unity that was created quickly fell after his death (Smith 1), but it only fell because he died and we can never know what might have…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Alexander The Great Hero or Villain” By: Shelby Hammond-Helms I think that Alexander the Great is a hero because he had a lot of accomplishments and legacies that are important. Alexander the Great did do some bad things but most heroes do. I think that his accomplishments over ride his actions that were hurtful to other people. I think that his most important accomplishment is the Hellenistic culture. Alexander the Great founded the city Alexandria.…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He also destroyed an entire city due to rebels in Persia. During his conquest, he and his men killed hundreds of thousands of people. He also wasn’t always merciful, as evident by his treatment of the Brahmin in India. The Brahmin in India told the Indian rulers to fight against Alexander, and not to let him take over, and so whenever Alexander found a Brahmin, he would learn about hinduism from them. After he talked to the Brahmin though, he would have them be…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a youth Alexander set out with his army to Egypt with a confidence that he could do almost anything. After conquering Egypt he describes himself as being part god, to the dimay of some Greeks. He even refuses Darius’ offer for Alexander to marry his daughter, because he says he does not need his permission to marry Darius’ daughter. This part of Alexander’s life serves to show his “young and stupid” phase, where is extremely cocky, acting as if he could take over the entire world if he wanted to, even though he does see most of the world in terms of what people during Alexander’s time thought the world was. Although Alexander does become more wise to the ways of the world as he ages, he never really sheds his over-confidence until right before his death.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The not so great part was married to 3 women, killing most of his men, and as a theory, killing his dad too. Those things didn’t matter a lot to them though. Alexander the Great died by a fever that was never cured in June, 323 B.C.E. He was allied with many cities and conquered many cities. He took some troops on the way. He got lots of supplies to continue his journey and weapons too. Shortly before he died he was supposedly asked to whom his empire should and their answer was said “to the strongest man.” His generals fought over his land and it ended up dividing up into multiple…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alexander The Great Flaws

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Alexander the Great was a war leader, who fought countless battles over his life to gain control of Greece. Alexander sought out to bring a Hellenistic Culture to the new world. But the main underlying problem with Alexander the Great was the fact that he was politically weak, he knew how to fight battles but wasn’t competent enough to necessarily run an empire. He was a cocky leader mainly due to his warlike valor, “founding dozens of new cities named after himself”, (Pollard 199). Alexander the Great did not just want to just rule the Greeks, he wanted to build essentially a whole new world. Many of his most trusted soldiers had thought that, “he has gone too far, and mutinies at tributaries began to take place”, (Pollard 197). This is a prime example that Donald Trump must realize when running the United States. As good as Alexander the Great was at fighting battles and taking over territories, he was just not adequate enough to successfully rule the nation as a whole. Shortly after Alexander died it, “brought on the collapse of the regime he had personally held together”, (Pollard 199). Overall, Alexander the Greats short reign as leader had some bright spots, but he wasn’t the type of person you would like to head a…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What does it mean to be GREAT? The Webster’s dictionary defines the word great as notably large in size, predominant, or remarkable. The Oxford’s dictionary defines the word great as, of ability, quality, or eminence, considerably above average. Alexander the 3rd’s greatness has been questioned in the past and even scholars have long debated the question was Alexander the Great really Great? But one must ask how his legend has survived for thousands of years and his name well known? Many would venture to say that Alexander was great because he was able to rule his father’s kingdom at a very young age. He was able to build an army and conquer several cities in a short amount of time. Others would argue that he was not great because he was known for the unnecessary slaughter of innocent people, murdered his friends and it was suggested that he participated in the assassination of his father King Phillip although never proven.…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alexander the Great was one of the best generals the world has ever seen. His determination helped him spread the Greek culture (also called Hellenism) throughout his empire. In a short thirteen years, Alexander conquered the Persians and controlled one of the biggest empires in history. Lead by his fathers prejudice against the Persians and notorious temperament has lead many historians to wonder, was Alexander really great? Alexander's first battle was with the Persians at Granicus River in 334 B.C.E. By the following spring, Alexander controlled the entire western half of Asia minor. The Persian king, Darius the third, tried to stop Alexander but failed at Issus in 333 B.C.E. After his victory Alexander then turned south and by the…

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Those people are wrong because alexander was a good person because he spared a wife and a daughter’s life and he is“2300 years after his death. He appears as a character in epics and fables in various cultures. Sometimes he is referred to as a god and also as a two-horned demon.”…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Alexander

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Alexander the Great is renowned for uniting the known world under his leadership and has grown to mythical proportions in his leadership abilities and skill at arms. He was also a young ruler, brash, irreverent and narcissistic. His never ending lust to conquer new lands, his growing problems controlling his drinking and his relentless pushing of his army all contribute not only to illustrating personal character flaws but possibly to his death.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alexander the Great was a king and conqueror. He is commonly referred to as “the most powerful leader of all time.” What is it that makes him such a powerful leader? What has he accomplished that has made him so significant? Were his accomplishments positive or negative? These are all questions that when combined as one create a debate that has been going on for decades. There are those who admire Alexander’s military achievements and ability to carve out the largest empire the world has seen. Then there are those who perceive him as a selfish, cruel madman with drinking problems. This paper will outline the different sides taken on Alexander and the question as to what his significance/influence was and whether it was good or bad.…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alexander the Great was most likely the greatest leader ever. His tactics and reasoning are still studied all over the world even after 2,000 years ago. Being a teenager from a divorced family and forced to rule at such a young age intensely impacted Alexander’s Life. According to records, he was said to be a heavy drinker and because of his mother’s excessive praise, believed himself to be a god. His loyalty, ego, and ambitions are a few of his life struggles that are still scrutinized today.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays