He was born in 356 BC and as we know the largest empire at that time was the Persian Empire (to the right). Macedon was a small kingdom on the edge of the Persian Empire. Alexander was just like his father, strong and ambitious. Philip spent most of his life conquering the cities of Greece, to his South. By the time Alexander was 18 years old fought with his father, controlling the left wing of the army during the battle at Chaeronea.
Athens, one of the strongest city-states, was known as the first democracy, and was ruled by the people(Lecture 10: the beginnings of democracy). Sparta, another leading city-state, was an oligarchy ruled by two kings, who were supported by twenty-eight members of what was known as the Gerousia(Greece: Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra 371BC). Persia, however, was a monarchy, or a nation governed by one man. (Persian Culture(700-332 BC). Another stark difference between the two great nations of the sixth century was the way in which they conducted their military excursions.
The numerical advantage the Persian’s had was cancelled out because the battle was on a narrow piece of land. By the winter of 332 BCE, Alexander had conquered Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. Alexander had continued on and moved into what is known as ancient Mesopotamia in 331 BCE. Alexander’s force fought with the Persians at the Battle of Gaugamela and then moved into Babylon. Alexander then moved into the Persian capitals of Susa and Persepolis where the Persian treasuries of gold and silver were kept.
In the war of the two biggest empires in the history of Europe, only one could be the victor. In 1453 the Byzantine Empire found its self in a bloody battle over their capital city. The Turks employed various important war tactics in taking over the city. Sultan Mehmed II, ruler of the Ottoman Turks, led the assault. The Fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, an empire which had lasted for over 1,100 years.
What do the sources tell us about the battles of Artemisium and Thermopylae and who the real victors were? Xerxes, son of Darius and King of Persia, at the head of an army that was “far greater than any of which we know” (H.7.20) began his march on Europe with intention and entire conviction of conquering the continent, and in particular the collective states of Greece. First it is important to note the sheer scale of Xerxes invasion. Herodotus says it was so vast that “there was not a stream his army drank from that was not drunk dry” (H.7.20) and that the King had spent five years building this military, taking the finest infantry, navy and cavalry from every nation in Asia. After accounting for all for each military division, Herodotus comes to the conclusion that Xerxes reached Thermopylae at the head of an army consisting of 5,283,220 men.
Throughout all of human history there have been many great names and many great leaders – leaders whose memories and relics still serve to enlighten and inspire the hearts and minds of us all. The achievements of many statesmen today pale in comparison to that of two such leaders – Ahmose I, and Hatshepsut; who throughout their lives were particularly effective in the establishment and consolidation of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. For more than three and a half thousand years the legacy of these two individuals has lived on in history – a legacy that few today could imagine for themselves. In the years since, society has undergone great trials and tribulations, has been subject to great change and challenge, and yet despite the social progression of which humanity today is so proud, few women have broken the glass ceiling and achieved the kind leadership and power which Hatshepsut attained for herself. Ahmose I, likewise a great leader and great statesmen, founded what would become the greatest and most prosperous time in Egypt’s long and tumultuous history.
The Greeks were a collection of around 1,500 city states as the Persians were under the rule of one king. These city states were always ruled by richest citizens or monarchies, henceforth called tyrants for the way of coming to power. The only thing these cities had in common was that they followed the same religion and spoke the same language. The Persians were ruled under one king but the satraps ruled the empire’s 23 provinces. And to prevent treason, the King created a system of imperial spies which were his “eyes and ears”.
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.
If he has broken his limb: thy shall break the same limb.” Many people know about this saying but do not know where it came from; it is extremely interesting that it came from one of the earliest civilizations. The city-states of Mesopotamia and Hammurabi’s Code are the most influential parts of the Mesopotamia society to live on. Sargon and his army, known as one of the first professional armies, influenced other civilizations that came after. All of the later civilizations took part in war and took a page out of Sargon’s book by having professional armies ready to fight the wars of their rulers. Still used today, the Mesopotamians were the first to use denominations of sixty to
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.