One of the most famous figures from the ancient period, Alexander the Great dominated the lands in the east, such as the Persian Empire and other vast territories, where he reigned as leader and king. Alexander was first and foremost King of Macedonia, in Greece, from 336 – 323 BC and it was this power behind him and the power of Greece which allowed him to achieve what he did. Alexander’s most famous achievement was the conquering of Persia and successfully bidding Greece against the formidable Persians, emerging victorious. Persia was an empire which had threatened Greece for many years, even before Alexander had come to power, and so his defeat over such a great power at such a young age was indeed a great achievement.
Being king of Macedonia, a small state in Greece, Alexander continued the unity of the Greek states and, after the defeat of the Thebans, successfully ensured that the peace continued until his death in 323. Alexander was a great military leader, so keeping Greece unified was achieved with ease. Not only did Alexander keep peace in Greece, he also fulfilled his father’s wish to expand Greece into Persia. Alexander went beyond his father Phillip’s hopes, and even invaded territory in Asia. Alexander travelled to unknown locations, places not seen by Greeks and many of the western civilisations at this time, such as India and even as far as modern day Vietnam. Alexander pushed the Greeks into a world they could not have understood or even have dreamed of without his leadership or vision, expanding culture such as art and customs across Asia and Eastern Europe.
Alexander achieved something greater than simply the invasion of another empire, he merged the two worlds to create a new one and did this as peacefully as he could. His greatest failure was failing to leave an heir to take over his vast success after his death in 323 BC. With the lack of a son, or in fact any certainty of a predecessor to take over, Alexander’s vast empire was carved up between his army generals and advisors. Alexander left his empire “to the strongest”, which meant that soon battle and conflict took place over who would rule in the place of Alexander. Alexander achieved something that would be remembered and be seen for many years to come as one of the greatest achievements of its time, thus his title Alexander the Great.
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