Alexander's Accomplishments In Asia Minor example essay topic

Alexander The Great At the age of twenty years old, Alexander succeeded his father Philip. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedonian in 356 B.C. Aristotle began to tutor Alexander at the age of thirteen. It was said that Alexander loved Aristotle more that he loved his father Philip. Aristotle taught Alexander Greek science and philosophy, also Alexander had a love for Greek art and poetry, and was taught to live well. Alexander as one historian put it had a goal of ' brotherhood of man, a dream of peace and union between Greek and barbarian ' 1 Alexander indicated that he wanted to be a man of action like his father. Philip had a great view of uniting the Greek city-states and engaging in battle with the Persian Empire.

Philip fought his way through Greece, eventually gaining allies to form the League of Corinth. All Greek city-states were members except for Sparta. Philip proposed to the Corinthian League an invasion of Persia. Before he could take action he was assassinated.

Alexander was the son of Philip and Olympias, and after the assignation of his father took the throne as king. First he traveled Corinth to assure that he had succeeded his father as Commander-in-Chief of the League of Corinth. Then he traveled north to subdue a revolt in Thrace. From Thrace he moved west to end rebellions from Tribes in Illyria. When he was in Illyria he head rumors of his own death. The rumor was started by a group of Thebans, began to consider new succession of the League of Corinth.

Alexander rushed to the site, two weeks later, Athenians refused to surrender to Alexander so he massacred the Athenians, leaving the city in shambles. The only thing he didn't destroy was the home of the poet Pindar. This showed his respect for Greek art, but it also showed he wouldn't stand for rebellion. With an army of more that 3000 infantry and 5000 cavalry from the League of Corinth and from Macedonia, Alexander headed toward Persia, "to avenge the harm that was done to Greece by Xeroxes' invasion of 480 B.C., as his father Philip planned to do. ' 2 Alexander appointed his father's advisor Parmenio as second in command and left Antipater in command of Greece. Alexander nearly escaped death after two day's, at his first battle at the river Granicus, where he fought a satrap for Asia Minor.

Then he moved to capture the most important Persian city in Asia Minor Sardis. As he moved along the coast he freed Ephesus an Ionian city-state from Persian rule, and modeled their government after Athens democracy instead of the Persian oligarchies. Alexander moved to Syria where he hoped to encounter Darius king and ruler of Persia. Darius heard of Alexander's accomplishments in Asia Minor and traveled leading a much larger army than Alexander in hope for battle.

Near Cilicia the two armies passed each other, in the night. At sunrise Alexander saw the Persian army in an unorganized fashion and attacked. He defeated them and captured Darius' family, but Darius escaped. After this battle at Issus Alexander sent troops to Damascus to retrieve the treasures of the Persian army. His army found great wealth and he himself took only a jeweled casket to keep his precious copy of the Iliad, given to him by Aristotle. Persia could not be truly conquered as long as their fleet was in the water.

Alexander traveled to the Phoenician ports that were under Persian control, without a fight from the Phoenicians, they declared neutrality. The Macedonians under Alexander took over the port of Tyre, during the siege Darius sent letters with an offer of peace, but Alexander ignored them. Alexander then moved into Egypt which was under Persian control. The Egyptians welcomed Alexander and the Persian surrendered without battle.

Alexander put Egyptian Governors in control instead of the Persian satrap and left troops to watch the cities. While moving through the Fertile Crescent at the city of Gaugmela again met the army of Darius, they engaged in fierce fighting. Many of Alexander's troops were killed, but the Macedonian's were victorious. They then moved on to Babylon were Alexander was made king, and toward Susa the administrative capital of the Persian Empire. At this point Alexander began to reconcile the people of his vast empire.

He started to wear Persian costumes and he freed Darius' family as a demonstration of his respect for Persian culture. In the city of Persepolis Alexander and his troops set fire to the palace where Xerxes used to live. After pursuing Darius between China and Arabia Darius was killed by Bessus the satrap of Bactria. Alexander was said to have shown sorrow for the death of Darius and Bessus was later punished. Now the army of Alexander had developed Persian war and governmental qualities along with fashion. Alexander pressed into the last territories known to many in the country of India, and there his troops threatened mutiny if they didn't return to Persia.

This return was a difficult one through treterious environmental conditions. When they returned home Alexander was seen a hero. Alexander today is sometimes called "Alexander the great'. Plutarch wrote the Anabasis of Alexander, where Plutarch described Alexander's campaigns as daring and brave. He also wrote of the skilled calculations he used in those campaigns. Basically Plutarch thought of Alexander in a heroic fashion and spoke positively of his accomplishments.

Alexander himself said that he believed a true king should be measured by his exploits and not the luxuries he enjoyed. Alexander indeed had many exploits and was in my opinion a true king. Alexander in his campaigns founded many trade routes, and mapped many previously uncharted territories. Through marriage he unified the Greeks and the Persians under his rule, they shared many ideas and created a "world state'3, ranging from Greece to India.

Alexander did reach his goal of a brotherhood and peace between Greece and Barbarian. When I look over his goals and his vast accomplishments I agree with Plutarch's assessment of Alexander, and I feel that he is worthy of his title Alexander the Great. End Notes 1. Bailkey, Readings in Ancient History.

Foot Note #1 on page 297. Charles Alexander Robinson, Alexander The Great: The Meeting Between East and West in a World of Government and Brotherhood. page 225 2. Page 297 3. Page 297.