Alexander the Great and Western Civilization

One of the most significant aspects of history is the discussion regarding Western Civilizations. The topic of western civilization encompasses the achievements of some of the notable figures who were involved in efforts to determine the world of today. In this case, the discussion on western civilization can be traced to the achievements of Alexander the Great. Alexander was one of the most famous students who was taught by the philosopher, Aristotle. We can trace the background of Alexander to the small kingdom of Macedonia which was ruled by his father, Philip, and Aristotle was hired by Philip to offer his services as a personal teacher to Alexander. Through this interaction with Aristotle, Alexander was able to acquire skills in religion, art, philosophy, and literature. The chapter of Alexander the great begins following the demise of his father, Philip, after which he set out on his conquest.

The Journey of Alexander the Great

Following the death of King Philip, Alexander inherited the throne of his father with so much vigor and zeal following inspirational stories of great kings and warriors whom he emulated and sought to attain similar success(Fuller, 2018). Alexander was very ambitious kings, and his efforts paid off based on the ability of Alexander to make history following his conquests which had never been witnessed before in a short period of twelve years. Alexander managed to conquer some of the most formidable empires including the Persian Empire and the Egyptian Empire(Spielvogel, 2014). Alexander received the title Alexander the Great following his 12-year conquest where he never lost a single battle, and at a young age of 32 years, Alexander the Great had managed to expand his territory(Fuller, 2018) immensely all the way from Macedonia to India.

Opening the World View

After his conquests on the foreign territories, Alexander introduced Greek civilizations and language to his new territories(Worthington, 2014). Additionally, Alexander brought with him scientists who engaged in expeditions on the unknown lands where he is noted to have facilitated the understanding that the world existed beyond the banks of Indus River(Fuller, 2018). As Alexander transverse through the various empires during his conquest, he was able to transfer different concepts across the kingdoms. One of the significant achievements by Alexander towards Western civilizations was brought about by the opening of new commerce roads which served a great purpose for the western people(Worthington, 2014). Before the conquest by Alexander in those regions, the commercial roads belonged to the Persians which locked out the rest of the western populations.

Conquering the Persian Empire

Conquering the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great marked a new chapter regarding trade in the west where the trade routes we all under the control of Alexander the Great and his expansive kingdom(Spielvogel, 2014). The roads opened up trade where there was the movement of pearls, precious metals and stones, and jade which was ferried to the west. Additionally, there were numerous expansions as a result of the efforts by Alexander which facilitated the development of the silk roads.(Fuller, 2018) As Alexander the Great continued conquering new lands, he was able to open the world at large where there were new interactions and growth which is part of the growth of the western civilization. Alexander was open to ideas, and this enabled him to mold his successors in a manner where they were able to become supple and adopt some of the cultures(Spielvogel, 2014) associated with the conquered kingdoms.

Alexander’s Vision

Alexander the Great had an open and inclusive view which enabled him to see growth beyond the bounds of his kingdom(Fuller, 2018). Alexander had the vision of a great nation which was marked by several kingdoms. The vision for a vast empire was very complex to some of Alexander’s companions which led to situations where they were not in a position to visualize his goals(Spielvogel, 2014). The achievements by Alexander set the stage for a new world, and there was no room for going back when it came to the world expansion, and the world never looked the same after the conquests of Alexander from Macedonia to India(Worthington, 2014). We can acknowledge that the input by Alexander by opening up the worldview through his conquests set the stage for a modern world and new concepts such as the Hellenistic period.

Conclusion

The name of Alexander the Great in mentioned alongside western civilizations following his inputs in opening the world and facilitating the growth of new cultures and expansion of different regions. Alexander the Great is associated with the processes of scientific explorations which took place after conquering foreign lands, and this led to explorations and discoveries. Additionally, Alexander is known for his efforts towards promoting the opening of commerce with Asia where he is accredited for facilitating communication between east and west. The strategies used by Alexander were duplicated by other rulers such as the Roman Empire.

References

Fuller, J. F. C. (2018). The generalship of Alexander the Great. Pickle Partners Publishing.

Spielvogel, J. J. (2014). Western civilization. Cengage Learning.

Worthington, I. (2014). Alexander the Great: man and god. Routledge.