Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great
Throughout history the actions, beliefs, and achievements of certain individuals have changed global history. One such individual is Alexander of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great. During the years of Aristotle came the military rule of Philip of Macedonia. Philip was a great conqueror, but not as great or as popular as his son Alexander. The main thrust of Alexander's reign was that it happened so quickly. With lightning fast speed, the greatest mortal hero of Greece conquered the entire known world. Those conquests would restructure the world order and unite East and West as a cohesive whole in a way beyond what anyone had, up to that point, dreamed of. While the immediate effects of Alexander's life may have seemed mind-boggling to those who lived in his time, the long-term changes wrought by this one man who strove to be a god are even more remarkable.
The effects of Alexander's conquests and politics on the West are well documented. His might secured Greece (and perhaps Europe) from a mounting Persian threat, setting the stage for the later Roman conquest and absorption of Hellenistic civilization. Had Alexander failed at Issus, Granicus, or any number of other critical battles, it is entirely possible that Persians rather than Athenians would have dictated Western thought. Moreover, until his premature death, Alexander held in his hands a power than no man, before or since, has known: the power to bring peace and stability to the known world, uniting it under one banner. This notion traveled forward through time, from Greeks to Romans, and from Romans to Europeans. His lessons of organization, acceptance, and political integration have informed the decisions of countless leaders since, and, most notably, his image has carried forward through time to become one of the most memorable figures in history: Alexander the Great, the man who sought to be a god.
This image, however, is not universal. In the East, two
Throughout history the actions, beliefs, and achievements of certain individuals have changed global history. One such individual is Alexander of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great. During the years of Aristotle came the military rule of Philip of Macedonia. Philip was a great conqueror, but not as great or as popular as his son Alexander. The main thrust of Alexander's reign was that it happened so quickly. With lightning fast speed, the greatest mortal hero of Greece conquered the entire known world. Those conquests would restructure the world order and unite East and West as a cohesive whole in a way beyond what anyone had, up to that point, dreamed of. While the immediate effects of Alexander's life may have seemed mind-boggling to those who lived in his time, the long-term changes wrought by this one man who strove to be a god are even more remarkable.
The effects of Alexander's conquests and politics on the West are well documented. His might secured Greece (and perhaps Europe) from a mounting Persian threat, setting the stage for the later Roman conquest and absorption of Hellenistic civilization. Had Alexander failed at Issus, Granicus, or any number of other critical battles, it is entirely possible that Persians rather than Athenians would have dictated Western thought. Moreover, until his premature death, Alexander held in his hands a power than no man, before or since, has known: the power to bring peace and stability to the known world, uniting it under one banner. This notion traveled forward through time, from Greeks to Romans, and from Romans to Europeans. His lessons of organization, acceptance, and political integration have informed the decisions of countless leaders since, and, most notably, his image has carried forward through time to become one of the most memorable figures in history: Alexander the Great, the man who sought to be a god.
This image, however, is not universal. In the East, two