Alexander the Great the Gleaming Pearl of Ancient Greece

In the history of the ancient world, there are outstanding leaders with strategic minds and the ability to defeat all enemies. Among the most talented kings in the world, the most important one is probably Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great (356 – 323 BC) was the emperor who crushed the mighty Persian Empire and built the Greek Empire. He was a natural military genius and also considered to be a great contributor to the development of the history of human civilization. Many historians saw Alexander the Great as a different light.

With great feats, Alexander the Great regarded as one of the greatest military leaders and the most powerful ruler of history.

Alexander the Great was born in the Kingdom of Macedonia in ancient Greece on July 20, 356 (BC), the son of King Philip II and Queen of Olympia. Growing up, Alexander almost never met his father, who spent most of his time participating in military campaigns. He began to study mathematics, horse riding, and archery. In 343 BC, King Philip II hired philosopher Aristotle to teach Alexander. For three years, Aristotle taught Alexander philosophy, poetry, drama, science, and politics. At that moment, the philosopher noticed that Alexander had dreamed of becoming a heroic warrior. Alexander completed his studies in 340 BC. A year later, while still a teenager, he became a soldier and embarked on the first conquest against the Thracian tribe. In 338, Alexander took charge of an army and helped his father defeat the enemy. When Philip II succeeded in uniting the ancient Greek cities (except Sparta), the alliance soon dissolved. Philip II married Cleopatra Eurydice, the granddaughter of General Attalus, leaving her mother Alexander no longer queen.

Alexander was forced to leave Macedonia to stay with his mother until Alexander and King Philip II reconciled their differences. An important milestone in Alexander’s life was the death of his father. In 336 BC, King Philip II was assassinated. Alexander, at age 19, decided to take the throne in any way. He soon gained the support of Macedonian troops, generals, and soldiers who fought with him. The military claimed Alexander was the king, but he did not immediately take control of the whole area, which was unstable after the death of the king. With an army of 32,000 infantries and 5,100 cavalries, the king of Macedonia – Alexander the Great – captured the territories of the Persian Empire in Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt without losing any battle. He marched to the Byzantine Peninsula in 334 BC and occupied the city of Baalbek. In 333 BC, the invincible emperor continued to fight new plots, including Syria and Egypt, where he founded a new city called Alexandria, which was designed as a cultural and commercial center of Greek. By the natural talent, the 19-year-old boy had fled, reuniting the ancient Greek states.

However, according to historians, his greatest achievement was the Battle of Gaugamela – the final confrontation with the mighty Persian Empire. Alexander met the Persian army in the Plain of Gaugamela, near Irbil, Iraq today. His Macedonian army spotted light from concentration camps, where is home to about 100,000 Persian soldiers. Alexander’s advisor advised Alexander to fight the Persians, but he did not listen. The king did not want to take advantage of the situation and wanted to defeat the Persian king Darius III in the battle. By that way, the new Persian king will not dare to attack the Macedonian army again. The two armies met on the battlefield the following morning, 1 October 331 BC. Persian troops overwhelmed Macedonia. First, the king ordered the archers, stonecutters, and cavalries attack the left branch of the Persian army. The Persians also dived into the middle part of the Macedonian army, but they were prevented. Cavalries on Darius’ left side later swept into the war initiated by Alexander, leaving the infantries a “”hole”” in the middle. Taking advantage of this “”hole””, Alexander and cavalries attacked the Persians and the rival king as well. Darius fled and panic spread throughout the army, leading to the defeat of the Persian army. After the war, Macedonia lost only about 500 people while the Persians lost 40,000. Alexander occupied Babylon, Persepolis capital of Persia, and has since declared claim to be king of Asia. Four months later, the Macedonian army burned the royal palace in Persepolis, ending the Ancient Persian Empire.

Additionally, Alexander The Great is known for his creative leadership style as well. As known, the leadership style will determine the development of the team. The best leader has a different style of leadership and is not afraid to make difficult decisions. They know how to handle mistakes, control their ego, and set standards so everyone can achieve goals and improve their skills. If the leader wants to build a team, a strong team at work or in any field, that leader needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each member and what can affect the ability of members to work. Different leadership styles will make a difference. Alexander the Great brought in the blood of warrior nature. Assertive, courageous, he does not let emotions or personal relationships distract from the ultimate goal: rule the world. Alexander was taught politics, culture, and war by the country’s excellent people, including the philosopher Aristotle. The living environment was surrounded by talented people, he grew up an intelligent warrior and stepped up to the throne at the age of 20. Overcoming the challenge and many enemies, Alexander reinforced and expanded the Greek Empire. Alexander the Great was always active, even when defending or attacking. A good leader must firstly be in control of himself, anticipating any good/bad things to come, warn and plan for the best deal.

A leader is always responsible for the shortcomings, even if that is the fault of others. For a leader, nothing is worse than hesitation. The leader can make mistakes, but he must be sure. On the battlefield, Alexander did not have time for solemnity. His actions involve a series of determinants of win or lose. His head does not have much time for discussion, arguing to find the next step of the reaction. If a leader is not a pioneer, have a foresight and win the hearts of the people, that leader will never gain the trust of his/her subordinates. That leader will never motivate subordinates to do the best work. Honored as one of the greatest military leaders of all time, Alexander the Great saved a very worthy quote for our posterity to ponder, especially the leaders: “”I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”” An army of soldiers with many talents, great potentiality (lion team) but led by a lack of fighting spirit (led by sheep), the result is just a failure. In contrast, a lion-like leader can provoke the motivation and courage of the “”sheep”” and make a difference. Alexander the Great is a “”lion”” like that.

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