Alexander the Great

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Recommended: Analysis of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great, son of King Philip II of Macedonia, underwent a journey of overwhelming odds. Alexander led his army through multiple victories across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without the agony of a single defeat. A noteworthy battle of Alexander was the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 B.C.E. The Battle of Gaugamela is significant because it ended Darius’s rule over Persia. [new par.] There are several forces and factors that contribute in making Alexander the Great superior as a leader. Alexander’s battlefield achievement is a result of his early prestige education and upbringing. Privately tutored by Aristotle, an epic Greek philosopher and scientist, Alexander was educated in philosophy, ethics, politics, and healing, all which play key roles in Alexander’s future life story. The education and hardship Alexander the Great faced in his early life helped to prepare him for his role as a great General.

Alexander, a great commander who possessed impressive critical thinking skills and with prestigious education background, it’s no wonder why he earned the title of ‘Alexander the Great’. Alexander encountered several growing pains and important school lessons throughout his early childhood. A family dysfunction between Alexander and his father existed, which created a feeling of non-acceptance for Alexander. Alexander had closer ties with his mother, Olympias, than father King Phillip. This missing link between his father and himself conveys the importance for Alexander to be determined in being the best in all he was challenged with. If he could be great perhaps he would eventually have his father accept him. Alexander’s parents underwent marriage troubles of their own, which Alexander witnessed th...

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Bose, Partha S. Alexander the Great's art of strategy. New York: Gotham Books. 2004.

Dryden, John. "Alexander." Classics Archives. http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/alexandr.html (accessed Dec 3, 2011).

Heckel, Waldemar and Ryan Jones and Christa Hooks. Macedonian warrior: Alexander’s elite infantryman. Osprey: Oxford. 2006.

KHOLOD, Maxim M. 2011. "PERSIAN POLITICAL PROPAGANDA IN THE WAR AGAINST ALEXANDER THE GREAT." Iranica Antiqua 46, 149-160. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (Accessed November 19, 2011).

L. Michael Whitby "Alexander ‘the Great’" The Oxford Companion to Military History. Ed. Richard Holmes. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. (Accessed November 13, 2011).

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