Alexander the Great was one of the most known and prominent ancient Greek kings. During the nine years of his rule, Alexander the Great managed to unite Greek state cities and extend his empire as far as the Indus River in the East. However, Alexander’s achievements also had a considerable impact on Western culture, and the result of this impact is noticeable even to this day.
The rapid expansion of the Greek Empire and the fall of Persia made the former an important actor in politics at the time. With political influence, Greek culture also started spreading not only across the empire itself but also abroad. The Greek language became more used in the West, strengthening Greece’s position and staying in people’s minds as a language of science, somewhat like Latin. Another important aspect of Greek links with the West was the economic one. After overcoming Persian Empire, Alexander the Great started building roads to connect Eastern and Western lands. The strengthened Greek presence in the West consequently increased the importance of Greek culture.
Today, the result of the Greek expansion and the spreading of Greek culture is still visible. First of all, the introduction of Greek culture to Western countries created a basis for Renaissance and Enlightenment, which had a prominent impact on modern Western ideas. The Renaissance helped Europe break away from a rather stagnated medieval way of thinking and introduced many philosophical and political ideas that still matter and shaped Western society in many ways. Second, Alexander the Great helped to spread Christianity across Europe. Nowadays, the West is often perceived as the stronghold of Christianity. However, it was impossible for many people before that time to read the Old Testament because they did not know the language. The Greek translation of the Old Testament allowed them to read the text and promoted the Christian religion.