Alexander the Great’s Life

Keoni Carman

W.W.E. 7/8

Alexander the Great, the conqueror of Asia, was a great leader, and a great strategist. Alexander the Great is a role model change maker because he reshaped Greece, he had the will to do what must be done for his nation, being a strong leader and reaching for, and achieving his goals.

When Alexander was 12 years old he had heard of a mighty horse named Bucephalus. This horse was said to be magical and very powerful, but with everything they tried nobody could tame him. Alexander had taken on the challenge to tame this horse, and so he went to find the great horse Bucephalus.  Alexander found and tamed the mighty horse, and the horse would help Alexander with every fight he had.

The first time Alexander had fought in battle was in the year 338 B.C. when he was 16. He had been left in charge of Macedonia when his father, King Philip the II had left to fight the Byzantium’s, and Alexander saw it as a opening to prove himself to his father of his tactical capabilities. He had gone after the “band of Thebes”, who were supposedly an undefeatable army who were selectively chosen by Gorgidas, the first known military leader of Thebes. Alexander was up to the challenge though, and with his brilliant strategies and adept abilities he took down the Band of Thebes with his powerful cavalry. The battle between Alexander and the Band of Thebes had changed Alexander because of the learning experience he had taken from this battle and of what he had to represent. He stood up for his nation and by his courage to stand up against such an army and the responsibility he learned from it, had helped Alexander to grow.

In 331 B.C.E Alexander fought the ruler of Persia, Darius the III in Gaugamela. Darius saw Alexander as threat to Persia and a threat to himself. Darius had fought Alexander many times and had been bested by Alexander’s army and his great military tactics. Even though they fought many times they always had respect for each other as leaders. After a hard fought battle between Darius and his massive army against Alexander’s great strategies and army, Darius ended up fleeing after a crushing defeat. Darius was assassinated by his own general and his cousin Bessus after he had fled, and his body was found later on. Alexander had respected Darius and given him a royal burial and was given utmost respect along with the surviving members of his family; it was even said that Alexander was seen saddened while seeing Darius dead. By then Alexander had already become an inspiring person by all who he ruled over, and was well respected. Alexander’s people had also been loyal to Alexander because of his legend, and because he was a kind but still able to do what was necessary with a will of steel.

In 336 B.C.E., 4 years later Alexander’s father was assassinated. Alexander had claimed the throne to Macedonia, yet there were still those who rebelled against his claim to the throne. Alexander had slowly  eliminated all those who would stand against him. As Alexander’s influence expanded, he went to further his nation. One of the places he had went on that conquest was Egypt. He had heard many stories of Egypt, and on his quest to rule all of Asia he had chosen Egypt as his next target. He had been sent on a “divine quest” to conquer Asia for the gods. The first place he arrived at was a fortress named Gaza. Gaza had denied Alexander and his troops entrance Egypt so Alexander had a choice to make; take a long journey back home, or stand against these Egyptians. It wasn’t a very tough choice to make. It took Alexander a long time to successfully take Gaza because of its large food storage and wells that let them last much longer then the intruders. Alexander was looking out for his colony, as Alexander knew he wouldn’t be able to make it much longer without the supplies Gaza had. He had also set out to liberate Egypt because there was no definitive leader he had made Egypt into a great growing colony, and solving the issues of Egypt. Once Alexander defeated Gaza and entered Egypt, he soon after created a city named after him: Alexandria. Alexander had  taken in of Egypt’s tradition to show his respect for the great land to which he conquered. Alexander had taken in Egypt’s god’s into his religion and had learned the rites of being the ruler of Egypt, with the Egyptian laws, the Egyptian Pantheon, along with the rites of burial and marriage.

In all, Alexander the Great was a great strategist and you could say he was just as good a leader. Alexander had set out to accomplish his dreams and he did; he also treated his followers well with great cities, better jobs for better cash flow, and he also had respected them for what they believe. Even when he was in trouble he overcame his obstacles and kept at his goals, which is why he is a change maker and a role model. He had finally taken over Asia and accomplished what he had sought out to do for so many years. He fought the Persians leader Darius the III, and he took over many places around the globe, even Egypt.

Sources

“Alexander the Great.” History, A+E Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/alexander-the-great.

“Empire of Alexander the Great.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/alexander-the-great/v/alexander-the-great-takes-power.

Mark, Joshua J. “Alexander the Great.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2013, www.ancient.eu/Alexander_the_Great/