Alexander the Great's influence on the World.
Analysis.
Alexander the Great, the son of King Phillip II of Macedonia, was born in 356 BCE and lived to 323 BCE. Alexander was not only able to expand his empire to be the largest at the time, but as a student of Aristotle, was able to utilize his power and diplomacy to control the territories that were conquered. Alexander ascended the throne in 336 BCE and because of his young age (twenty years old), he was not uniformly respected. To establish a firm authority, Alexander won Macedonian support with tactful statements.1 Analyzing the life of Alexander the Great highlights insights into Greek civilization.
Because of instability in Macedonia and its territories at the start of his reign, Alexander took the initiative to exert his strength over the "barbarous nations" surrounding Macedonia. Plutarch wrote: "He therefore quieted the commotions, and put a stop to the rising wars among the barbarians, by marching with the utmost expediency as far as the Danube, where he fought a great battle.."2 Alexander demonstrated his power to the barbarians to signal his dominance and subdue them. Alexander will continue to utilize this strategy as he expanded his empire with conquered territories. Whether he overcame opponents with superior forces like in Greek and Egypt or posture his force over nations in Asia, Alexander was able to demonstrate his power the parts of the world he conquered. Notably Mophis, the son of Indian king Taxiles, promised to participate in a campaign against his enemies in that area.3 The strength and large military forces of Alexander were enough to convince factions of ethnic groups to ally with Alexander in conquering their distinct regions.
Alexander was diplomatic with the territories he conquered to maintain stabilization throughout the empire. The cultures of the conquered regions were respected and left intact, and Alexander would allow conquered rulers to govern in exchange for loyalty to him. Alexander would make sure to distribute the spoils of his conquest with the Athenians, who remained a prominent Greek tribe.4 Alexander would also integrated conquered forces into his army. For instance, young Persians were selected for their bodily grace and strength to be integrated into his phalanx.5 Alexander would marry Roxane (daughter of Oxyartes), persuaded numbers of his soldiers to marry the daughters of prominent Persians.6 This encouraged a blend of Greek and Persian culture.
Alexander's empire would span the greatest distance ever for its time and integrated many nations and cultures, earning himself the title of Alexander the Great. After his death, Alexander the Great’s empire will quickly destabilize, become divided and later conquered by the Romans due to the lack of a sufficient leader to succeed him. Plutarch writes, "He was the only man who, in a short time, achieved what was not done by any king before him, who was able to achieve the greatest empire known to man."7
Analyzing the life of Alexander the Great from secondary sources like Plutarch’s Life of Alexander and tertiary sources like Diodorus Siculus’s Bibliotheca historica provides insight into the significance of Alexander. It is difficult to examine primary sources on Alexander the Great due to the lack of efficient record keeping at that time. These sources are reliable because after over two thousand years, there is a general consensus that the documented events actually occurred. Diodorus wrote the Bibliotheca historica to provide a reputable record of “universal history” and Plutarch provided a record of Alexander’s life to draw parallels with Julius Caesar.
Further analysis of Alexander the Great provides insight to the world. The Athenians and the Persians have already introduced political (trade,territory,etc.) agreements between their societies before Alexander conquered both. Presumably, this made it easier for the Greeks and the Persians cultures to integrate under Alexander. These diplomatic tactics were used and spread to the other nations Alexander conquered. Ultimately, this will normalize and desensitize the developed world to transactional marriages between prominent members of different societies to encourage better diplomatic relations and the forfeiture of dignified sovereignty to superior powers to maintain a relatively high power status and to continue living. It is important to recognize the insight to Greek civilization that is highlighted by Alexander the Great. Again Plutarch writes "His name shall endure through the ages, not only as a great conqueror but as a beacon of aspiration for future leaders."8
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989, Seventeenth Book, Chapter 2. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084%3Abook%3D17%3Achapter%3Dcontents
John Langhorne and William Langhorne, eds., Plutarch's Lives, Translated from the Original Greek. , Pounsford and Co., 1874, pp. 434-439. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.asp
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989, Seventeenth Book, Chapter 86. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084%3Abook%3D17%3Achapter%3Dcontents
John Langhorne and William Langhorne, eds., Plutarch's Lives, Translated from the Original Greek., Pounsford and Co., 1874. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.asp
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989, Seventeenth Book, Chapter 108. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084%3Abook%3D17%3Achapter%3Dcontents
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989, Seventeenth Book, Chapter 86. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084%3Abook%3D17%3Achapter%3Dcontents
John Langhorne and William Langhorne, eds., Plutarch's Lives, Translated from the Original Greek., Pounsford and Co., 1874. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.asp
John Langhorne and William Langhorne, eds., Plutarch's Lives, Translated from the Original Greek., Pounsford and Co., 1874. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.asp
Bibliography
John Langhorne and William Langhorne, eds., Plutarch's Lives, Translated from the Original Greek. , Pounsford and Co., 1874 https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.asp
Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989, Seventeenth Book. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084%3Abook%3D17%3Achapter%3Dcontents