Is "ALEXANDER THE GREAT" as great as he's been made to be?

Question

he's been famed to conquring distant lands, making kings surbodinates, and the founding father of some of the world renouned libraries and a great city, but surely there should be some one out there who is more grat and famous than he is

Answer 1

He went undefeated, for Jordan's sake!

Answer 2

Well king Sargon of Akkad was the first emperor in history, his descendants went on to found the Assyrian and Babylonian empires.....great cities, libraries, zoo's, legal codes, botanical gardens, medical, mathematic,astronomical and astrological texts, civil service, iron weapons, postal service, coinage etc were all introduced by great mesopotamian kings like Sargon and Ashurbanipal, well before Alexander, the homosexual!

Answer 3

People are "Great" for different reasons, but as a military commander, Alexander was truly amazing. His dad had built up the army for him, but he led it - - and I mean LED. Alexander led the cavalry attacks he ordered. His armor stood out so his men could see him and follow his example. His enemies could see him also. He was wounded by every weapon in ancient warfare.
How many kings and generals do you find in the front lines throughout history? Julius Caesar on at least one occasion in Gaul. James IV of Scotland at Flodden in September 1513.

The logistics are the amazing part of Alexander's conquests. How would you supply ~40,000 to 50,000 men and thousands of horses traversing often barren lands in Asia minor?
Alexander's armies were often outnumbered, but they were professionals, they were motivated, and Alexander was a "Great" leader of men. Commanders have tried to emulate him in the 2300 years since his death in 323 BC.

Added note having seen Julius' answer below. Many ancient armies murdered the wounded men after the battle. You can go much further back than Alexander. If you believe Old testament bible history, Joshua and the Israelite army in the land of Canaan sometime around 1400 or1200 BC murdered tribe after tribe of people - men, women, children, babies, and animals - - because God had told them to do this. I guess that makes it OK.
- - UNLESS you are an Amorite or a member of another tribe wiped out by the advancing Hebrew people taking back the land that God had promised them.
[ Call me paranoid - - I tend to be concerned about people who murder other people and say that God told them to do it.]

Answer 4

Both fame and greatness are subjective. I'm sure there are cultural icons in every society whose achievements may be percieved to exceed his. Alexander was a product of his time, just as many of the worlds most renowned individuals, but, he most assuredly did take advantage of the opportunities presented him.

Answer 5

He conquered a huge empire in only 12 years with an army never much larger than 40,000 men. Alexander never lost a battle while achieving this.Whether fighting Greek hoplites, Persian armoured cavalry and scythed chariots, Illyrian or Bactrian tribesmen, Scythian horse archers,Indian elephants, on flat plains,in jungles, mountains,or hills, at defended river crossings,or when assaulting fortified island city states,Alexander always came up with the right strategy for the campaign, the right tactics to win the battle. Alexander was the greatest military commander in history.

Answer 6

Alexander was probably the first mass-murderer on a world scale, but there have been bigger empires than his - Ghenghis Khan and his descendents made the Mongol empire stretch from Korea to Hungary.

Answer 7

Probably the greatest homosexual man. The closest since would have to be Elton John, knight and entertainer of royalty.

Answer 8

That's a very good question. You hardly see any girls with an "Alexanders Great" tattoo

Answer 9

Of course he was! He knew all of his troops personally...he was a great leader, and a fantastic commander.

Answer 10

not in the speed and rise and brilliance in battle there no one to compare in the ancient world