Alexander the great was a son to Queen Olympia and King Phillip II. He was born in 356 B.C. He had a strong background having Aristotle as his tutor. He took charge of the companion cavalry at the age of 18. He also helped King Phillip in defeating the Theban and Athenian armies at Chaeronea. He acquired support of the Macedonian Army after his father’s death and he eliminated all his enemies to become the king and the leader of the Corinthian league (Randall, 2004). He started conquering territories at an early age and this gave him more bravery and got to build a great reputation.
The Macedonian Army and Noblemen proclaimed Alexander the King. He started his career by eliminating all the potential rivals to his throne. He executed his cousin, two Macedonian Princes, Cleopatra’s uncle and a commander of the guard army. From this point onwards, he started conquering territories starting with those that went against his command and his ideals.
His father’s death aroused revolt in many states. Alexander responded quickly and with an army of 3000, men he rode southwards and he took over the Thessalonians and added him their cavalry to his force. At Thermopylae, they recognized him as the Sacred League’s leader. He then headed to Corinth, on the south. Here he got the title of Hegemon of the Greek forces. He pardoned everyone who was involved in the uprising. No sooner had he quenched this one than another arose at the north. He safeguarded his northern boarders by advancing into Thrace and dealt with the revolt there (Randall, 2004). He then advanced to Danube where the Getae army was so afraid it retreated leaving their town to the Macedonian army. The King of Illyria and the King of Taulanti were in open revolt against Macedonian authority and Alexander did not hesitate to defeat them. They fled and this left Alexander with the northern frontier secure.
After a great campaign north, he was tough enough to deserve respect and outward peace from the whole of Greece. He then crossed into Asia with the entire Macedonian army. Persia was still underestimating his capabilities. After a long time watching Alexander’s movements, they decided to wage war. At Granicus River, a great war arose and the Persians lost to the Macedonians after their army retreated and others fled. He buried the dead, and sent off the Greek mercenaries to work in the Mines.
After this battle, it opened a door for other conquests like the Siege of Halicarnassus, Battle of Issus, Siege of Tyre, and the Siege of Gaza in Egypt, Battle of Gaugamela, and Battle of the Persian Gate, Siege of Sogdian Rock and his Invasion of India. Alexander the Great was a king who was a master in his bravery and strategy. He surrounded himself with intelligence and great instinct in the strategies of war (Bose, 2004). His elimination of the threat early in his life was probably his first conquests that he felt would be great risk factors in his career as a king. His conquests, some that appeared to be on impulse and not pre-planned, made him a great man who left a legacy. To him one conquest gave him courage and confidence to take over more. He however died unexpectedly without leaving a successor, his generals divided the territories amongst themselves, and it split into four Monarchs.
References
Bose, P. S. (2004). Alexander the Great's art of strategy: The timeless leadership lessons of history's greatest empire builder. New York: Gotham Books.
Randall, B. (2004). Alexander the Great: Macedonian King and conqueror. New York: Rosen Pub. Group.
