Compare And Contrast Essay On Alexander Vs Hardy

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Alexander versus Constantine: Who is More Successful?
How does one decide who is the most successful historical figure? Success can be defined differently by individuals based on personal values or agendas. Alexander the Great and Constantine are two of the most successful leaders in history. Leading two great empires, these rulers achieved great success in their time. Constantine ruled for thirty years over a large territory and maintained and progressing a Christian empire. These events are recounted in Eusebius’ work The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine. Plutarch’s Lives shows how Alexander the Great expanded his lands to great lengths and created a thriving empire. Plutarch and Eusebius take similar paths in describing these two …show more content…

However, what that education included was different. Alexander’s tutor, Aristotle, had a great impact on the path Alexander would take in life. In their studies, they focused on philosophy, science, and ancient Greek legends and myths like The Iliad. Alexander read about the military successes of Achilles, which would remain his inspiration as he continued his conquests; in fact, he brought sections of The Iliad with him on his conquests (Plutarch, 243). In focusing on philosophy and Greek legends, Alexander received a thorough and profound education that would help him to expand his empire. Plutarch speaks about the role of Aristotle to show that success also must include academia. Like Alexander, Constantine received a “liberal education” (Eusebius, XIX). However, Eusebius choses to focus on his being “gifted in the first place with a sound judgement,” and his “natural intelligence and divinely imparted wisdom” (Eusebius XIX). In focusing on Constantine’s natural intelligence and in calling it a gift, he is implying that his intelligence was God given gift. This idea lends itself to the image that Eusebius has created of Constantine: a godly man who saw success because of his devotion to Christianity. The two authors deviate in focusing on how the two leaders acquired their intelligence and what inspired their …show more content…

After taking the throne at age twenty, Alexander took responsibility for fighting in the battlefield and personally fought in the battles for territory and conquest (Plutarch, 251). Alexander put a “speedy stop to the disturbances and wars among the barbarians” by launching an “army as far as to the river Danube” (Plutarch, 253). Plutarch decides to focus on Alexander’s leadership qualities on the battlefield in order to prove his success in running and expanding an empire. Under his rule, the empire could expand and flourish. For Plutarch, military skill and accomplishment are what lend themselves to being a successful leader. Unlike Plutarch, Eusebius links Constantine’s success in maintaining an empire to his devotion to Christianity and the power of God. Constantine, when faced with the failures of his enemies, turned to Christianity (Eusebius, XXVII). He used “divine assistance” to guide him on his quests to destroy tyrants, unlike Alexander who relied solely on his skills in fighting (Eusebius, XXVII). In addition, the defining feature of Constantine’s rule was his conversion after witnessing a diving intervention of a cross in the sky which bore the inscription: “conquer by this” (Eusebius, XXVII). By giving religion a role in the success of empire building, Eusebius says that Christianity can translate into success in what you do. Plutarch and Eusebius differ in the way in which they

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