Alexander the Great is revered as the hero of western culture for his numerous conquests and diplomatic approach. (Callisthenes, and Stoneman 45). The Persian Empire, which was at the time the largest and was surrounded by powerful kings and warriors, was eventually conquered by Alexander with the help of his force, demonstrating the immense power he possessed. (Greeen 112). Although Alexander had the power and the potential to have an undue impact on the culture of the conquest, he instead gave them the freedom to choose to adopt Greek culture by teaching them about it. (Jarus). Alexander adopted Aristotle's ideals by adhering to his teachings and mannerism. Alexander also learned how to ride a horse and fight with endurance through Leonidas of Epirus, his mother’s relative (Jarus). In 338 BCE Soon after King Phillip 11 assassination, Alexander successfully led the army into the Battle of Charone and managed to defeat the Greek city (Green 111).Alexander led his army into acquiring more states such as the city of Sidon, Syria, Egypt and even renamed them Alexandria (Jarus).
Why the Reputation is not justified
Alexander cannot, however, be termed as a superhero and the reputation is not warranted. A superhero is one who has extraordinary superior powers exceeding those of others. While indeed Olympus told him he was conceived by the power of the supreme god Zeus, there is no documented proof to indicate that he was indeed superhuman. Alexander was the son of Philip, the king and as he grew up, he was able to learn from the king and gather prompts relevance for his tenure (Jarus). Besides, Alexander was molded from such an early age on how to be a great leader and a warrior, and hence it was his father’s effort that he turned out great and not his inborn trait.
Further, Alexander died of an alleged infection at the age of 32, and superheroes do not die easily, and common illnesses would not weaken them (Jarus). Although Alexander had previously alleged that he was Zeus’ son,he was not able to save himself from the fate of death and illness which may have occurred through a poisoning (Callisthenes, and Stoneman 76). A superhero does positive things to benefit the people. However, Alexander the Great's character has been condemned by Persians in the past because he used to destroy their religious sites (Jarus). Alexander the great also killed people who did not agree with his opinion, but if indeed he was a superhero, he would have had the power to influence the people without using force or violence. For instance, he killed the inhabitants of Tyre city in Phoenicia for been rebellious and the people that survived were sold into slavery (Jarus).
Indeed, Alexander the great’s works can never be underestimated. The king took over his father’s position at eighteen years and managed to kill all his follies and those that were secretly planning to succeed him (Green 112). Alexander also spread the Greek culture to Asia, India, Mesopotamia, and Egypt further demonstrating his ability and charisma that he had (Jarus). Alexander managed to conquer many states under his short time leadership and also managed to spread his Greek culture. In fact, Alexander was named the son of the god Zeus-Ammon at the Siwa oracle in Egypt due to his mighty works. Alexander did not however live long and he seemed to have had many enemies who also wanted him dead just like his father. Alexander was a great leader, with exceptional powers but not enough to term him a superhero.
Works Cited
Green, Peter. Alexander of Macedon, 356-323 B.c: A Historical Biography. , 2013.
Jarus, Owen. "Alexander The Great: Facts, Biography & Accomplishments." Live Science, 2017, https://www.livescience.com/39997-alexander-the-great.html.
Pseudo-Callisthenes, and Richard Stoneman. The Book of Alexander the Great: A Life of the Conqueror. , 2012.
