The Quest of Alexander the Great

Special Question: Please write a five paragraph essay on the question: Was Alexander's adventure really worth it? In your body paragraphs, you must cite specific examples to back up your thesis -- examples must include one from each of the following: Egypt, Persepolis, Afghanistan, India. Due Friday.

There are many great rulers in the world’s history.  Some have risen and went down in history.  The others made a bad name for themselves and had a negative impact on the world.  One ancient Greek ruler conquered the known world with the help of his army.  His name was Alexander the Great.  Alexander was obsessed with the idea of power and being a world famous ruler.  He led his men on a conquest across ancient Europe, into the Middle East, down Africa, and India.  One of his sole purposes for this journey was to defeat the powerful Persian Empire who had conquered the Greeks 150 years before.  He wanted to take back the Greek honor that was in the hands of the Persians.  Alexander’s adventure across the world was worth it because he demolished an empire and took many places under his new rule.

Alexander was born in 353 BC in Pella, Macedonia.  He was tutored by Aristotle, a popular philosopher of the day.  At the age of sixteen, Alexander’s job was to watch over his father’s empire while he was away at war.  After King Philip was assassinated, Alexander had to prove himself worthy of the throne, and that’s exactly what he did. (“Alexander the Great”, 2000)  His first mission was to capture the city of Thebes and the rebellious surrounding city-states.  Before Alexander made his way   Now Alexander conquest was to take his army and defeat the Persian Empire which was his father’s dream.  One thing that motivated Alexander was the fact that the Persians disgraced the Greeks 150 years back.  The “Greek honor” that was lost was soon to be returned to Alexander.  Egypt and Persia were not on good terms.  The Egyptians did not like the Persians because they would not respect their gods and ways of worship. Alexander stormed into Egypt and freed the people.  The Egyptians saw Alexander as their liberator, but instead, Alexander put them under his new rule.  He chose to name a city in Egypt after himself; that city was called Alexandria. (“Alexander the Great”, 2011)  It soon became home to the best collected works of the known world.  Alexander’s trip to Egypt also made a huge mark on his personal history.

Alexander the Great was not only determined to conquer the Persians but also wanted to create his own myth.  Before he got to Egypt, Alexander and his army passes through Gordian.  The capital city Phrygian was said to have a chariot knotted with a rope so intricately that no one dared to unite it.  Alexander was up for the challenge by simply slashing the rope his sword to reveal the twisted rope. (“Alexander the Great”, 2000) When he arrived in Egypt, the priests greeted him at the temple.  The oracle of Didyma revealed that Alexander was the son of a god.  Both of these events caused Alexander to start the myth of himself.  He was focused on making sure that everyone in the known world to know that he was an immortal being.  Because Alexander thought he was immortal, he was a fearless fighter.  His battle strategies were very effective when attacking cities and finally defeating Darius and his army.

After Alexander won his battle against the Persians, he proceeded to raid Persepolis Palace.  Alexander looted the palace and burned it down.  ("History of Iran: Parse or Persepolis",2001) The ceilings were made form cedar wood so they burned easily.  Jewels and gold were removed from the sculptures in the walls.   Alexander still continued to take over the Middle East and India.  The invasion of Alexander the Great in India had a very big influence on India.  The Greek culture soon mixed in with the Indian culture to create Greco-Buddhism. (“History of India”, 2011)  Alexander not only brought his battle skills with him on his conquest, but carried on the Greek culture throughout the world.

Alexander the Great impacted the world in positive and negative ways.  He traveled through the known world, conquered the Persian Empire, and spread the Greek culture wherever he went.  Not only did Alexander take back the Greek honor, he created his own myth that is still told today.  Alexander’s quest was successful for the time being.  There was no heir to his kingdom because he died unexpectedly but he accomplished something he wanted to do.  Alexander made his life worth living—Greek style.  

Works Cited

"Alexander the Great." Ancient Civilizations Reference Library. Ed. Judson Knight and Stacy A. McConnell. Detroit: UXL, 2000. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.

“Alexander the Great.” Wikipedia. Web. March 7, 2011. March 10, 2011.

“History of India.” Wikipedia. March 2, 2011. Web. March 10, 2011.
"History of Iran: Parse or Persepolis" 2001. Web. March 10, 2011.