Special Question: 3/10/11

Please write a five paragraph essay on the question: Was Alexander's adventure really worth it? In your body paragraphs, you must cite specific examples to back up your thesis -- examples must include one from each of the following: Egypt, Persepolis, Afghanistan, India. 


      I think that Alexander the Great's adventure was defiantly worth it. He conquered all of Asia on this journey. Alexander had fought many battles, made many ties with people, and created a absolutely huge reputation. Alexander the Great showed that he was very courageous and adventurous by going on this long journey. Many people probably think that he was a great heroic leader in ancient times. Although, some may say that he was a harsh dictator because of some of his violence. 
     In the beginning of his journey, right after he defeated the Persians at the Battle of Guagemela, Alexander and his army went south to Egypt. This was a very important spot for Alexander the Great to stop at because it created a good bond between the Greeks and Egypt. The Egyptians already disliked the Persians before Alexander even came into the picture because the Persians ruled the Egyptians before. Once Alexander beat the Persians, the Egyptians loved him. Touregypt.net said, "Alexander was therefore hailed as Savior and Liberator, and as the people's choice and legitimate heir he was offered the double crown of the Two Lands." This quote shows the importance of Alexander's journey because it is saying how since Alexander had already defeated the Persians, the Egyptians really appreciated him and wanted him to be the leader of their country. Now Alexander has two countries under his rule already. This didn't only affected who Alexander was the ruler of, but it also affected Alexander himself. At this time, Alexander started to get a little bit cocky. " Alexander must now have began to believe in his own divinity as a fact rather than a simple exercise of propaganda" says touregypt.net. The Egyptians compared him to the Gods and called him "son of Gods". Another important thing about Alexander stopping in Egypt was that they were going to back them up if he was in need of help. Also, he created a "strong coastal base" in Egypt. This was important because he needed it for "strategic and commercial purposes" (touregypt.com). Egypt was a very significant place for Alexander to make a connection with. I think it helped create a good base for Alexander's rule.
      Another very important place Alexander went to on his expedition was Persepolis. Persepolis was the capital or center of the Persian kingdom. After he defeated the Persians at the battle of Guagemela, he went to Persepolis to really get at Persia and destroy them. I think Alexander wanted to defeat them so badly because they were also a relatively strong region (at least they were before Alexander) and to get them back for when the they destroyed Athens in the past. The Macedonians, who Alexander was with, were probably very for the idea of attacking Persia because their ancestors had been battled by them. When Alexander and the Macedonians went into Persepolis, they completely and utterly destroyed everything. They burned and dismantled buildings, statues, and palaces. Not only did they annihilate all the structures, but they also killed many people. Men, women, and children were all killed and their stuff was stolen. The Macedonians left with many treasures/possessions, gold and silver, and jewels. Alexander really eradicated Persepolis. All of this was very important because it put a great emphasis on the battle of Guagemela so the Persians would not try to attack Alexander and his army. "As Persepolis had surpassed all other cities in prosperity, so she now exceeded them in misfortune" says www.livius.org. At this time, Persia was basically under Alexander's rule now and he could continue on trying to get more countries he could control.
      After he defeated Persia, he began his next tough battles with Afghanistan. Afghanistan was a very strong country and "many invaders found (Afghanistan) impossible to conquer" said http://www.cemml.colostate.edu.  One of Alexander's main goals in going to Afghanistan was to get Bessus, a man who had murdered Darius III (the king of Persia), and then took the position of king of Persia and Asia (he had killed Darius and took his crown). Because Alexander was trying to murder Darius and then Bessus steps in, Alexander was angry. He didn't even really want to kill all the Afghanistan people, he just wanted to get Bessus. Alexander left some of his Greek soldiers at Herat to keep control. Unexpectedly, the soldiers were killed and Alexander had to come back. He then made many fortresses so he could protect his army's exposed flanks. Eventually, Alexander killed Bessus and he defeated Afghanistan. But it wasn't easy, it took Alexander and the Macedonians four years to defeat them. At this point, Alexander ruled Persia, Egypt, and Afghanistan. 
      In 327 B.C, Alexander went into India. Alexander invaded Punjab, which was ruled by Porus. There were also many people under Porus, but were still in high authority. These people began to dislike Porus and they wanted Alexander to come into India to destroy him. Porus did not like this and created a army to fight against the Macedonians. Both armies were lined up across from each other on a river. Even though it seemed very dangerous, Alexander managed to cross the river w It was a very brutal fight, but Alexander stuck it out once again. Http://hinduism.about.com said, "Porus himself was wounded. At length, he yielded to the conquerer." This shows that Porus knew he couldn't stand up to Alexander and his great army, he knew he was just going to be asking for trouble. In the end, Alexander ruled India too. Alexander respected Porus as a "great king and warrior" and he didn't do anything else to him. They actually became "friends". I believe that them becoming friends instead Porus hating his new ruler is important. I think it was a very honorable thing for Alexander to do to Porus because he could have killed him or something for no reason. With India now under  Alexander's commandment, Alexander was a very strong "king"
     Alexander's journey was very much so worth it. Without his journey, there would not have been a way for him to have ruled such a large area. Not only did he rule all this land, but he also developed some friends. Although Alexander may have been somewhat vicious to some of the countries he really wanted to defeat, he was a heroic person and created a tremendous myth about himself. Even though some parts of his journey with all of his brutal fighting and killing was very rough, they adventure was essential to his conquering. Alexander was truly "the great" in his era.



      


http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/alexanderthegreat.htm
http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t12.html
http://www.cemml.colostate.edu/cultural/09476/afgh02-04enl.html
http://hinduism.about.com/od/history/a/alexander.htm