how did alexander the great change the course of history

by Okey Padberg 8 min read

How Did Alexander the Great Change the World?

  • Uniting the World. Before Alexander came onto the scene, the ancient world was divided into three parts in three continents – Europe, Asia, and Africa.
  • Alexander the Great : Spreading Hellenistic Culture. Alexander the Great knew that his rule alone was not enough to keep his large, diverse empire united.
  • Kick-starting the Western Civilization. ...

Although king of ancient Macedonia for less than 13 years, Alexander the Great changed the course of history. One of the world's greatest military generals, he created a vast empire that stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to part of India. This allowed for Hellenistic culture to become widespread.

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What are some of the bad things Alexander the Great did?

Dec 11, 2020 · Alexander the Great could not have changed the course of history without the support of his army. And many soldiers in his army were mercenaries. At the same time, a lot of credit must be given to his father Philip II his mother Olympias, and his tutor Aristotle.

How did Alexander the Great inspire many people?

Aug 10, 2020 · Alexander the great did not only have a huge impact and be very important to history, but he also changed the way people looked at history and how the world is today. Earlier it states that he had a great impact in history by the way that he spread his Greek culture, but this also changed the way people viewed history.

How did Alexander the Great influence modern society?

How did Alexander the Great change history? Alexander's Legacy: Arguably the most important person in the ancient world, Alexander the Great altered the course of …

How did Alexander the Great conquer so much land?

Jun 13, 2012 · Although king of ancient Macedonia for less than 13 years, Alexander the Great changed the course of history. One of the world’s greatest military generals, he created a vast empire that stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to part of India. This allowed for Hellenistic culture to become widespread.

Why Alexander the Great is the single most important man in history?

Alexander III of Macedon (Alexander the Great) is the single greatest leader in all of history because he lead one of the grandest armies in the world and established one of the largest armies of antiquity.Oct 10, 2010

How did Alexander the Great Change ancient Greece?

Alexander the Great's legacy is both far reaching and profound. First, his father was able to unite the Greek city-states, and Alexander destroyed the Persian Empire forever. More importantly, Alexander's conquests spread Greek culture, also known as Hellenism, across his empire.

What made Alexander the Great so successful?

Why Was Alexander the Great Successful? Alexander's success lay in his military genius, knowing how to use his cavalry and troops precisely at key moments in battle. It seemed he was close to defeat several times but could use the situation to his advantage by luring his enemies into a deeper trap.

What can we learn from Alexander the Great?

Alexander's actions demonstrate what can be accomplished when a person is totally focused—when he or she has clarity coupled with a 'magnificent obsession'. Through dramatic gestures and great rhetorical skills, Alexander spoke to the collective imagination of his people and won the commitment of his followers.Nov 18, 2014

Why is Alexander the Great famous?

Although king of ancient Macedonia for less than 13 years, Alexander the Great changed the course of history. One of the world’s greatest military...

What was Alexander the Great’s childhood like?

Alexander was the son of Philip II and Olympias (daughter of King Neoptolemus of Epirus). From age 13 to 16 he was taught by the Greek philosopher...

How did Alexander the Great die?

While in Babylon, Alexander became ill after a prolonged banquet and drinking bout, and on June 13, 323, he died at age 33. There was much speculat...

What was Alexander the Great like?

While he could be ruthless and impulsive, Alexander was also charismatic and sensible. His troops were extremely loyal, believing in him throughout...

What did Alexander the Great learn as a teenager?

As a young boy, Alexander was taught to read, write, and play the lyre. He developed a life-long love of reading and music. When Alexander was a teenager, his father hired Aristotle to be his private tutor.

Who was Alexander the Great?

Alexander the Great, a Macedonian king, conquered the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, the Middle East, and parts of Asia in a remarkably short period of time. His empire ushered in significant cultural changes in the lands he conquered and changed the course of the region’s history. (356-323 BCE) Greek ruler, explorer, and conqueror.

Why did Alexander the Great include botanists and scientists in his army?

Alexander included botanists and scientists in his army to study the lands he conquered. In 336 B.C.E., at age 20, Alexander became king of Macedonia when a political rival assassinated his father. Alexander began his reign by subduing rivals in the Greek and Macedonian regions.

How old was Alexander the Great when he died?

At this point, his army refused to continue further into India, exhausted and discouraged by heavy rains. Alexander was 32 when he died in 323 B.C.E. During his 13-year reign as the king of Macedonia, Alexander created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to northwestern India.

Where did Alexander the Great spend most of his time?

He spent most of his reign on a military campaign through northeast Africa and southwestern Asia. Alexander built many new cities in the lands he conquered, including Alexandria in Egypt. He went on to conquer the lands of the Persian Empire, establishing more cities, and like Alexandria, often naming them after himself.

