Sources of the Making of the West

Alexander’s Cultural Revolution in Macedonia

Alexander praised Philip II for bringing about a cultural revolution that turned Macedonia from a small realm into a powerful state. He accomplished this by instructing them on how to prosper, how to trade, and how to set up a community. Alexander also believed that he had achieved greater achievement than his father. He praised himself for finishing what his father had begun. Restoring harmony and creating a useful society between Persians and Macedonians were some of these accomplishments. Evident from his speech, his method of rule was that of negotiations between a party and another to ensure that Macedonia was functioning to its full potential.

Source:

Bosworth, A. B. A Historical Commentary on Arian’s History of Alexander. Vol. II: Books IV-V. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Alexander’s Campaigns for Glory and Power

According to Arian’s, Alexander did campaigns purely for his glory and to satisfy his insatiable desire to rule. Alexander had unique insight into the life; his experience as a commander in the military made him understand what a real conqueror was. Arian’s campaigns for Alexandria were accounted as one of the most positive examples of a man and his achievements. While many viewed Alexander as a charismatic and an exceptional leader, Arian successfully creates a portrait of a person with many unspoken ambitions, a person who was only hungry for power and made people worship him as a god.

Source:

Gossage, A. J. “Plutarch’s Life of Alexander.” (1971): 37-39.

Plutarch’s Biased Account of Alexander’s Life

Plutarch wrote the book “life of the Alexander” to compare the ancient Greeks with the modern Romanians. Plutarch admitted that he openly considered and preferred writing stories regarding battles, dates and other similar aspects. His book described the life of Alexander although there is a great criticism of its legitimacy. He describes the birth of Alexander in July 356BC and the many wars he successfully fought, how he came into power until his death in 323BC. Although Plutarch lived in the time of Alexander, he used contemporary sources which he apparently knew were unreliable. Plutarch himself is said to have biases towards Greek and there for he is as well highly criticized.

Bibliography

Bosworth, A. B. A Historical Commentary on Arrian’s History of Alexander. Vol. II: Books IV- V. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Gossage, A. J. “Plutarch’s Life of Alexander.” (1971): 37-39.

Lualdi, Katharine J. “Sources of the Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures Volume II: Since 1560.” (2001).