by Lauren Reynolds

Created on: May 27, 2008

Alexander the Great was a memorable, intelligent, and authoritative figure during the Hellenistic Age. He had many achievements that guided the world to where it is today. Alexander was military strong with many developments during his reign. From the time he took the throne at age 20, he guided Macedonia, starting with his military achievements.

He is best known for his great achievements with the military. His remarkable mind helped him to ingeniously create new plots and plans. One of his famous ideas was for his soldiers to shave off their beards to keep other soldiers from grabbing them in close combat. Being a general who feared nothing, his troops traveled far and wide. Altogether, they covered more than 22,000 miles between the Nile and Indus Rivers. And, despite the large amount of land that his army traveled and the many years of combat he saw, he never lost a battle. This was just a start for his contributions to the Ancient World.

Alexander's motivation, however, was molded at a young age. When he was thirteen, he became the pupil of Aristotle. Aristotle's inspiration, along with Alexander's eagerness to learn, gave him a strong interest in other countries and their people. As he grew older, he developed a goal of creating a worldwide state in which everyone lived together in peace. He achieved this by mixing cultures and adopting different customs. Proof that he actually succeeded, to an extent, is supplied by the fact that later rulers, who took Alexander's place, used his titles and his portrait on their coins.

While he was not able to create a perfect worldwide state, he contributed to the economy. His greatest work was seen in Alexandria, Egypt where he was responsible for the wonderful economical developments. It was there that he put a lighthouse, which was considered one of the seven wonders in the Ancient World. There was also a school, known as the museum, with a library. This library had the largest collection of books and it was also where Euclid invented the geometry book. Alexander helped us to open up our knowledge and use it. Since he included philosophers and scientists in his army, he helped to collect animal and plant samples from his newly conquered lands. He was one who obviously led the world to greatness.

Through all of his conquests, one major thing can be determined; he was successful and fulfilled his ambitions. Alexander is quoted saying, "I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity." There is not doubt that this man was a good influence and helped the world for the better. Alexander the Great, throughout his battles and triumphs, defiantly made a difference to the world as we know it - militarily, socially and economically.

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