Alexander the Great; Part One

I chose to learn more about Alexander the Great’s Empire after he died. He was one of the greatest generals of all time and a strong administrator. He inherited the Macedonian Empire and led a conquest that captured one of the largest empires in history.

Alexander the Great was a legendary general who died for unknown reasons. Alexander the Great created one of the largest empires in history over the course of a 12-year military campaign. Alexander the Great at one point became a “living god.”  Alexander created an elite army that beat a vastly larger army. Alexander died for unknown reasons. Alexander the Great created one of the largest empires in history, created the situation for himself to be considered a living god, created an army filled with elite infantry, and died for unknown reasons.

              Alexander the Great was one of the greatest men in history; he was especially known for leading the conquest of one of the largest empires in history. Alexander the Great originally decided to march West towards Rome. They fought a few battles that were brutal stalemates. They were extremely high casualty battles for the Romans and Alexander; this caused them to march back and decide not to pursue their war against the Romans. Alexander the Great decided to march East in a massive military campaign.

Alexander the Great was crowned a “Living God” in Egypt, and in many places, he conquered; he was welcomed.[1] Alexander the Great was viewed as a” liberator,” which he used to find allies among the enemies of Persia.[2] Alexander the Great conquered territories ranging from the following geographic boundaries: West- Greece, South -Egypt, North -the Balkans, and East- India.

Alexander the Great’s armies consisted of Hoplites, Spearmen, and Cavalry. Alexander the Great’s armies were made up of hoplites and spearmen; however, at the top of the army’s hierarchy, they were a unit labeled the shield bearers.[3] They also had silver shields. They were elite spearmen bodyguard units assigned specifically to protect Alexander the Great – and other key generals. He fought the war against the Persians and their other enemies for over 12 years.

Alexander the Great died from unknown reasons; however, there is a scholarly debate as to the reason why. Alexander the Great, before he died, said, (The empire goes to the strongest) (Alexander the Great).[4] Alexander the Great built the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It burned down later, but at the time, it contained one of the largest collections of books and scrolls in history. The burning down of the Library of Alexander is one of the greatest tragedies in history.

Alexander the Great died at 32 due to being assassinated or dying by natural causes; both are possible, and it’s a long-standing debate. Alexander the Great built trading and military ships to carry out his logistical, supply, and military campaigns.[5] Alexander the Great was succeeded by a half-brother and an infant son after he died. [6]

Alexander is a cool figure in history and very interesting to study. He is a frequent topic in educational classes and other research. Alexander the Great was a great leader and used logistics to plan his military campaigns. Alexander the Great may have been assassinated or may have died from unknown causes; scholars don’t know. Alexander the Great redefined the world and spread Hellenism throughout the Eurasian continent.

Citations:

Romm, James S. 2011. Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and Empire. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Alexander: The Making of a God. Dir. Hugh Ballantyne, Stuart Elliott, Mike Slee. Netflix, 2024. Streaming video.

[1] Alexander: The Making of a God, directed by (if listed) Hugh Ballantyne, Stuart Elliott, and Mike Slee, Netflix, season 1, episode [#], 2024, streaming video.

[2] James Romm, Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and Empire (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011).

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid