Alexander the Great Revision

Arrian
1. Strengths
  1. Used contemporary sources
    1. Eyewitnesses such as Ptolemy
  2. Had experience in the military
2. Weaknesses
  1. Wrote 400 years after the life of Alexander - so his writing is not contemporary
  2. Idolised Alexander (biased)
Plutarch
1. Strengths
  1. Uses a variety of sources
    1. Court journals
    2. Alexander's personal letters
    3. Eyewitness accounts
  2. Writes about the virtues and vices (good and bad qualities) of Alexander
2. Weaknesses
  1. Wrote 400 years after the life of Alexander - so his writing is not contemporary
3. Plutarch is a biographer so focuses more on Alexander's character than events that took place
Diodorus
1. Wrote about Alexander's life 300 years after Alexander's life - so his writing is not contemporary
2. He does not name his sources of information
3. Diodorus got some of his facts wrong
  1. He did not know who assassinated King Philip
  2. He made a mistake about Philip's new wife
Olympias
1. Alexander's mother
2. Believed that she was impregnated by Zeus
3. Was often possessed by spirits
Childhood and Youth
1. he offered help to friends who were ill
2. He kept a dagger under his pillow
3. At 16, he was left in charge of Macedonia
4. Alexander tamed Bucephalus after realising that the horse was afraid of its own shadow
Alexander wanted to conquer Persia
1. Because his childhood role model Achillies fought there
2. Because he didn't want to inherit the land his father Philip had already conquered
3. Because he had a large loyal army
The battle of Issus
1. Alexander uses his battle knowledge and realises that King Darius has covered the inexperienced infantry with archers
Murder of Cleitus
1. Cleitus was angered by Alexander
  1. So Cleitus insulted Alexander by reminding him that if he hadn't have saved Alexander's life, then he wouldn't be so great or wonderful
2. Alexander was angered at what Cleitus said and so he murdered him

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Alexander the Great Revision

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	Created by Sarah Batstone over 8 years ago