Alexander the Great

Essay by pinktabby02High School, 10th grade September 2004

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In October 356 BC, Alexander the Great was born to a power-hungry father, King Philip of Macedon, and a passionate and beautiful mother, Princess Olympias from Epirus. Alexander's rare and unique personality incorporated the blazing fire of his mother, the incomparable political sagacity of his father Philip, and an expanded mind, the result of extensive tutoring by the well known Aristotle. This unbeatable combination resulted in a desire not met by any other man to ever walk the earth: Alexander was determined to conquer the world. Not only did he aspire to it - he very nearly accomplished. It is believed by many that had death not stolen him from this earth at such a young age, Alexander would have been the first, the only, man to rule the entire earth. He hailed the Greek god Zeus as his patron. "You, Zeus, hold Olympus. I set the earth beneath me", were the words Alexander had inscribed on his official statues.

Alexander's goal was not simply the conquest of all the empire of Persia; but rather to reach the very ends of the earth; Alexander dreamed of reaching the River Oceanus, which Aristotle had told him ringed the entire earth. There is reason enough to doubt that any other ruler in history actually and deliberately attempted to conquer the whole earth, with the probable exception of Napoleon Bonaparte. No historian alive has ever undividedly stated what, exactly, drove and inspired Alexander the Great. There no convincing evidence that he was driven simply by a yearning for wealth and power, like his father, Philip; nor was it the passion and zeal given him by his mother. Many historians go so far as to say it was the sheer rush of a battle field, the boyish longing to be a hero,