Alexander the Great inherited one of the most powerful armies in the ancient world from his father Philip. The army used a unique spear phalanx that was virtually unheard of outside of Macedonia, and the army was well trained and supported. Additionally Philip felt the use of siege weaponry was of great importance and invested in engineers to aid him. Philip even used siege weaponry on the field in battle some times. Philip set the stage for his son to dominate the known world, and even gave him a road map for conquering Asia minor, but an army and siege weapons are only a portion of an armies success. Especially when planning a long protracted campaign far from home.
Alexander’s conquest of Asia was heavily influenced by two very important factors. The ability to logistically supply his army across vast areas and the ability of his engineers to allow him to take cities without long protracted sieges. This allowed Alexander to quickly expand his empire without having to worry about opponents being able to exploit his absence in other areas. Perhaps even more important than siege tactics and improved weaponry were the logistics that allowed Alexander to continue with his campaign without running out of food, water, and fodder for his army. An army is limited in how much food and water can be carried by personnel and animals and must forage or have some logistical support to supply it over a long period.
An average ration for a grown man on campaign with a full load would have been three pounds of grain or something else similarly nutritional and two quarts of water. The animals also needed to be fed and an average for a horse was ten pounds of food and eight gallons of water.1 Alexander was known to disdain wagons and endeavo...
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One of the reasons for Alexander’s military success is because he was brought up by a great military leader. Alexander’s father was King Phillip II of Macedonia, a great military leader himself. When Alexander was a young man, around 16, his father realized his potential and pulled him out of school and put him out on the field to learn (McGill). He also got him a tutor, one of the best in all of history, Aristotle. Alexander’s young life will prove to be one of the largest reasons for his...
The first matter to consider is what constitutes “greatness”. There are no set standards no checklist, to apply to a person, to determine it they are “great.” The simplest way that I could conceive to decide whether this title should apply to Alexander was to determine if he was, in some way, superior to the rulers that came before or after his reign. The most obvious place for me to start my consideration is with Alexander’s vast accomplishments as a conquerer.
Darius had an advantage over Alexander the Great, he had more troops, better resources, and he chose the battle field. Although Darius had the advantage he was not as smart as Alexander. Alexander had good communication with his troops; he planned according, in addition he was well organized before the battled. He did not stray away from his plan he stuck to it. Alexander troops were heavily armed they moved in formation, and they were shield with their long spears they stayed close together and moved in formation. In addition he did not have all his troops engaged in the battle at once he planned an awesome attack strategy that won him and his troops the war.
Problems Associated with The Reign of Alexander II (1855-81) The Russian Government faced many problems during the reign of Alexander II, who had tried to solve many of the problems in society. There is a difference of opinion as to how effective Alexander II was in dealing with Russia’s problems. Russia was on the verge of a mass serf rebellion when Alexander II came into power. The serfs thought that landowners had too much control over their lives and that they were basically slaves.
The. Alexander the Great. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.
Alexander the Great was only 20 years when his father Philip of Macedon died. Even though he was a young man, he had an unusual talent for politics and military tactics. After his father’s death, Alexander moved to continue Philip’s invasion of Persia. In the ten years of his war campaigns, Alexander conquered a large portion of the then-known world. (Judge & Langdon, 2012.)
In the countries who believed Alexander was the son of the devil or the devil himself, will say he is not ‘great’ but a demon who did evil. The countries who were on his side would say he was the greatest conqueror to live. He began as a Macedonian cavalry commander at eighteen, king of Macedonia at twenty, conqueror of Persia at twenty-six and explorer of India at thirty [Foner and Garraty]. The amount of large scale accomplishments he managed to finish in a span of six years is astonishing. Alexander’s tomb was the largest tourist attraction in the ancient world. The tomb was even visited by Julius Caesar, Pompey, Caligula, and Augustus. Alexander the Great’s accomplishments set a bar in which provided a standard that all other leaders would match their careers too. Many leaders after Alexander could not reach the standard left by him [Foner and
Alexander the Not so Great:history through Persian eyes by Prof Ali Ansari Paragraph 1 Page
Jarus, Owen. "Alexander the Great: Facts, Biography, and Accomplishments." 27 September 2013. livescience. Document. 27 October 2013.
Alexander was born in Pella, the capital of Macedon, on July 20, 356 B.C. He was the son of King Philip II and his fourth wife Olympias, an Epirote princess. Alexander was bred to be a warrior; his father was a great commander and king, and his mom’s second cousin, Pyrrhus of Epirus, was a celebrated general. So there were noteworthy examples of military genius on both sides of his family. As a child, Alexander’s mother would tell him stories of how he was a descendant to Achilles and Hercules. Achilles was his favorite hero growing up, as he read of his adventures in Homer’s Iliad. From an early age Alexander was practically raised by everyone but his parents. He was originally educated by a strict teacher named Leonidas. Alexander’s father wanted Alexander to become a great man, so he acquired the famous philosopher Aristotle to become his tutor. Aristotle trained him in rhetoric and literature, and stimulated his interest in medicine, science, and philosophy. Aristotle is credited for Alexander’s fasci...
Alexander rested his army for a short time at Taxilia, the largest city between the Indus and the Hydaspes and owned by Alexander’s new ally. Alexander would
Mosse, W.E. "Alexander II (Emperor of Russia)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.I
Have you ever wondered why Alexander from Macedonia is called Alexander the Great. According to history, it is because he is the most glorious general in the history who conquered Persia, Greece, Egypt and Babylon in a very inexperienced age. He became the commander of Macedonian armies at age eighteen and the king of Macedonia at age twenty. After six years of preparation, he conquered the great Persian empire. Unfortunately, he died at age thirty-three. He would have conquered many lands if he hadn’t died at a such young age. He was a legend and an icon for great kings like Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, and Pompey. World’s most famous generals tried to compete with him but they couldn’t accomplish. After years, his tomb
"Speech of Alexander the Great." Kadambam. Word Press, 25 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. .