Alexanders Vast Accomplishments as a Conquerer - 953 Words

The first matter to consider is what constitutes â€Å"greatness†. There are no set standards no checklist, to apply to a person, to determine it they are â€Å"great.† The simplest way that I could conceive to decide whether this title should apply to Alexander was to determine if he was, in some way, superior to the rulers that came before or after his reign. The most obvious place for me to start my consideration is with Alexander’s vast accomplishments as a conquerer. Alexander inherited an impressive military from his father and a stable kingdom; he also followed his father’s plans to invade Asia. Does this detract from his own accomplishments with the Macedonian army? I would argue that it does not. It does not matter how large†¦show more content†¦Alexander understood truths about society that other’s of his time either did not grasp or care to entertain. He knew to separate battles and keep destruction from the cities. This served a few purposes. Alexander could award the riches of the conquered lands to his soldier and this gave the conquered people a reason to respect him. This highlights what is probably the most genius aspect of Alexander’s military prowess; he knew how to separate military strategy from political aims on the battlefield, but how to exploit his military prowess for his political gain. Alexander’s battlefield skills are exalted in much of the writings that we have, yet it is his uncanny ability to know how far to push the violence in battle, or when to back down that truly represents his greatness. Alexander was brilliant in the management of war - he knew which areas to attack, where to lead the battle, and when to pull back; he was able to determine how best to direct the wars that he waged. Alexander was able to use his excellent battlefield skills in conjunction with his outmatched management style to literally pushed the limits of the Macedonian empire to the ends of the known world. He exhausted his men and resources; faced down mutiny with within his own ranks, twice; fought off more than one disease, and yet he continued time and again to be successful. Not only did Alexander achieve a massive empire, he did so in just