Alexander the Great remains one of the widely studied heroes of the ancient world. His conquests and territorial pursuits led to the defeat of the Persian Empire and the subsequent establishment of the Hellenistic world. Through his leadership, Alexander expanded Macedon to become one of the greatest empires of his time. By conquering the massive Persians, Alexander was able to redraw the maps of the Macedon Empire (Worthington 101). His achievements would dictate the different subsequent kingdoms’ future, culture, and leadership. Should Alexander have died in battle, chances are high that the world would be different today. His sudden death would have led to the expansion of Persian culture across the Hellenistic region. Such an occurrence indicates that these four kingdoms might not have emerged or even thrived: Pergamon, Macedon, Ptolemaic, and Seleucid.
Assuming that Alexander would have died much earlier, the Age of Empires would have been totally different. For instance, the Macedon Empire might have collapsed while allowing the Persians to expand their influence westwards. Consequently, the kingdoms of Rome, Mauryas, and Ptolemaic might never have existed. The affected regions could have been compelled to embrace Zoroastrianism, the religion associated with the Persians. Similarly, the subsequent empires arising in the area under study could have borrowed numerous social, cultural, and economic attributes from the Persians. Such an outcome could have led to a new world order characterized by the dominance of the Persians. The ancient civilizations associated with the Hellenistic Period would not have been recorded (Blichert-Toft 68). The timeless thoughts from Greek philosophers, the growth of the Roman Empire, and the achievements of the Ptolemaic Kingdom would have been impossible should Alexander have died in Persia. Such achievements by this great king, therefore, reveal that the culture, geographical maps, and triumph of the West are largely attributable to Alexander’s accomplishments.
Works Cited
Blichert-Toft, Janne, et al. “Origin and Fate of the Greatest Accumulation of Silver in Ancient History.” Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences volume, vol. 14, no. 64, 2022, pp. 64-91.
Worthington, Ian. “The Treasures of Alexander the Great: How One Man’s Wealth Shaped the World.” History: Reviews of New Books, vol. 47, no. 4, 2019, pp. 100-102.