Did the young ruler Alexander really deserve the title “Alexander the Great”? Recently, historians have questioned Alexander’s actions. Some think he was a bad ruler. But if so, how did he conquer the massive Persian Empire (It spanned from Greece, to Egypt, to India)? Of course he was great. Alexander was a proper ruler. He adopted foreign ideas, built up cultures, and he was an extraordinary leader.
Alexander was only 20 when the tiny Macedonian Kingdom became his. His empire grew enormous. According to Chart of Alexander’s Legacy, he conquered 2,000,000 square miles of land in just 11 years.
His empire used to be the tiny land of Macedonia (The Purple on the map), but when Alexander ruled, it grew and spanned across Persia, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Egypt (The Green AND Purple). Alexander marched his army through the land. Just another fact that made Alexander so great.
Alexander was a proper ruler. He adopted foreign ideas, built up cultures, and he was an extraordinary ruler. In “The Legend of the Helmet” by Lucius Flavius Arrianus, Alexander was in the desert leading an army. He needed water for the army, so he sent scouts to look for water. They found a small trickle of water and brought it back. They poured it in Alexander’s Helmet, but Alexander dumped the water on the ground as all of the soldiers looked. Some may say this was stupid and
Wasteful, but it was actually smart. The soldiers would have felt as if someone had an unfair advantage. This story shows how Alexander was wise and fair.
He also made others greet him in the Persian Style. He used Persian government, wore Persian clothes, and honored their gods. He wanted to adopt foreign culture. He began to unify his empire by encouraging everyone to live together, marry, and use customs.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/
So basically, Alexander the Great…
- Conquered the ENTIRE Persian Empire
- Made sure everyone had equal chances
- Adopted foreign culture and united them
Alexander the Great always truly deserved the title, “Alexander THE GREAT”. The Great Alexander stopped his conquest near India. His soldiers were away from home far too long-11 years. After celebrations at home, Alexander fell sick. He died at 32, and his empire fell soon after. But his legacy lived on, and it still continues.
