Alexander the Great was a strong, powerful and opinionated person. His adventure towards his success was definitely worth it. He has his ups and down, but in the end, made history for himself and will always be remembered. By the age of thirty, he was the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history. Many people could argue that he wasn’t a good leader and was too self-absorbed. But in reality, he was Alexander the Great and was destined to rule the world.
Alexander spent several months in Egypt as part of his on-going campaign against the mighty Persian Empire of Darius III. After conquering Persia's naval bases, he marched south into Egypt where he remained for about six months. It was here that Alexander was greeted by the God at the Siwa Oasis. This was how part of his legend begun. People started to think that Alexander had supernatural powers and an even greater tale told about him was that he was the son of god himself. This all helped build up his reputation and also, his ego.
Alexander finally reached Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Empire. After a few months here, Alexander burned down several buildings of the palace. His motive for this was that he was not sole ruler of the Persian Empire yet. The Greek soldiers in Alexander's company were said to have done this to get their revenge for the destruction of Athens in an earlier time. When Alexander and his troops returned several years later and saw the ruins, they regretted their actions. This is why some people say that he was a crazy, uncontrolled leader, and did things just out of anger. Maybe burning down the palace in Persepolis wasn’t the most productive act, but at the time, it was good enough for Alexander.
After arriving in Afghanistan, Alexander is continually chasing down Bessus, Darius’ general. He was mostly known for killing his predecessor Darius III, after the Persian army had been defeated by Alexander the Great. This was in the Battle of Gaugamela where the strategy ordered by Darius failed and the Persians lost the battle after hours of fierce fighting. This made Bessus upset and so he turned against his own leader, and killed him. Immediately after, Bessus proclaimed himself king of Persia. But since most of the Persian Empire had been conquered and Bessus only ruled over a loose alliance of renegade provinces, historians do not generally regard him as an official Persian king. Bessus returned to Bactria, where Alexander and his troops were waiting for him. Bessus’ own people arrested and surrendered him due to fear of the approaching Macedonians. Alexander ordered that Bessus's nose and ears be cut off. This was a Persian custom. He then had Bessus crucified, at around the same place where Darius was killed. Alexander always had to get what he wanted. He wanted to kill Darius, that was his goal. Just to defeat and conquer his empire wasn’t enough. When he found out that Bessus had already killed him, Alexander was very mad. Killing Bessus was his way of showing that you don’t mess with him and if he doesn’t get what he wants, you will be killed.
Following his marriage to Roxana, Alexander turned his attention to India. It has always been a place of great trade. He personally led a campaign against some Indian clans. The part of India which Alexander invaded is called the Punjab. On one side of a wide river lay the Greeks, on the other side lay the Indians. It seemed impossible for either to cross. But in the darkness of a stormy night Alexander and his men passed over, wading part of the way breast high. A great battle was fought. His troops were surprised at the competition the Indians gave them. But it still wasn’t much of a challenge because Alexander's soldiers were far better drilled and far stronger than the Indians. Alexander once again conquered someone else and their Empire.
Alexander was undefeated in battle and was thought of as one of the most successful commanders of all time. His adventures and journeys were worth it considering his reputation and legends he left behind. He was determined and never gave up. Through all his battles, he never was never injured enough to make him stop living out his dream. Alexander knew what he wanted, and did whatever he could to get it. He never really listened to what other people had to say, but in the end this ended up working out for him. He was so powerful that people thought of him as a god. Through all the bad, good, and painful, Alexander the Great reached his goal, making every action and decision of his, worth it.
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/ancient/asbook08.html#Alexander
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/alexander_the_great
a) " But in reality, he was Alexander the Great and was destined to rule the world." is not a thesis statement, but it is a generalization -- because, of course, while Alexander managed to conquer most of Persia, he did not in fact conquer the world -- as his mis-steps in Bactria and India demonstrate.
ReplyDeleteb) Some of your support reads like an encyclopedia article -- especially the second paragraph (the one in a different color font).
c) You need to go back to the Bedford Handbook and review APA style in text citations and bibliography; what you have here is unacceptable.