Alexander the Great

Please write a five paragraph essay on the question: Was Alexander's adventure really worth it? In your body paragraphs, you must cite specific examples to back up your thesis -- examples must include one from each of the following: Egypt, Persepolis, Afghanistan, India.


I think Alexander's adventure was worth it.  He conquered all of Asia, finally returned honor to Greece, and created an epic tale for himself.  He was a brave leader, he fought with his army, he starved with his army, and he walked with his army.  People must have been proud to call him their leader.  I know I would have been.  Alexander worked hard to achieve his goals, and he led one of the greatest armies in history to truly terrific victories which really makes the whole thing worth it.


An example that really proves what a power he was is when Alexander got to Egypt.  "Alexander was therefore hailed as Savior and Liberator, and as the people's choice and legitimate heir he was offered the double crown of the Two Lands. Anointed as pharaoh in Memphis on 14 November 332 bc, the culmination of his coronation was the climactic moment when the high priest named him 'son of the gods' according to traditions dating back almost 3,000 years," (Fildes, 1996-2010).  If this doesn't seem like a good enough reason to go there, I don't know what is.   He was respected and loved by the people of Egypt, and he was called son of a god.  This, I think, encouraged Alexander to continue on in his conquest.  At this point, Alexander thought he was unstoppable.

Compared to the way he was welcomed in Egypt, Persepolis was the complete opposite.  Alexander's goal there was to kill and conquer, which is exactly what he did.  When he arrived there, he gave over the city to the army to plunder.  "The Macedonians rushed into it, killing all the men and plundering the houses, which were numerous and full of furniture and precious objects of every kind," ("Alexander Sacks Persepolis," 2011).  Men, women, and children were killed or sold into slavery.  This is one of Alexander's darkest hours, but what he did was necessary for their victory.  This part of his adventure might not have seemed very god-like, but he gained land and money toward his goal of conquest.

"By 330 BC Alexander has the world’s richest crown with riches and wealth of Persian Empire, which would fuel his invasion of Afghanistan. In Afghanistan he faced his fiercest battles and grave loss to his army physically, mentally and financially. After 4 years of battle he passed through Afghanistan to Central Asia and with 100 thousand reinforcements from Greece and newly captured central Asian kingdoms returns to Afghanistan and captures Balkh, Qandahar, Heart, and Kabul and begins his invasion of India. In Afghanistan he falls in love with a local chief's daughter named Rokhsana (Roxanne) and they get married before the invasion of India," ("Invasion of Alexander," 2000).  This part of Alexander's journey was worth it because he married someone who would hopefully create his heir.

When Alexander was in India, he was like he was in Egypt and like he was in Persepolis.  He fought many battles, and made a few friends too. "But now that Porus was defeated Alexander was gracious to him, and treated him as one great king and warrior should treat another. Henceforth they became friends,"  ("Alexander the Great Invades India," 2011).  I believe this proves that Alexander isn't fighting just to be ruthless, he is conquering all this land, and he is making friends with some of the leaders.  He knows how to keep powerful allies.  Alexander was very bright in all his war tactics, and every step of his journey he learned something about himself.

Alexander's journey was obviously worth it.  He made friends, found a loving wife, and conquered more land than anyone ever has.  Sure he made some mistakes and made quite a few enemies, but he is only human.  He set goals, and he achieved them.  Alexander the Great sometimes gets a bad rep because he was "ruthless".  It was just part of his character.  I think that Alexander will never regret doing what he did because it was worth it.

Works Cited

·         Fildes, A. M., & Fletcher, D. J. (n.d.). Egypt: Alexander the Great in Egypt. Egypt Travel, Tours, Vacations, Ancient Egypt from Tour Egypt. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/alexanderthegreat.htm

·         Afghanland.com Afghanistan and Alexander the Great. (n.d.). Afghanland.com. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from http://www.afghanland.com/history/alexander.html

·         Alexander the Great Invades India. (n.d.). About Hinduism - What You Need to Know About Hinduism. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from http://hinduism.about.com/od/history/a/alexander.htm

·         Alexander the Great: the destruction of Persepolis. (n.d.). Livius. Articles on Ancient History. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t12.htm