Does Alexander The Great Merit His Exalted Historical Reputation - Essay Example

Response for "Does Alexander the Great Merit His Exalted Historical Reputation?" Yes, Alexander the Great does deserve his exalted historical reputation as he happened to be an astute military and political leader whose vision of an empire coalescing the Greek and Asian values, traditions, territories and people was way ahead of the limited worldview subscribed to by most of the Europeans of his times. In that context the argument forwarded by Hammond is more credible as it takes into consideration the peculiar abilities and genius of Alexander that made him such a far sighted and charismatic leader.

As per Hammond, Alexander was a military leader who led from the front, a trait that imbued his soldiers with confidence and enthusiasm (Hammond, 1997). In a Greek context he commanded the loyalty and following of almost all the Greek city states and he made it a point never to step on the sovereignty and traditions of the Greek city states (Hammond, 1997). His vision as a conqueror aimed at forging a cultural, economic and political unity between Macedonia and the Asian territories he annexed to his empire (Hammond, 1997).

However, according to Rice, Alexander as a military leader happened to be impulsive and it was just owing to his good luck that he escaped getting killed in many of his foolhardy ventures (Rice, 1997). Many a times Alexander failed to understand the aspirations and sentiments of his loyal Macedonian troops, which resulted in resentment and discontent amongst them (Rice, 1997). Besides, Alexander merely focused on conquering new territories in Asia, without evincing the ability to install stable and lasting administrative machinery in them (Rice, 1997).

Still, the fame Alexander accrued is well deserved in the sense that the dream he embarked on happened to be too big and ambitious, ever to be attempted by a mortal in the world history. The enormity of his vision is indicative of his extraordinary character and personality. As per O’Brien, Alexander was able to instill a marked sense of adventure and daring in his Greek troops, which followed him to the end of the world (O’Brien, 1994, p. 10). Richard Stoneman particularly praises Alexander for harboring a vision that dared to look beyond the confines of the Greek politics and ambition, to embrace the unheard of territories and cultures (Stoneman, 2004, p. 24). ReferencesHammond, N.G.L (1997).

The Genius of Alexander the Great. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. O’Brien, L.M. (1994). Alexander the Great. London: Routledge. Rice, E.E. (19970). Alexander the Great. New York: Sutton Publishing. Stoneman, R. (2004). Alexander the Great. London: Routledge.