Was Alexander the Great really that great? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Order, order! Who do we have on the stand today?

Alexander... the Great, eh? Well, what’s so great about him?

Your honor, the better question is, what's not great about him?

He was the King of Macedon and considered a living demigod by Egyptians and Greeks alike.

He conquered Persia when it was one of Earth's largest empires.

And he was a thoughtful student of Aristotle, creative enough to untie the impossibly tight Gordian knot by cutting it in half.

The Gordian knot is a myth— just like the countless other stories invented to enhance Alexander’s legend!

Calling him “great” just plays into this propaganda and glorifies his ruthless military ambitions, such as his unprovoked invasion of Persia.

Alexander invaded Persia to free Greeks!

A century before his time, Persia had sacked Athens and conquered countless Greek lands.

So after Alexander’s father Philip expanded Macedonian control over much of Greece, he planned a final campaign to liberate those still under Persian rule.