There’s obviously been some conflict as to whether dear Alex is really all that great. In my opinion, he’s definitely great. I mean, come on, he conquered the entire Persian empire.1 You should be able to look past the things he did that weren’t so great. Like, in the Legend Of The Hat Band. “One of the sailors swam off towards the band and snatched it from the reed. But he did not carry it in his hands because it would get wet while he was swimming. He therefore put it around his own head and brought it to the king.”2 So what he killed him because he wasn’t royal?2 You can overlook that in the legend of the helmet. “They scooped up the water with difficulty and hurried back to Alexander, then, just before they reached him, they tipped the water into a helmet and gave it to him. Alexander, with a word of thanks for the gift, took the helmet and, in full view of his troops, poured the water on the ground.”3 By dumping out that water, Alex showed that he could handle the thirst along with his men. If I could write a letter to Alexander (considering he was still alive), this is what it would be.
Dear Alex,
You’re definitely great. You’re great for the reasons that,
- You were strong in the legend of the helmet3
- You conquered the entire Persian Empire1
- You had great strategy4
Sincerely,
(one of your many supporters)
Gracie
And I know just what my buddy Alex would say. “I know, I’m pretty great.” Because that’s just how Alex was.
1= A map of Alexander’s empire from various sources
2= Alexander The Great: Man and God, Ian Worthington
3= The Campaigns of Alexander, Lucius Flavius Arrianus
4= The Campaigns of Alexander, Lucius Flavius Arrianus
howgreatwasalexander.blogspot.com
