ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Just who was Alexander the Great? If it had not been for an anonymous historian who told the story of Alexander to Plutarch in the first century B.C., perhaps we would only know rudimentary facts, unembellished by romance and heroic adventures which may or may not have actually occurred. "Alexander accomplished greater deeds than any, not only of kings who lived before him, but also those who were to come later down to our time" (Popovic 1). That is the romantic view of the conqueror of the then-known world.

What we do know is that Alexander was the only heir of King Philip of Macedonia, and that, according to historical records, was born to Olympias, princess of Epirus, at Pella in Macedonia in the late July of 356. There seems to be some doubt whether Philip was Alexander's father. "Philip soon grew suspicious of Olympias' chastityàThis in turn angered Olympias. And it seems she in turn taught Alexander to hate the roistering, quarrelsome, hard-drinking king" (Cummings 54).

Alexander, as a teen-ager was high-strung and emotional, "prone to fits of ungovernable rage, a precocious genius, headstrong and willful as his parentsàHe would accept only guidance but would rebel at authority" (Cummings 54-5). No wonder that this adolescent would grow up to conquer and rule. He could not possibly accept bowing to anyone, even the powerful invaders from the East. "Alexander's first 'colony' was doubtless a mere hill villageà.More s

. . .
'Stand out of my sunlight'" (Cummings 89). While Alexander turned out to be a great military leader, there is one thing he regretted. "Like so many men of action, he mourned that he could not also be a thinkerà.Possibly at Aristotle's suggestion he sent a commission to investigate the sources of the Nile and he gave funds generously for a variety of scientific inquiries" (Durant 539). Story has it that Alexander had many wives, and that, as good looking as he was, there were women who literally threw himself at his feet, including one incident where several of his soldier-servants brought a beautiful young woman to his quarters and when he asked why at such a late hour, the lady is reported to have answered that she had to wait for her husband to fall asleep. "He had many of the qualities of a homosexualàbut when Theodorus of Taras offered to sell him two boys of great beauty, he sent the Tarantine packing and begged his friends to tell him what baseness of soul he had shown that anyone would make such a proposal to him" (Durant 540). Despite his many victories, military historians are quick to point out that he was not a great general. "He supplied the inspiration; probably his generals who were able men, contr
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Aristotle Pella, Aristotle Alexander, Macedonia Alexander, Philip Alexander's, Alexander Youthful, Theodorus Taras, Persian Darius, BC Egyptians, Diogenes Cynic', Asia Minor, force led, alexander wild, asia minor, story alexander,
Approximate Word count = 1661
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on ALEXANDER THE GREAT