2007-12-12 09:12:07 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
He was great in the sense that he accomplished a tremendous amount with very modest resources, and had a huge impact on history.
He was not great in that he drank heavily, burned down the palace of Persepolis, killed god knows how many people in the name of personal glory, and neglected to declare a new leader for his empire on his death bed, leaving his generals fight over the remains.
2007-12-12 09:20:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First poster gave you the reasons he is great, and I agree.
I guess you would say he was not great if you judge him from a different moral standpoint--that by the sword he conquered and subjugated the people of Europe. . . . With all the good he did for the barbarians, I'm having trouble going on like that any longer. Machiavelli probably looked at Alex tG when he decided that the ends justify the means.
2007-12-12 09:21:01 · answer #2 · answered by wayfaroutthere 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He was a brilliant military leader who, with greatly outnumbered troops, destroyed the most powerful empire at that time. While he died young, his successors spread Greek culture and values to many of the lands which he conquered, so much so that for hundreds of years, the common language in the Mid-East was "Koine", a sort of eubonic Greek. Alexandria became the name-sake for the center of literary knowledge for nearly 1000 years, and cities in several US states bear that name. On the other hand, he wasted an opportunity to have a peaceful life for a while, as he spent many years fighting into NW India, and overlooked the governing of the lands he conquered.
2007-12-12 09:25:17 · answer #3 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ways he deserves it, is too well known I think even to mention.
The ways he didn't, is that it all went to his head I think; distorted his perception of reality, and lead to a very early death.
What he may have accomplished had he lived for another 20-30 years, blows the mind even to contemplate.
Bottom line, he succumbed as most humans do who achieve great renown, to his pride and arrogance; which led to his downfall. He wasn't a God after all.
Wotan
2007-12-12 09:26:17 · answer #4 · answered by Alberich 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He profoundly shaped and effected the era in which he lived, by conquering and uniting much of the known world. He embraced education, tried to spread a common language, and tolerent of all his people's customs (I think...).
In my opinion, there is no way he doesn't deserve the term, "Great".
2007-12-12 09:17:08 · answer #5 · answered by mury902 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He conquered about half the world.
I'd say he deserved the title.
He is my personal Hero.
2007-12-12 09:19:24 · answer #6 · answered by Jamie Taliaferro 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