History is considered to be humanity’s legacy drawing the path which is to be paved upon the learnings of the past. It was Aristotle, the great Ancient Greek philosopher, who had said that history is a series of homocentric cycles, aiming at pointing the importance of studying it. Evolution and progress may achieve to make people’s lifestyle much more progressive than they could ever imagine but human nature is not easily changeable. As a conclusion studying history contributes to our understanding human nature, the inner needs generating certain actions, and leads us to learning on what could have been avoided or acted otherwise. The most important is that historical studies help people become aware of the dangers lying in their tendency for power and in their nature, and finally help people realize their cultural and historical route during times, thus defining basic traits of their national and historical identity. The aim of this essay is to provide you with a detailed description of a particular historical period, the one of the rise of the Ancient kingdoms of Macedonia and Persia. The essay will begin by providing you with information on their historical background, their origins and characteristics, as well as their aims. Focus will be given on the relationship developed between the two kingdoms and the crucial role of Alexander the Great in changing the geographical map of his era, affecting greatly the future route of the worldwide history. The Persian Kingdom was easily conquered by Alexander the Great and his army and lots of admiration on behalf of all has been generated since concerning Alexander’s personality and leading charisma of his personality. Like any prominent historical figure though, Alexander the Great has also generated lots of heated debate concerning his charisma and virtues, his faults and the effect of his actions. Despite the contradictory discussions and aspects under which the historical evolution is seen, one argument is commonly accepted within the frames of the historians’ community. Alexander the Great appeals to people’s interest because if nothing else he was the first in humans’ history to dare and dream a multicultural, united world. He was the first to dare and dream the harmonic co-existence of people despite their nations, their religions, and their language. And as far as Ancient Greeks are concerned he was the first to dare and dream the spreading of the Greek culture. And he did it. The Greek language and culture reached the borders of India. Alexander the Great and his historical period is definitely a period which has a lot to teach to those studying it.
The background of Macedonia
Macedonia arose as a powerful kingdom of the North right after the destructive effects of the Peloponnesian war, the first civil war in Ancient Greece’s history. It was the everlasting antagonism lying between Sparta and Athens which led the two major cities of Ancient Greece to fight against each other aiming at establishing their power all over the other cities. The result was the intervention of the Persians helping Spartans who finally won the war. Since 404 B.C., the official ending of the war, a series of events followed, leading Macedonia arise as the new regulator in the Greek affairs.
Macedonians had spent lots of years living in isolation without interfering in the affairs of Southern Greece. Being a traditional nation, they had kept the political system of kingship. Macedonia was a reign which had managed to keep enemies of the North outside the Greek area. Their king Philippe the 2nd, father of Alexander the Great, was actually the person who initiated Macedonia’s more energetic role in Ancient Greece’s affairs. He was the first Macedonian king to interfere in the Greek affairs aiming at imposing his power so that a united Greek state could be formed. All the constant fights and conflicts of Southern Greeks had made Greece such a weak state. The level and quality of people’s life had fallen at such low rates that poverty, criminality, loss of ethical principles and values were the new kind of Greeks’ imminent enemies. The Persians, having always desired conquering Greece were growing economically and politically, looking into the best ways and moment to fight against Greece. Internal conflicts in Greece arose concerning the attitude which was expected to be adopted on behalf of Southern Greeks towards their Northern Macedonians. There were those who insisted on sticking to the ideal of the glory which Ancient Athens had once acquired as part of its growth. But there were also lots of Southern Greeks who knew that a new era was just rising. Ancient Athens was left with no power at all so new powers had to be allowed to take control of things in case they wanted Greece to be saved against their neighboring enemies, the Persians. Isocrates, was the Athenian orator who supported Philippe and his aims, since it was clear to him that only through unity could any kind of enemy against Greece be fought away.
Philippe’s dream was to attack the Persians and conquer the Persian Empire. So balance in his country and support on behalf of all Ancient Greek cities was a precondition for the achievement of his dream. It was his sudden death that prevented him from making his dream come true. But it was his son Alexander the Great who made his father’s dream the new reality for the people of his era.
Philippe II first announced his intentions asking for all the Greek cities’ support at the battle of Chaeronea, an area in southern Greece, which took place in 338 B.C. This battle was of great significance since the armies involved in it were the army of Macedonians against the united army of Athenians and Thebans. It was a battle which signified the resistance on behalf of the Southerns to accept Macedonians’ power and superiority at the time, in terms of their economic and political growth. Athenians and Thebans were defeated and one year later the convention in Ancient Corinth took place where Philippe, as the king of Macedonians announced his plans. All Ancient Greeks agreed on supporting him and accepting him as their leader in this new challenge which was about to save their country’s legacy and old glory with the exception of the Spartans who failed to put their egoism behind their country’s common wellbeing. Philippe was assassinated so his dream was not put into practice by him. It was his son Alexander the Great who took on the responsibility of carrying his role as the son of Philippe.
