Alexander the Great Part Two

I chose to learn more about Alexander the Great’s empire after his death. 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 was a daring tactician who also developed great logistical plans for his 12-year campaign.

My paper is a series of 2–4-page essays about Alexander the Great, and what happened right after he died. It encompasses knowledge from books I have read, Audiobooks, Historical TV shows, and what I have learned in school. It is supposed to be a well-written summary, and some extra added new analysis has been added to make the paper worth reading.[1] Alexander the Great had to deal with his succession, his generals, and the Macedonian’s education.

Alexander the Great was married to a Macedonian woman, who was about to have an infant son. At the same time, he had two kids with Persian princesses, which his wife wanted to be assassinated due to the risk of the disputed succession of Alex’s infant, the unborn prince.[2] Alexander the Great was a great leader who needed to figure out how to conquer Persia with a smaller army.

Alexander the Great needed to plan a massive military campaign to conquer the East. He relied on two military generals, Antigonus and Leonidus. These were top generals, and they led him to war against the Persians, Egyptians, and Indian’s. He built over a thousand warships to supply and maneuver his massive Macedonian Army. Right before King Phillip led his army south to conquer Greece, Phillip died, and teenage Alex became king. King Alexander marched south to crush the Greek city states, first crushing the most powerful Greek city, Thebes.[3] At one point, Alex’s army marched through dry land, in Turkey, and couldn’t be supplied by the boats, so he was at a disadvantage against the Persians, but it was a surprise tactic that the Persians weren’t expecting, which led to decisive victories.  At the end of the Eastern Military campaign, Alex’s troops realized he had a stamina issue, which was his weak link.[4]

King Phillip hired Aristotle, one of the Great Philosophers of Greece, to teach Alexander in his childhood years. Aristotle was one of the leading Greek philosophers across the United States, especially in Athen’s where his school was located.[5] In 367 BCE, Aristotle went south from Macedonia to Athens. The Athenian general Phaeacian was a key figure in the greater Greek kingdom. Phaeacian taught Alex and was a key leader throughout Greece. The Persian king was named Demosthenes, who welcomed the death of Phillip, but Alex was probably a much bigger threat and a better general.[6] Aristotle was labeled “ideal noble statesmen.”[7] He lived in Athens and educated Alexander and his kids in philosophy and other key subjects.

Alexander the Great was a brilliant general who had to deal with a few things. Alexander inherited the throne from his father; afterward, he led a military campaign to conquer Southern Greece. He had an issue with his successor: there were three options with three different women. He led a massive 12-year-long military campaign with his top generals. Alexander the Great was a great leader; he influenced and spread Greek Hellenism throughout most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He created one of the largest but shortest empires in history.

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] 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).

[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] 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).

[4] 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).

[5] 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).

[6] 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).

[7]  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).