Alexander the Great Deserves his Name

Cole Strankman 

Alexander the Great Essay 

Alexander the Great

Many people look to their fathers to see how to live their lives and this happens throughout the world even in the past. Someone who was an inspiration in the Mediterranean world was named Alexander the Great. He was a stupendous man because of how he moved many parts of the world and represented how to correctly rule a civilization. Alexander did this by conquering people by living up to what his father always wanted to accomplish. Throughout parts of the world he influenced many societies while accomplishing his father’s goal and helped people on the way. This is why he was called Alexander the Great. 

Alexander conquered many societies like Persia, which Alexander’s father wanted to overthrow. It says in ABC Clio, “Philip did not live to carry out his plan for the invasion of Persia. In 336, he was assassinated. It was Philip's son, Alexander the Great, who realized his father's plans.” (Bradford, Alfred et al.). This shows that he finished his father’s dream by conquering Persia. He did this by bringing in some new troops into Asia Minor where there were already troops there that his father had sent earlier. This exemplifies how we look up to our fathers just like Alexander did, he finished his father’s dream by helping conquer Persia. 

When Alexander was conquering cities, artistic culture was spreading through Pergamum, Antioch, and Alexandria during the Hellenistic time. Many factors like arts were being spread through those cities. Some of the artistic features were architecture, sculpting, and drama. Also academics was being changed and the Library of Alexandria displayed this. According to ABC Clio, “The Romans, who came to rule Egypt, likewise patronized the library and brought the techniques of textual criticism into their own literary culture. In addition, academics in the Greek east remained committed to scholarship and criticism well after Hellenistic kingdoms gave way to Rome.” (Emmons, Jim Tschen). When the romans came into Egypt and changed the way they write about literature. Alexander continued to influence writing styles for over 500 years. All of Alexander’s accomplishments helped cities gain new ideas about academics and art and we still use some of it today. 

During Alexander’s life, he overpowered many civilizations but he took time out to go and help others. He visited Darius III who was the Persian King. Alexander went into his tent after he defeated the Persians and a woman called him the King. He denied it, but Darius III said he deserved to be called King. He was a man who was humble because he denied that he should be called a king. In ABC-clio it said, “The next day, Alexander, though suffering from a wound which he had received in the thigh from a sword, visited the wounded, and having collected the bodies of the slain, he gave them a splendid burial with all his forces most brilliantly marshalled in order of battle.” (Arrian). He was a kind and humble man even though he killed people in wars, and he still cared for them when Alexander visited the wounded even though he was wounded. Inside of him he had a kind heart so this is why he deserves the name “Alexander the Great.”

Alexander the Great should be called “great” because he influenced many parts of the world by spreading culture and ruling a marvelous civilization. He ruled with his kind heart which influenced later rulers. With his kind heart Alexander continued his Father’s dream of conquering Persia. Alexander influenced people as well as culture, and not many people have the ability to do that. Alexander deserves his title of “Greatness” because of the actions he accomplished like no other ruler.

Works Cited 

"Arrian: Alexander the Great's treatment of Darius III’s family." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO,2015. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

"Philip II of Macedon." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Textual Criticism and the Library of Alexandria." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.

Pictures: 

"Alexander the Great." Photos/Illustrations. Library of Congress. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO,2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.