The background of Persian Kingdom
Ancient Persia in the 3rd century B.C, the period during which the personality of Alexander the Great arises, is the representative of the continent of Asia. Persia is a powerful country characterized by a strict and well-structured system of economics, politics, trade and army. Ancient Persia was the dominating power in Asia, controlling under united political power the greatest part of the Asian world, which at the time was the area of Central Asia till India and the northern part of Africa, including Egypt and Libya. The basic architect of the Persian Empire was Kyros the eldest, a king who worked towards the unity of the two different nations inhabiting Persia, the Medians and the Persians. Kyros the eldest, devoted his life in the expansion of the Persian Empire mainly towards the east-north area of the time, reaching till the area of South Russia. After Kyros’ death, his son Kamvysis (529-521 B.C.) will manage to conquer Egypt and make it part of the Persian Empire. Kamvysis’ successor was Darius I who devoted his leading skills in organizing a system of high quality as far as the control of this huge reign is concerned. The first principles in the structure of the army and authorities organizing the cities and towns of the Persian Empire in such a way that direct control could exist of every corner of this huge area – in case it was needed – were applied by Darius I. a number of successors and a number of wars as part of maintaining the integrity and power of the Persian Empire took place. When the Peloponnesian civil war broke out between the two most powerful cities of Ancient Greece, the Persians found the chance they had been waiting for, for centuries. Spartans turned to them asking for help so a new bridge opened towards Ancient Greece. The time for the Persian Empire to finally manage to pass across the other side of the sea and step foot on Europe had come. The Persians were certain to completely conquer Ancient Greece and thus empower their economic and political power even more, opening the path to becoming the one and only authority in power of all the known world of their era.
But Macedonians came to ruin their plans. At the time of Alexander the Great, the Persian king was Darius III (336-330 B.C.), the final in row successor of Kyros.
The expedition of Alexander the Great
As it has been already mentioned, the situation in Ancient Greece had been stabilized in the convention in Ancient Corinth in 337 B.C., a year after the battle of Chaeronea, in which Philippe II had earned the respect and support on behalf of all Greeks – with the exception of Spartans – to organize an expedition against the Persian Empire aiming at conquering it and giving Ancient Greece part of its lost legendary glory.
But Philippe’s assassination put an end to his plans. This ending was at no time turned into a new beginning on behalf of his son, Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great became a king at the age of 20 years old. Having been a student of the famous Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, Alexander the Great is deeply marked by the classical values of the Greek civilization and classical studies. He has spent years reading Ancient Greek literary works such as Pindar, Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides. His dream is making his father’s plans come true. In 336 B.C. the year of his father’s death Alexander the Great becomes a king himself and calls for the repetition of the convention in Ancient Corinth. He wants to make sure that Greeks understand that despite his youth nothing will change. He is determined to make the decisions taken in that convention, a year ago, come true. The reason he wants his father’s dream is of double nature. It is not a dream of his father any more. It is a dream of his. He does not only want to conquer the Persian Empire but he foremost wants to spread the principles, values and ethics of Ancient Greece all over the Persian Empire. He wants to make other foreign nations understand the glory and value of Ancient Greek spirit. So the motives of Alexander the Great are not just thirst for authority and power. Alexander the Great is a dreamer, an idealist who wants to spread the spirit within which he was brought up and educated.
In the second convention, repetition of the first one he announces himself as ‘the general emperor’ of Greeks and organizes all the details of his expedition against the Persian Empire. He leaves capable leaders behind in Greece so that order in his country is ensured during the years of his absence and sets off from his birthplace, the capital of Macedonia’s kingdom, Ancient Pella in 334 B.C.
