Alexander the Great Essay

Submitted By lucoff
Words: 1548
Pages: 7

There are many ways that one might define courage. Some would say that it is the absence of fear, I believe that courage is the ability to stand and face your fear despite being afraid. We all need courage in our lives, without it we will all live our lives filled with nothing but regrets. People are afraid of many things, even if they don't like to admit it. Why are people ashamed to be afraid? We try to pretend that we are not afraid when we are the most afraid of all. It is an attempt to defend ourselves from being vulnerable to not only our fears but from other people as well. Of all the things in the world that we to be afraid of we fear each other more than anything else. People are afraid of not only being hurt physically by other people but more than anything we fear being hurt emotionally by other people. It is something we fear beyond all else, it is something that most people will avoid at all costs. We need courage to face these fears of pain and loss. Unfortunately we are not all courageous, and those people who are not will be forced to live their lives with regrets because they were too afraid to stand and act. Too afraid to fight for the things that they want and love. Then there are those of us who’s courage and ability to stand and fight for what they believe in seems almost superhuman. Alexander the Great is one of these individuals. He stood and fought for what he wanted, and he wanted the world. His courage in the face of the odds against him not only won him the throne of Macedonia, but won him the throne of all of the known world. The new king of Macedon was Alexander III to be known as Alexander the great who came on the throne in October 336 BCE, at the age 20 and he would soon destroy the Persian empire and conquer all the territories of the ancient world, as far as India. Alexander was a remarkable person who combined the military genius and political vision of his father Philip, with literary bent, some romanticism and a taste for adventure. In less than two years Alexander secured the Greek and Thracian borders and gathered an army of 50,000 men for the assault on Asia. He made available a considerable fleet of warships and supplies for his soldiers. With him were also scholars to record their discoveries and achievements far in the east. The army crossed the Dardanelles in spring 334. Alexander made libations to the sea as he crossed. He then immediately headed for Troy where he sacrificed bulls to Athena and also to the heroes of the Trojan War. The battlefield Granicus was not too far away from Troy. At first glance, the superior army of the Persians seemed advantageous holding their position on the steep banks of the river Granicus. However, the power of the Macedonian phalanx army advancing with their heavy weapons gave the Persian army a shock after which the Persian commander committed suicide. Alexander left one of his commanders, Parmenio in Arsides' palace at Dascyleium and marched via Sardis to Ephesus where he was to meet his fleet. The Persian garrison here was gone and the city was getting a democratic revolution as he arrived there. Alexander, at Ephesus, offered sacrifices and donations to the great temple of Artemis, however, proud Ephesians declined his offer on the basis that it is not appropriate for a god to make donation for another god. Alexander's warm attitude encouraged other cities in the area to join Alexander, being Magnesia on the Meander and Tralles the first among. Alexander next marched towards Miletus which put resistance against the Alexander's forces, so a siege was begun by the Macedonian army. Meanwhile, a Persian fleet arrived, but they were kept by the Alexander's ships and soldiers from landing on the coast. Miletus was taken by Alexander; however the population wasn't enslaved because their ancestors had been involved in Ionian revolt against Persians. But a tribute was imposed on Miletus. Another tough struggle waited at Halicarnassus, which was