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Why is Alexander the Great so important?

While Alexander the Great is most known for his conquests, that is only one reason why he is one of the most significant men to ever live. Alexander’s greatest impacts on history comes from his policy of cultural exchange, his policy of unclear succession which the break up of his empire upon his death, and the reputation that he established.

Who was Alexander the Great?

Alexander the Great is best known as a conqueror and with good reason. Alexander’s empire spanned from the Balkans to the Indus.

What was Alexander the Great's first army?

Alexander’s life does not really become noteworthy until the age of 16 (the year is 340 BC), when Alexander took command of his first army. He did so to crush a revolt that had sprung up in Thrace, while his father was campaigning against the city-state Bzyantion. After proving his competence as a general, Phillip continued to give Alexander military assignments in Greece for the next 4 years. Many of these missions dealt with quelling rebellion within the Macedonian holdings in Greece. It was during this time that Alexander established his reputation as a ruthless commander, for he would completely raze any cities that took up arms against his father’s rule. The reason for this was that Phillip was preparing an invasion of the Persian Empire and did not want the Greeks to rebel while he was off campaigning. Before these plans could be realized Phillip was assassinated, leading the crown to pass to Alexander. After securing his succession, Alexander crossed into Turkey in the year 334 BC with a massive army, beginning the war with Persia, in the process. His heavily armed and armored spear men made easy work of the armies of the Persian satraps (governors) in Turkey. When he had finished conquering Turkey, he battled and defeated the main Persian royal army that was personally led by the Persian King, Darius III. Alexander was initially losing the battle, but managed to turn the tide when he charged Darius’s position, causing the Persian King to flee. With Darius temporarily defeated Alexander was free to conquer the Levant, Syria, and Egypt virtually unopposed. By the time Alexander had conquered all of these regions, Darius had managed to muster another army. The Macedonians and Persians met at Gaugamela (near modern-day Mosul, Iraq), and once more Darius was defeated. The second defeat of Darius allowed Alexander to enter the Persian heartland and conquer the Persian capital at Persepolis. With the Persian empire effectively destroyed Alexander turned his attention to the realm which bordered his new empire, India. Alexander was quite successful for the short time that he spent in India, but was forced to return to his home due to mutinies among his troops, who had grown homesick after being at war for 15 years. On his journey back to Macedonia, Alexander and his troops rested in the city of Babylon. It was here that Alexander became ill dying a few days later at the age of 35 on June 11, 323 BC.

How many kingdoms did Alexander the Great have?

Eventually dividing it into 4 kingdoms. These kingdoms continued to exist for the next 300 hundred years, all of them playing a key role in Mediterranean politics. Finally, Alexander established a legacy that drove future great men (the most noteworthy being Julius Caesar and Napoleon) to aspire to be like him.

When did Alexander the Great enter Turkey?

After securing his succession, Alexander crossed into Turkey in the year 334 BC with a massive army, beginning the war with Persia, in the process. His heavily armed and armored spear men made easy work of the armies of the Persian satraps (governors) in Turkey.

Who defeated Alexander the Great?

With Darius temporarily defeated Alexander was free to conquer the Levant, Syria, and Egypt virtually unopposed. By the time Alexander had conquered all of these regions, Darius had managed to muster another army.

What was the Greek confederation?

The unified Greek confederation was, for the first time in centuries, freed from the influence of the ever encroaching Persians and the destruction that wars between the city-state brought. This in turn allowed Greek culture to finally surpass Persian culture as the dominant culture of the Mediterranean.

What was Alexander the Great's impact on history?

He was head strong, violent, extremely brave, politically cunning, loved by his men, and a gifted leader . Few individuals have had the sort of impact on history that Alexander did. With his death, what was called the Hellenic Age becomes the Hellenistic.

How did Alexander the Great influence the Western world?

Alexander extended the boundaries of European civilization as far as India, and left behind a definite impact on the history, art and religion of the areas he conquered.

What did Alexander the Great do before his death?

Before his death, Alexander created a unified ruling class for his huge empire; he placed a mixture of Persians and Greeks in charge of different satrapies in his empire. He encouraged the inter-marrying of Greeks and Persians and the result was the combination of the two cultures and the spread of Greek culture throughout the world. ...

What did Hannibal feel about Alexander the Great?

Hannibal, in particular, can be seen as having felt status anxiety when he compared himself to Alexander. According to classical accounts, he felt that Alexander would not have been defeated in the Battle of Zama, despite the superior tactics and numbers of the Roman legions.

