Alexander the Great

Paper Summary:

The paper begins with a short biography of Alexander the Great. The circumstances that led to the execution of Alexander's trusted general Parmenion and his son are outlined. Alexander's position and the effects that this event had on his life and his role as a leader are discussed.

From the Paper:

"Alexander the Great was born sometime around July 20th, in 356 B.C., the son of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, in Pella. As a child, the great philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, tutored him. His father was murdered in 336 B.C., and Alexander took the throne at the young age of twenty. He was one of the greatest conquerors in history, taking over Greece, Persia, Egypt, and part of India before he died. "He was not yet twenty-six. In six years he had won greater victories than any hero in Greek history had won in a lifetime, and he had done it, at several turning-points, in the teeth of all advice from his generals and Companions" (Burn 175).
He considered himself a relative of the god Hercules, and insisted that the residents of his vast realm must prostrate themselves before him. His affinity for Hercules was understandable, since "Hercules was, first, the son of Zeus, yet he also was a mortal who became a god. Creating a parallel to the life of Hercules would further strengthen Alexander's claim to be divine" (Untereker, Kossuth, and Kelsey). Alexander died of a fever on June 10, 323 B.C., in Babylon. He was only thirty-three years old when he died, and much speculation has been made that his enemies poisoned him with wine."

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