Alexander The Great: Imperial Examples: Alexander The Great

Alexander the Great
Imperial Examples
Alexander with his strategic brilliance and charismatic young leadership went to the edge and back while traversing what he knew of his world, it must have been a different world all of those thousands of years ago. Alexander was born in Pella Greece during the summer months of 356 he lived through the years leading up to 323 BC when he tragically lost his life. “…Alexander was marked out as the crown prince. As the son of Olympias, the blood of the royal house of Epirus flowed in his veins, and he referred his lineage to Andromache and Achilles on his mother’s side, to Hercules on his father’s.” Alexander made great symbolic gestures alluding to of his divine mythical heritage. Throughout his career

Plutarch speaks of ethical and political instruction, and it is extremely likely that he received basic training in eristics.”
“At age sixteen, in the year 340 B.C., Alexander left Mieza to join his father in running the affairs of the rapidly expanding and increasingly powerful Macedonian state.”
These early lessons would serve as an example to Alexander when he would later rise to fill his father’s role as hegemon of all Greece. Alexander would serve as a commander in his father’s army at The Battle of Chaeronea against the Theban and Athenian Armies before, his ascension to the throne. Here he would over run the legendary Theban Cavalry securing all of Greece-with the exception of Sparta-under Macedonian rule. Together Phillip and his son used their skills to gather intelligence about their enemy and waited until just the right moment to attack.
“We don’t know whether it was Phillip or Alexander who pushed for the information and intelligence-gathering, but we do know that such detailed information-gathering was a hallmark of Alexander’s military tactics. Much of that holistic orientation was derived from Aristotle’s training at

They shared their veteran experience with Alexander advising him as he built his empire. Parmenio was to become the leading military general answering directly to Alexander while Antipater would serve as hegemon to the Corinthian League in Alexander’s absence. “Alexander needed to assert his authority outside his kingdom almost as much as he did within it. The assassination of his father had encouraged widespread unrest and dissidence in southern Greece.” Upon securing the throne Alexander faced a familiar foe in the rebellious Athenians and Thebans. They were dissatisfied with the terms imposed upon them after the Battle of Chaeronea and saw Alexander as a weak opponent who would falter in action against them. They were severely mistaken because Alexander acted with immense force and incredible speed. News of the rebellion reached Alexander while he was in the territory of Illyria north of Macedon. He did not hesitate to turn on his heels and head directly for Thebes, “In a forced march-that is, at the double- over the mountains of Macedonia, the tired Macedonian army reached the borders of Thebes in only thirteen days.” He proceeded to surprise the forces readying for their offensive, attacking them with a relentless tenacity that left Thebes a ravaged ruin of what it once was. “The terrible act of destroying an entire culture and society like Thebes hung over Alexander all his life.