What did Alexander the Great encourage his soldiers to do?

He encouraged acceptance of all races, he even encouraged his soldiers to marry the native Persian women to keep ties strong between satrapies. Before Alexander, unity was a foreign concept for many people, he introduced this idea and his empire was successful and led to the Hellenistic Period of ancient history.

Who was the greatest military leader in history?

Alexander the Great is without doubt one of the greatest military leaders of history. Not only did Alexander of Macedon conquer enormous areas of the known world but also he demonstrated dynamic leadership and masterful strategy on a large scale and tactics on the battlefield. During his life, he ruled the largest empire the world had ever seen, which stretched from ancient Greece to India. The son of King Phillip II of Macedon, Alexander was educated by the philosopher Aristotle and first led Macedonian troops at age 18.

Who felt status anxiety?

Scipio Africanus, and his Carthaginian counterpart Hannibal Barca were both recorded to have felt a slight sense of inadequacy at being unable to achieve the same level of military prowess as Alexander. Hannibal, in particular, can be seen as having felt status anxiety when he compared himself to Alexander.

What did Alexander the Great do to gain credibility with the Persians?

To gain credibility with the Persians, Alexander took on many Persian customs. He began dressing like a Persian and adopted the practice of proskynesis, a Persian court custom that involved bowing down and kissing the hand of others, depending on their rank.

Who was Alexander the Great?

Alexander the Great was an ancient Macedonian ruler and one of history’s greatest military minds who, as King of Macedonia and Persia, established the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen. By turns charismatic and ruthless, brilliant and power hungry, diplomatic and bloodthirsty, Alexander inspired such loyalty in his men they’d follow ...

What city did Alexander the Great take over?

Next, Alexander took over the Phoenician cities of Marathus and Aradus. He rejected a plea from Darius for peace and took the towns of Byblos and Sidon. He then laid siege to the heavily fortified island of Tyre in January 332 B.C., after the Tyrians refused him entry.

What river did Alexander the Great cross?

They crossed the Hellespont, a narrow strait between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara, and faced Persian and Greek forces at the Granicus River. Victory went to Alexander and the Macedonians. Alexander then headed south and easily took the city of Sardes.

How old was Alexander the Great when he claimed the throne?

Just 20 years old, Alexander claimed the Macedonian throne and killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty. He also quashed rebellions for independence in northern Greece. Once he’d cleaned house, Alexander left to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue Macedonia’s world domination.

What horse did Alexander the Great tame?

At age 12, Alexander showed impressive courage when he tamed the wild horse Bucephalus, an enormous stallion with a furious demeanor. The horse became his battle companion for most of Alexander’s life. When Alexander was 13, Philip called on the great philosopher Aristotle to tutor his son.

Why did Alexander the Great travel to the desert?

Alexander traveled to the desert to consult the oracle of Ammon, a god of supposed good counsel. Legends abound about what transpired at the oracle, but Alexander kept mum about the experience. Still, the visit furthered speculation Alexander was a deity.

How did Alexander the Great change the world?

During his time, he destroyed major world cities and later build a new one with his own means and style. His Persian style of ruling was widely adopted through all kingdoms.

How long did Alexander the Great rule?

In a span of his reign, which lasted for twelve years, alexander the great had made the biggest empire known as Macedonia that stretched from Greece to the current Pakistan. In his time, he was able to conquer great Persian Empire and many other empires that were relatively smaller.

How did the use of the common language lead to the simplification of the trade and exchange concepts?

The use of the common language led to the simplification of the trade and exchange concepts. The people were taught the Greek language which implied the trading activities. This led to the involvement of the more people in business activities.

How did the food supply affect the Greek economy?

The food supply reduced the number of resources that were used to acquire food among the Greek people. This meant that most of the resources were used in productive and development activities leading to economic growth among the Greek people. Again, Alexander initiated vast building project in Greece.

What were the cities and roads used for in Greece?

The cities and roads were used to assist the transit of the merchandise. Foundation cities or towns were planned according to the pattern of the Greece. The towns contained marketplace square, shops, schools, offices, theater, exercise room, and temples.

What was Alexander the Great's trade?

Alexander the great enhanced trade between him and other international bodies in the world. The trade led to supply of the goods and services to the empire. After conquering the territories Alexander was involved in trading activities which improved the living standards among the Greek people [footnoteRef:8].

What were the items that Alexander the Great made?

Other items included jewelry, cosmetics, salt, wine and beer [footnoteRef:6]. In Asia, they manufactured woolen, carpets, perfumes and pain relieving drugs. The Greek kingdom was able to expand after resources were brought in from the conquered cities, and this was made possible by alexander’s ambitions.

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