How great was Alexander the Great? It’s in his name, how could he possibly not be great?
It’s pretty clear that Alexander was great. Some may say that he was a bad guy because he killed some people, but this was for the sake of his own people. Alexander had to make sure that the other tribes and communities outside of his would not try to rebel and hurt the people inside of his empire. What better way to do this than make sure that he had no enemies? Alexander had no choice but to help his people.
Dear Alexander the Great,
You are:
- Respected (Even by Julius Caesar 1, one of the most influential individuals in history)
- Selfless
- A risk-taker
- Courageous
- Influential
- Unique
- A good leader
Everything I am not and wish to be.
Alexander was simply a selfless person. The Merriam Webster dictionary clearly defines selfless as: having no concern for him or herself. Imagine a scenario where you are walking across a desert, a very hot desert, with your troops. The sun is beating down on your face and back and the only form of life around you is yourself, your horse, and your troops. Out of nowhere someone comes up to you with a helmet full of water. What would you do? (I would drink it.) Guess what Alexander did? (Read: He dumped the helmet of water on the
ground.)2 If you haven’t gotten the message yet, here it is:
If Alexander was the only person that would get to drink the water, he wouldn’t drink it at all. Although some may say that he was “wasting” his water, he proved that if the soldiers would have to suffer, he would too. Alexander was selfless and he sacrificed this rare water for his troops and soldiers.
R.I.P. Alexander and your parched throat.
Alexander traveled to many places. (He wasn’t on vacation, he was conquering almost half of the population.3) While Alexander traveled, he influenced the culture of many areas. His influence in Greek literature and theater was so great that this influence remained in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East for about 900 years!4 Good job Alexander, you really are great… 
Alexander the Great, was he influential? Check. Was he selfless? Check. Did he protect his people? Check. Well, there you go! Alexander the Great, definitely deserves his title.
Alexander the Great Mini-Q1
“The Legend of the Helmet” by Lucius Flavius Arrianus2
NationalInterest.org
Alexander’s Legacy Chart4
Image Sources:
#1 "Alexander the Great Refuses Water in the Desert" - art by Tom Lovell
#2 www.endanca.org
