Alexander The Great Arrogance

Although Alexander the Great of Macedonia’s actions as a conqueror mark him as a great leader to many, they are marred by an arrogance which is what gives him the label of a bad leader. This cocksure behavior increased as the years went on and led to the intolerable pride Alexander carried marking him as an unsatisfactory leader from the present perspective. Alexander acted brashly just to earn glory and did not consider the consequences of if he had been injured. In The Battle of Gaugamela it mentions Alexander leading his army “with Alexander himself at the head of them, vigorously pressed the assault” (Arrian, The Battle of Gaugamela). This action of his is a cry for glory, not for Macedonia, but just for Alexander. Alexander is certainly

When taming Bucephalus, he acts and speaks in a manner that can be interpreted as if Alexander is better than everyone present when he says “all because they don’t know how to handle him, or dare not try!” (Plutarch, Alexander Tames Bucephalus). Alexander’s language can be understood as bravery, or as arrogance. It reads as if Alexander believes all the people around him to be spineless or too uneducated to understand how to tame Bucephalus, whereas he is the bravest and cleverest so he can. Alexander also places others beneath him when he uses the language “savage and uncivilized” when speaking about other cultures (Plutarch, Excerpt from writing). Alexander the Great obviously believed his traditions and ways were the best because he saw other cultures that he conquered as backwards and wished to convert all the races and cultures in the world to his own way of thinking. The quote “[he desired to give] all the races in the world...one rule and one form of government, making all mankind a single people” could be perceived as Alexander striving for unity of the world (Plutarch, Excerpt from writings). Alexander’s idea of unity comes from the standpoint that Alexander’s way to govern a country is the best way and wanted to standardize all of the nations of the world into his narrow perspective. This small-minded view of the world does not promote knowledge and learning but instead

The anonymous author brings up the actions of Alexander “assuming the royal Persian head-dress” and Alexander’s desire to have himself “worshipped as a god” (Anonymous Author, Excerpts from “Itinerarium Alexandri”). Alexander the Great acting as a god appears also in a excerpt of an article by Alan M. Fildes. The article mentions Alexander wearing the Egyptian symbols of royalty and the many images of Alexander found throughout Egypt on statues. Alexander showed little respect for the culture of the lands he conquered instead choosing to assume the highest ranking role and clothe himself appropriately. One source by Arrian mentions Alexander’s motive to wear these outfits as “that the king might not appear altogether alien to [the conquered peoples]”, however, the anonymous author mentions the disgust his men had for this appropriation (Arrian, Excerpts from “The Anabasis of Alexander”). “They took offense at...his vanity in assuming the royal Persian head-dress” (Anonymous Author, Excerpts from “Itinerarium Alexandri”). The previous quote shows although Alexander the Great may have tried to appeal to his conquered peoples, he failed and built up a negative image with many, including a vast number of his men. Alexander’s negative reputation with his men was also solidified by all the glory Alexander gained from the wars and battles fought, whereas his soldiers received very