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ALEXANDER THE GREAT: THE MAN AND HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

dating to local customs. However, after about 331, his dream of an Eurasian empire caused him to succumb to megalomaniac tendencies and to lose touch with his own supporters in his army and at home, many of whom became disenchanted with him. His premature death prevented him from realizing his ambitious dreams for further conquests and consolidation of his empire.

During the century and a half after Athens and Sparta defeated the Persians in 490-479 B.C., the Greek city-states exercised hegemony over the Greek mainland and most of the Aegean Sea area. By the mid-4th century, Athens, which had been weakened by the Peloponnesian Wars and internal decay, had passed its peak of power. According to Hammond, the unity of the Greek city- states had been shattered by "a century of internecine wars . . . and internal revolutions" (9). Philip II (393-336) effectively achieved dominance over the Greeks by defeating them at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338.

The Macedonians had a highly militarized state centered around the King, his Companions (officers) and his Men under Arms. According to Hammond, "Alexander was to inherit the most formidable army in Europe" (15). Philip emphasized constant drill, maneuvering and strict discipline. He reorganized his battle formations to include the concept of concentration of force first developed by the Theban general Epaminondas through his oblique order of battle. The Macedonians used combined arms, artillery (siege guns and archers), cavalry, and foot infantry. In their attacks. Assaulting forces were armed with 16 foot long lances or sarissas. They attacked on an angle and were lined up in a delta-shaped, wedge-formation, suppported by dense phalanxes eight rows deep, armed with pikes and shields. With these forces, Philip defeated barbarian tribes in the Balkans, such as the Illyrians and Thracians, then turned his attention to the Greeks.

In his youth, Alexander was trained as a warrior and dis...

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ALEXANDER THE GREAT: THE MAN AND HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 02:13, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1706487.html