Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great had many admirable qualities. He was very generous and well liked throughout all of his life. By the end of his life many who had been thought his friends had betrayed him and many people acted disrespectful toward him.

He was born in July of 356 BC to Philip and Olympias. He claims Hercules and Aeacus as his ancestors. As a child he was very temperate and precocious. The King of Persia, Darius, was very impressed with him. The older he grew the less he delighted in his father's conquests because he felt that they would be one less place for him to conquer. He hoped to inherit a kingdom in turmoil so he would have some action and work to do when he became king.

He studied under Leonides, Lysimachus, and Aristotle. His teachers learned that it was best to persuade rather than compel, he responded much more favorably. He loved learning and reading. He also like to practice the art of medicine. He eventually drifted from Aristotle because he like war too much. At sixteen he started his military career by taking Maedi.

His father was murdered by Paersaias. He left the kingdom a mess, which Alexander set out right away to fix. Before he left he divided all of his property among his friends. He continues this practice the rest of his life. He became very displeased when people refused his gifts more than when they begged. He he was always generous with his friends and spoils them to the point that they eventually go rotten and complain about him. After one particular night of partying and ingratitude he tells them that, “those who labor sleep more sweetly and soundly than those who are labored for.” They start to treat him disrespectfully.

He was also very kind, fair, and respectful to everyone, even those who are taken prisoner of war. Eventually he defeats his long time enemy, the King of Persia. Darius escapes, but his mother, wife, and two daughters are captured. He treats them very well, so much so that they hardly noticed a difference in their lifestyle. When the wife of Darius dies during childbirth he gives her a funeral fit for a queen. After he conquered a land he tried very hard to win the hearts of the people. He tried to make them his people, yet respected their local customs, even participated at times.

He was a temperate man in all respects while a youth. After he conquers as far into Asia as he dares he takes a trip to the ocean. On this trip many things happen that open his eyes to his mortality. He sees his friends for who they are and almost dies. Something changes, he loses his temperance and parties all the way home. At home he dies. Some say he was poisoned by his own mother, who also killed his half brother. There is much to admire in Alexander, but his life is also a cautionary tale. He was too trusting and generous in a biased way. He may have gotten as much pleasure out of giving his belongings to the people of his country as of giving to just his friends, maybe more. The people certainly would have loved him ore than his friends did. He also got a little greedy, which almost cost him his life.

I didn't like this story very much. There was too much military stuff in it. I like the stories about life, I am not interested in military strategy. I guess his whole life was about conquest, but it didn't actually tell me very much about who he really was. I would have liked to have heard more about his relationships and how he dealt with the death of his father, or how he related to his half brother. I would have liked to have had more insight into what he was like as a husband. He certainly seemed like a gentleman. Someday maybe.