Alexander The Great: Alexander The Great

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Alexander the Great, born in July of the year 356 B.C. was the ruler and king of the Greek Kingdom known as Macedonia. In his early years, Alexander was trained as a fighter by his tutor, Aristotle. He trained with his mentor until the age of 16, when his father Phillip II was assassinated, and he inherited his throne. With a massive army at his hand, Alexander started his conquest to capture the Persian Empire, and "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea.” Alexander was considered one of the greatest commanders of all time because of his spotless technique, and undefeated fighting career. He was known for his skills in battle, and his intelligent battle methods. Although he only lived 33 years, he left a legacy of heroism, and bravery behind. Many war commanders after him strived to fight as he did, but none can compare to the legendary Alexander the Great. The battle of Gaugamela was Alexander’s most well known battle. It was fought against the Macedonians, led by Alexander, and the Persians, led by Darius III. The odds were against the Macedonians because of the much larger Persian army with over five times the amount of men. Alexander won this battle by using half his men to go around either side of the Persians, and “hammer” them by riding into both sides, and the other half to ride to the east, away from the battle. In riding away, Darius left an opening in his armies phalanx, allowing the Macedonians to sneak in and capture the Persians from the inside. Another interesting battle was the battle of Cyropolis. The battle of Cyropolis was fought in the year 229 B.C. Alexander’s goal was to capture the city of Sogdiana for the Macedonians. The Sogdians had prepared for Alexander’s army by building large, fortified walls a... ... middle of paper ... ...lden sarcophagus, and filled with honey to preserve the body. Then, it was laid in a gold casket, and taken back to the city of Macedon. On the way to Macedon, it is believed that Ptolemy stole the body, but later returned it to the city of Alexandria, founded for Alexander. After the burial of the coffin, many warriors tried to steal Alexander’s armor buried in his tomb. Some succeeded, but others stayed away because of their reverence for the great warrior. Alexander earned the title, “Great,” because of his “unparalleled success as a commander.” Despite being outnumbered on many occasions, Alexander fought hard, and never lost a battle. His knowledge and use of the battlefield gained him respect, and fortune for his army, and the region of Macedonia. He was constantly able to adapt to different terrains, and techniques, and always brought honor to his people.

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