Alexander the Great
From the start of the world civilization up to around 1500 AD, Alexander the Great stands out to be one of the people I admire the most.. He lived between 356 BC and 323 BC and became one of the greatest military commanders in history. I liked his courageous leadership style, a trait that allowed him to expand his great territory by steadily conquering other nations. Just to confirm his braveness and courage, he was noted for saying in most occasions, “I am not afraid of an army of lions lead by a sheep but an army of sheep lead by a lion.[1]” He did not fear any kingdom with their military,skills and abilities. He ended up conquering all known world kingdoms that existed at that time and expanded the Greek’s territory massively due to his courage and brevity.
I also liked his curiosity especially in the search for knowledge. As a young man, and despite coming from a royal family, he stayed humble and inquisitive when being taught by his teacher Aristotle. He taught Alexander philosophy and ideal form of government among other crucial subjects. To a greater extent, when he became the Greek’s leader, Alexander the Great used ideas Aristotle taught him and that enabled him to become a great leader conquering all nations. He also practiced humility in his leadership and that is why he was able to unite all warring factions in Greece and form one army that became so successful in conquering other nations[2].
I admired Alexander’s enormous military skills, which he displayed to the world and used very well in conquering new lands. Despite having a small army compared to other nations that he overthrew, he remained undefeated during his reign. He proved to the world that military success is not based on the huge number of servicemen and weapons but skills and tactics of the general. He was able to build strong morale in his army and make soldiers faithful to him. Notably, because of Alexander’s special skills, his military strategies and tactics are still being studied today in many academic quarters[3]. One thing that stands out clearly is the way he used impressive speeches to motivate and drive his military men and encourage them to attack the enemy first.
I definitely respected Alexander the Great for his attempt to unite the East and the West. He understood that unity was necessary for the success of the region and worked towards achieving that goal. Notably, the East and the West have been divided due to different approaches to civilization. Recognizing this fact, Alexander the Great saw it ideal and beneficial if the two are united. To fulfill this vision, he decided to use military tactics and kingdom-building strategies to unite the lands.[4]. As a result, throughout his 13 years of reign, Alexander the Great united many parts of the East and West through cultural exchange and military force.
Despite being successful and my favourite leader, I have to recognize that he died a fool’s death: he drank himself to death. Alexander the Great used to drink a lot and that caused his death at a tender age of just 33 years old. Another thing I do not like about Alexander the Great is that he was quick to silence his opponents because he was afraid of competition. He wanted to be an absolute king without any possibility of a challenger to his kingship. The moment he rose to power after the assassination of his father, he started eliminating all possible heirs by killing his stepbrother[5].
Bibliography
Burgan, Michael. Alexander the Great: world conqueror. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2007.
Lane Fox, Robin. Alexander the Great. Camberwell. Victoria: Penguin, 2004.
Martin, Thomas R., and Christopher W. Blackwell. Alexander the Great: the story of an ancient life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Randall, Bernard. Alexander the Great: Macedonian King and conqueror. New York: Rosen Publication Group, 2004.
Skelton, Debra, and Pamela Dell. Empire of Alexander the Great. New York: Chelsea House, 2009.
[1] Martin, Thomas R., and Christopher W. Blackwell”, Alexander the Great: the story of an ancient life,” Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,” 2012.
[2] Randall, Bernard, “Alexander the Great: Macedonian King and conqueror,” New York: Rosen Publication Group, 2004.
[3] Skelton, Debra, and Pamela Dell, “Empire of Alexander the Great,” New York: Chelsea House, 2009.
[4] Lane Fox, Robin “Alexander the Great. Camberwell”, Victoria: Penguin, 2004
[5] Burgan, Michael, “Alexander the Great: world conqueror”, Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2007.