Alexander the Great has studied the difficulties Darius III is dealing with at the time of his expedition. Running a huge empire is difficult and lack of organism characterizes the empire at the time that Alexander begins his expedition. His army consists of 40.000 soldiers, a quite small power in comparison to the one of the Persians. But Alexander’s army is characterized by patriotism. Soldiers have not become soldiers aiming at earning money like Persian citizens did. There is unity characterizing Alexander’s army. Unity and enthusiasm concerning the ideal aim of their expedition. They are fighting against the Persians in the name of making people aware of their country’s civilization. Alexander the Great was a charismatic leader because he knew how to inspire his soldiers, how to make them believe in the value of their goals and efforts, how to raise their spirit and awaken their optimism. The first battle was in Granikοs river (334 B.C.). the second battle which took place was in the valley of Issos (333 B.C.). After their defeat in Issos, the Persians leaded by their king Darius III, move towards the inner part of their empire in an effort to save themselves from the terrifying power of Alexander and his army. Alexander the Great finds Phoenicia unprotected and conquers it. After conquering the land of Phoenicians, Alexander the Great moves to Egypt, where he founds the city Alexandria. In 331 B.C. Alexander the Great begins from Egypt moving to the eastern part of Persia. He is determined to conquer the Persian Empire. It is in the battle of Gaugamela (331 Β.C.) where the Persians are totally defeated and Alexander the Great is the new leader of the two continents, the area of the European continent and the area of Asia continent. Gaugamela was the most intense and defining battle of all those involved in Alexander’s expedition. The Persian Empire is under total destruction. Its disbandment is empowered by the assassination of Darius III. Alexander the Great moves forward, deeper and deeper in the eastern areas of the preceding Persian Empire, conquering the cities of Babylon, Sousa, Persepolis and Ecbatana.
The assassination of the Persian Emperor, Darius III, turns Alexander the Great into the legal successor of Darius III. Alexander the Great is the ‘general emperor’ of Greece and the emperor of the Persian Empire. But Alexander’s expedition doesn’t stop here. He moves on even deeper to the East. A number of extra battles against the nations of Areia, Vactriani and Draggiani take place and Alexander the Great is established as the new Emperor of the Persians.
In 326 B.C. the Macedonians move towards the river Indus. Alexander’s dream was to reach the eastern part of the world as people knew it at that time. According to the geographical knowledge of the time the world was believed to reach till India which was considered the last existing border of the world. The last great battle of Alexander the Great was in Ydaspis river in India where he won the king of India, Poros (326 B.C.). Alexander the Great wishe to reach the river Gaggis but his soldiers are too tired to follow him. The constant battles and all those years of tortures in the fields of battles have made the soldiers want more than anything else their return home. Alexander the Great realizes that his power, which is no else than his soldiers, mean what they say. He knows that he is nothing without his soldiers’ support so he decides to return to Sousa in 324 B.C. It is a year later that Alexander the Great dies of fever in Babylon in 323 B.C. He leaves his last breath at everybody’s shock since his achievements and charismatic personality made him immortal to the eyes of the people of his era. Alexander the Great died but his task, his achievements and his effects have been of eternal value ever since.
The legacy of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great turns into a legend commonly admired by nations all over the world. There is a contribution of insignificant value to the social, geographical, economic, educational and cultural evolution of the world on behalf of Alexander the Great.
Alexander the Great’s expedition creates a state from Adriatic Sea to the river of Indus, and from the Caspian Sea till Egypt. This is a majority of nations, people, speaking different languages, believing in different gods, having different religious systems, carrying different historical backgrounds and identities. The differentiation characterizing the new Empire brought no fear to Alexander the Great. It was the best chance he could be ever given to apply his innovative, far away from his era, methods of governing. Alexander the Great had realized at that time that differentiation was to be the foundation of his Empire. Only through teaching people to respect other people’s values, to exchange their cultural and historical knowledge and to learn how to cooperate was there a chance for any state to survive.
Alexander the Great came from a country which was centralized within its own civilization. But since the teaching value of this civilization was respect towards others and their freedom of choice, there was no better chance than the creation of this huge empire in which all these values could be applied and prove their validity and truth. All soldiers are taught the secrets of Greek Education and a number of mixed marriages take place in order for different civilizations to be given the chance to exist in harmony.
Last but not least it was the foundation of new cities which turned into centers of great economic and cultural power. These cities became the lighthouses of Greek civilization and empowered Europe’s thesis in the world.
Works cited
Bosworth, A. B., Conquest & Empire: The reign of Alexander the Great; C.U.P. , 1998
Burn, A.R., Persia and the Greeks : The Defence of the West, Gerald Duckworth Publications, Reprint Edition 1985
Burn, A.R, Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World Collier Books; Reprint edition 1962
Curtis John, Ancient Persia, The British Museum, (2nd ed.), 1990
Fox, Robin Lane , Alexander the Great , Allen Lane 1973
Hudson ad Thames, A Concise History of Ancient Greece, 1973
Morgan David, Medieval Persia 1040-1797 ( A History of the Near East) , (1st ed.), 1988
