Introduction
Alexander III of Macedon was a Greek king. He is popularly referred to as Alexander the great. He is recorded to be the most celebrated member amongst those of the Argead Dynasty. He established one of the largest known empires of the time (in the ancient history). He was born in 356 BC and was a great student of the infamous philosopher, Aristotle. He succeeded his father, Phillip II Macedon in 336 BC after being assassinated; Alexander the Great reigned between 336 and 323 BC, inclusive. Even though his reign was short, the cultural effects of his conquest lived for many centuries and even todate, his legacy is still evident.
What made Alexander the Great a legend in history?
Alexander the great is actually amongst the most enthralling personalities in the history of mankind. He was involved in conquest of many territories. What makes him greatly admired is t he fact that, besides his own father’s territory, he conquered many territories on his own with the help of his strong army. The sight of the assassination of his father is said to have possibly haunted him for the rest of his life, both as a king and during his private life. After the assassination of his father and the subsequent ascension to kingship, he learnt not to trust anyone including the personally appointed bodyguard (Hammond 27).
One of his most important gifts was his oratory skills which any leader who wants to succeed must possess. He managed to solicit for the support and good will of his community members (the kingdom subjects) who were followers of his late father. In fact, he pursued the policies of his father besides coming up with his own (Hammond 27). The greatness of Alexander the Great could be realized during his childhood; his father bought a stallion that later came to prove untamable. As a young boy, Alexander started a 126 year long relationship with the stallion; during the period Alexander managed to tame it hence attracting the compliment of his father. In fact the father said that the kingdom was small for him (Hammond 1). His father’s compliment could have been one of the motivations that made him pursue greatness by conquering many territories. For instance, the father told him, “My boy, seek a kingdom to match yourself, Macedonia is not large enough to hold you.”
In 340 B.C, he was appointed a regent while his father embarked on a mission to fight rebels who threatened the kingdom. During the periods in which he was serving as a regent, Alexander the Great managed to thwart a rebellion advanced by the Maedi of northern Macedonia; Alexander stopped the revolt and immediately named the city after himself to honor himself. One of the legends about Alexander the Great as a king was that in 333 B.C, he succeeded in undoing the Gordian knot in Gordium, Turkey; the knot had been tied by king Midas, a very wealthy king. It is stated that prophesy was made about the person who would untie or undo the knot; the said prophesy stated that the one who would undo the knot would rule Asia in its entirety. It was Alexander the Great who managed to undo the knot. This could explain the reason he zealously conquered many kingdoms and established himself as one of the most respected and feared kings of the time.
As a king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great started facing certain stiff rebellion. He thwarted the rebellion and sentenced many of the captured rebels to death. He also physically participated in war and managed to defeat his enemies; he gave his troops instructions of what to do during the war. He never lost any war and his lost fewer of his people through war than his opponents (Hammond 34). Moreover, Alexander the Great managed to defeat Persia which proved impossible to his father. This might have also stunned many people especially owing to his tender age yet he already conquered a territory that took his father many years but never succeeded in conquering. One of the most important factors that led to his successful capturing of the territory was his ability to inspire his soldiers; Alexander was a great inspiration to his troops by personally and physically becoming part of the wars against the enemies. He was prepared to win with his people of perish with them, but he was always sure of winning (Hammond 44). It is argued that his lieutenants at one time persuaded him to stay and administer from the capital, Babylon, and consolidate his power, but he refused and instead preferred being on the back of his horse holding sword in his hand and fighting the enemies. During his time, it was rare to find a king being in the forefront leading his troops in the fight against the enemies.
Alexander is also admired for his war tactics. He used varied tactics to attack and defeat his enemies. For instance, Hammond (p. 44) states that Alexander’s matching speed allowed to pin down Thebes the day after a long match with his troops; this deterred the potential helpers from Athens and other allies to his enemies. He is described as one of the most important qualities a leader like Alexander the Great. It was courage that enabled him to overthrow the Persian Empire and subsequently extending his authority and rule from Greece to Egypt. It is argued that his achievements laid a foundation for Hellenistic world and also the spread of Christianity. Available literature indicates that the spread of Christianity and the writing of New Testament in Greek were as a direct powerful influence he had in his kingdom and other conquered territories.
Conclusion
Alexander the Great was an admired leader who succeeded where most kings could not succeed. He inherited his father’s kingdom and vowed to follow his policies, the father was assassinated. Even though he inherited his father’s kingdom and became its new king, he was not happy that he inherited everything from him. He embarked on capturing new territories and putting then under his own rule. Moreover, he was an inspiration leader to most of those who lived at the time. He used to lead his troops to war against the enemy and preferred to fight rather than just sit in Babylon and issue commands. This scenario exhibited his courage and determination to prove he was the most powerful king of the time. As a king, Alexander the Great managed to win the support of his subjects, especially the soldiers which gave him great confidence and courage to fight and conquer his kingdom’s enemies (Hammond, pp23-34).
Reference
Hammond, Nick. The Genius of Alexander the Great. New York: UNC Press Books, 1998.