Does Alexander the Great Merit His Exalted Historical Reputation

A considerable controversy centers on whether Alexander the great merits his exalted historical reputation, and I concur with Hammond that Yes, Alexander the Great merited his reputation. Alexander the great deserved the esteemed historical reputation due to his accomplishments in conquering the world conquests. Firstly, Alexander the Great merits his historical reputation due to his endless respect towards the Greek sovereignty. According to Hammond, Alexander strengthened the independence of the Greek community particularly after the defeat of Agis and his allies whereby he sent captured artworks to the states in the Greek community. While under Alexander’s rule, Greece enjoyed prosperity such as enhanced naval shipyards and a completed stone auditorium. He lived a life that aligned with that of the Macedonians such that he shared all their worries and hardships.

Alexander always led the Macedonians democratically by persuasion driven by absolute truth. Alexander upheld the Macedonians ‘constitutional rights and always persuaded them to accept his policies. Alexander’s merited reputation also hailed from his affiliation with the orthodox religion of Macedonia. He lived a selfless life for the sake of Macedonian’s wellbeing. Hammond highlights that Alexander’s prowess in war employed “the most wonderful power of grasping the right course when the situation was still in obscurity. ” This shows that Alexander foresaw, predicted and planned the war which afforded him victory during conquests. For instance, while setting up his own Kingdom of Asia, Alexander had already trained the boys who would eventually become the soldiers of that kingdom. Alexander also merits his exalted historical reputation due to his diplomacy in managing conquered territories and his allies.

Throughout the course of his military campaigns, Alexander aimed at winning the emotions and cognizance of his earlier rivals instead of subjecting them to punitive conquest. Alexander managed to balance his roles as King of Macedonia and an Asian ruler. Hammond also suggests that Alexander has strong emotions towards his mother which would even double when it came to expressing these emotions to his soldiers. The respect for his soldiers is seen in alexander’s readiness to stand up at the frontline with them to fight, Hammond identifies this with an excellent characteristic. In conclusion, Alexander’s plans and attributes merit his exalted historical reputation. His qualities embodied the characteristics of an effective King which in turn accorded him the loyalty of his armies and those he ruled.