After the Death of Cyrus, his son Cambyses took power and was later succeeded by Darius the Great who was the first to step into European land, the kings of Persia all had a role in conquering more than there predecessor and that’s exactly what Darius had in mind. Consequently this had Darius order his army to capture Scythia forwarding through Thrace. The Campaign was a tragedy for the Persians; the Persians were to retreat all the way to Thrace, leaving around 80,000 soldiers with the
Dear Committee, Julius Caesar is usually credited for bringing down the Roman Republic, but it was Augustus who proclaimed the republic to be brought down. And although he did rule as an absolute ruler, and may even be considered a tyrant in his final years, he set precedents for other rulers in Rome, as well as expanding the empire to its height in some places, and even used some republican ideals throughout most of his reign. In that, he would deserve a place in the Roman emperor hall of fame. One factor that really set himself a part in the Roman emperor hall of fame is his several conquests that put the Roman empire at it’s greatest extent in some places. “He conquered Egypt during the early years of his reign, kept his armies busy in northern Spain, expanded across the Rhine river, and even conquered land along the banks of the Danube river.
In 326 BCE, Alexander’s forces won the Battle of Hydaspes in northwestern India. Alexander wanted to continue moving forward his armies mutinied due to being tired of fighting. The king had no choice but to turn around and go home. The journey back took the army through arid lands and
The consequential rise of the Athenian Empire, however, was simultaneous with the development of its increasingly autocratic and aggressive attitude. The aftermath of this conflict therefore involved the Athenian worldview coming to resemble that which it had initially sought to repress. The Persian Wars are demonstrative of how external threats can promote unity and cohesion from within. The ease and aggression with which the Persians conquered the region of the Asia Minor during the sixth century BCE established them as the pre-eminent power in the ancient world, and therefore a threat to Greek autonomy. After King Cyrus of Persia overthrew the Median rulers in 550 BCE, the Persians successfully extended their realm in conquering Lydia (546 BCE), eventually pushing their boarders further eastward by crossing to the boarders of Macedonia in 513 BCE (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2012).
How did the Successor Kings attempt to legitimise their monarchies in the century following the death of Alexander the Great? After the unexpected and youthful death of King Alexander the Great in 323BC, the successor Kings that followed his reign only disjointed the once vast and resilient empire. The immediate successors after Alexander were called the Diadochi, and they were the first generation of military and political leaders after the death of the Macedonian king and conqueror, Alexander the Great in 323 (Botdford and Robinson). The six successors that are mentioned in this essay all took on the monarchy with different ideas, strategies, boundaries and goals. Legitimising their monarchies seemed extremely difficult after Alexander’s death, and after the standard he had set for the successors that followed his legacy.
In A.D 527 the Roman Empire which had been severely depleted came under the control of the Emperor Justinian I. One of his main aims was to restore the Empire to the glory it had seen in former days and rebuild trade routes it had once used. This process of restoring the Byzantine/Roman Empire involved the formation and movement of great armies, established a support system to supply these armies, along with plenty of funding. The Emperor forced heavy taxes on the citizens of the empire and re-conquered domains to help pay for the wars he would wager. One of Justinian’s most acclaimed generals a man called Belisarius, who in various military operations lasting for several decades would out wit, out manoeuvre and out fight numerous different antagonists, such as the barbarian hordes of the Goths, Vandals and Avars to the more civilized professional forces of the Persians.
When assessing the individuals during the pentacontaetia, it seems logical to start with Miltiades. During this time, Miltiades was the Athenian general, and he made his greatest contribution to the formation of the Athenian Empire by his efforts in the battle of Marathon. This battle was a key part in the formation of the empire as it proved the Ionian States that Athens could defeat the Persians without the aid of Sparta (however the advancing army did play an indirect role in the battle). Miltiades commanded his 10,000 Athenians and Plateans (Herodotus) and successfully stopped the first Persian invasion. It is said by Plutarch that Miltiades enjoyed the highest prestige from the battle, and this would have increased Athenian reputation among the Greek states (it is important to note that one factor of the formation of e empire was that the Ionian States chose Athens), and would thus have made them more inclined to choose Athens as the hegemon, and allowing them to create their empire.
By the time Alexander was 18 years old fought with his father, controlling the left wing of the army during the battle at Chaeronea. After the death of his father, Alexander became king of Macedon at the age of 20. Alexander wanted more power than just his own little kingdom of Macedon, he wanted the Persian Empire. In 335 BC Alexander marched his army from the South of the Persian Empire and conquered away. Many cities surrendered when they saw him
Extraordinary Abilities of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar History has given us a long list of heroes and idols but the two that stand out amongst all are Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. These two men led monumental lives and set the benchmark of greatness against which succeeding rulers are measured. Alexander, son of King Philip II of Macedon, extended his empire across three continents and achieved glory and fame beyond imagination. Caesar climbed the ladder to political success and transformed the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Although both Alexander and Caesar developed leadership qualities at an early age and claimed responsibilities very soon in their lives, they differed in what led to the development of these abilities and how the outcome of these abilities contributed to their legendary status in this generation.
The Hellenistic Period When the Hellenistic Period emerges in 323BC, Alexander the Great is the reigning conqueror. His father, Philip of Macedon, had united the Grecian states and was driving back the Persian forces out of Asia Minor. As the pressure mounts, he is assassinated during a festival. Alexander succeeded his father’s leadership and