Do You Know About Alexander the Great?

Written by Greek Boston in Ancient Greek History Comments Off on Do You Know About Alexander the Great?

Most people have heard about Alexander the Great since he is one of the most popular historical figures to have come from Ancient Greece. He is known for what he accomplished during his reign, but many people see only the positive, glorified version of his story. History teaches that Alexander continued his father’s work of unifying Greece and then eventually expanded Greece’s influence into the East. However, he was also a fighter and he often used his army to meet both of these goals. Nevertheless, the impact of what he accomplished is still acknowledged today. Here’s more information about him:

Alexander Had a Comprehensive Education

Alexander the Great had been raised from a young age to become the King of Macedon. He was the son of King Phillip II of Macedon and when Phillip was assassinated, Alexander became king. However, before all that took place, Alexander was groomed to eventually take over for his father. He received an education up until he was sixteen years old. His father, Phillip II, personally selected Aristotle to oversee his education. Besides expanding his mind, he also learned all about the military and battle strategy from his father and some of his father’s soldiers. When it came time for him to become king, he was well prepared.

Alexander Becomes the King of Macedon

Alexander the Great was only twenty years old when he became king after his father’s assassination. The nobility of Macedon acknowledged Alexander as their new king, but he knew that his throne wasn’t yet safe. The first thing he did when he was king was eliminate anyone he perceived as a rival to his throne. He executed his cousin and also two other princes from Macedon since he suspected they were responsible for his father’s death.

Alexander Carries on His Father’s Work

Before Phillip’s assassination, he was working on expanding the borders of Macedon by either conquering or allying with other Greek city-states and kingdoms. He always had a vision to expand Macedon as far as he possibly could and as part of Alexander’s training, Phillip shared with him his ultimate vision of conquering into the East, such as in Persia. Although Phillip got things started, Alexander carried on his father’s vision. He first finished expanding Macedon into as much of Ancient Greece as possible and then proceeded to push beyond Greece’s borders.

Alexander Conquers of Asia

Alexander the Great’s army was known for its prowess on the battlefield. They were well trained and formidable, and they quickly proved that they could best even the largest of armies. After moving beyond Ancient Greece, Alexander’s first task was to invade Persia. During this time, his army had about 40,000 soldiers, and he used these numbers to his advantage. His first task was to invade Persia. He was only twenty-five years old by this time but he succeeded at this task. He also conquered Egypt, Syria, and parts of India.

Alexander died at the age of thirty-two before his work was truly complete. However, he had conquered enough of Asia to have spread the Hellenic influence further than it ever had been.

Sources:

All About Alexander the Great

Overview of the Early Reign of Alexander the Great

Macedonian Army of King Phillip and Alexander the Great

Categorized in: Ancient Greek History

This post was written by Greek Boston