Jazmine Willard
History 101-03
September 7, 2011
Empire of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great is one of the most exceptional leaders in history. He was the son of Phillip II and an Epirote princess named Olympias (Marx). He was tutored by the brilliant Aristotle in science and political art, he received a complete education in military tactics, and at the age of eighteen he led the Macedonian cavalry in a successful charge that won the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 B.C. (Marx). And yet his most prominent moment in history came much later when he conquered the Persian Empire.
Alexander’s amazing accomplishment influenced many cultures and even brought many of them together in ways that had never been done before, but his quest to conquer was slightly difficult as well as changeling. Alexander, along with his army traveled from city to city during his conquest to conquer the Persian Empire. In 334 B.C., Alexander led an army of about 35,000 men across the Hellespont from Europe to Asia (n page). After realizing that Persians sent out troops to attack Alexander and his men, across the Granicus River, Alexander and his army charged across the river and won the battle, which then opened up Asia Minor (n page). “In 333 B.C., Alexander reached the coast of Syria, where a fierce battle at Issus, took place, as well as where he defeated the king of Persia, Darius III” (n page). He then left Egypt in 331 B.C., continuing on his journey as he traveled eastward into the Persian Empire and by 326 B.C., Alexander's forces had reached the upper Indus River Valley, in what is now Pakistan. “During his years in central Asia, Alexander began to adopt the customs of the Persian kings” (n page). His final conquest in 326 B.C, was Punjab where his journey soon ended. And in 323 B.C in Babylon, Alexander became painfully ill with a fever and died at age 32 on June 10.
After Alexander founded so many Greek cities all over the Near East, Greek culture became deeply embedded within the cultures of the region. So deeply that it became the dominant culture throughout the Middle East and was inherited by the Byzantine Empire and by the Muslims as well (Knox). “The Near Eastern cultures, in turn, influenced Greece. This is most notable in the area of religion, with the advent of various mystery religions, but the Egyptians especially had a strong effect on Greek philosophy and science” (Knox). The true legacy of Alexander the Great was not only his conquering of the Persian Empire, but the distribution of the Greek culture all across the Near East.
Alexander is perhaps one of the greatest generals of all time. “His amazing expedition shocked the world as it gave a new creative energy to Western civilization” (103). His conquering of the Persian Empire and spreading of Greek customs made it possible to establish the culture of the Hellenistic Age.
Hunt, Lynn, Martin, Thomas R., Rosenwein, Barbara H., and Smith, Bonnie G. (2010). The making of the West. Peoples and cultures. Concise Third Edition. Bedford/ St Martin’s: Boston, Massachusetts. 103.
Irma Marx. http://www.silk-road.com/artl/alex.shtml
E.L. Skip Knox. “History of Western Civilization.” Boise State University. http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/alexander/14.shtml
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