Memoir Historical Investigation for Alexander the Great By Sara Singh Dube
Primary Source
My primary source is a photograph of a mosaic of the Battle of Issus between the army of Alexander the Great and the Persian troops. The mosaic is currently a historical artifact from the Naples Museum Nationale, and the photograph was taken by Robert Emmet Bright. I chose this source because it shows Alexander the Great, who is the main character of my book. Also, it portrays him on horseback, which is how the military commander spent most of his life. In addition, the mosaic depicts Alexander the Great going into battle with his many troops, which is important because Alexander’s main goal in life was to conquer the known world by winning battles. Finally, the last reason this source is connected to my book is that though mosaic is cracked and some parts are missing, it has survived for all this time. To me, this symbolizes the way we don’t know everything about Alexander the Great’s life, but his legend still lives on even in modern times.
Secondary Source My secondary source is the introduction to Alexander the Great from the database Great Empires of the Past. Though I am using the whole introduction as my source, this is an excerpt from the piece: “During the 12 years of Alexander's reign, he and his army crisscrossed the Persian Empire, traveling 20,000 miles--a distance about six times wider than the United States. They went across rugged mountain ranges, raging rivers, and scorching deserts, on foot and on horseback. They conquered everything in their path, never losing a major battle.”
I was struck by this paragraph because to me, it truly shows Alexander the Great’s power and might. Most of all, however, it tells us how determined this great commander was. Nobody could do what he did, and conquer all the lands that he did, if they did not have the motivation, the drive to do so. I chose this source because it is connected to my book in many ways. Firstly, both tell of the life of Alexander the Great; therefore he is the focus of both these pieces. Secondly, they both go into detail about the military conquests of this commander. One of them, for example, is the Battle of Issus. This was one of the main battles that Alexander fought in Persia. Though he was greatly outnumbered, he was still able to defeat his enemy though brilliant military strategy. Lastly, though Alexander the Great committed many atrocities in his lifetime, both sources agree that he was, without a doubt, an extraordinary general with an extremely powerful and inspiring personality.
Review Alexander the Great by Doug Wilhelm is an overview of the skilled commander’s life. This book starts by telling us about his childhood and the myths surrounding his lineage and ends with his mysterious death in the city of Babylon. It tells us of how his lands stretched from the multiple islands of Greece to the exotic palaces of India. Along the way, the author narrates Alexander’s highs and lows, all of his victories, and the challenges that he faced. Some of his triumphs include being crowned the Pharaoh in Egypt and winning the Battle of Issus in Persia. Through all of the incidents in the book, Doug Wilhelm portrays Alexander as an ambitious and headstrong man right until his death. Why one should read the book… One reason someone would enjoy this book is that it contains quotes from the historians who lived during Alexander’s time, which is interesting because it shows what people thought of Alexander while he was still alive. “‘Stillness and silence born of fear held fast all who were in his presence,’ wrote the ancient Greek historian Ephippus.” (103) Another aspect of Alexander the Great that many people would enjoy is that in the middle of the book, there is a short section in which the author includes a series of pictures that form a timeline of sorts. Underneath each picture is a caption that explains what is being depicted. The title of this section is “Alexander the Great in Pictures.” (78). For example, one of these pictures shows Alexander the Great’s army invading the Persian Empire. The caption is: “Invasion! In 334 B.C., Alexander invaded the Persian Empire and routed a 25,000-man army at Granicus.”(80). Therefore, for these reasons, people would find this book an enjoyable read!
Thirteen Going on Invincible The hoofbeats of Alex’s horse matched the rhythm of his heart. Riding a horse was one of Alex’s favourite things to do. He loved the freezing wind whistling past his ears, the smooth green landscape rushing by in a blur, and, most of all, the clattering sound of hooves echoing in his ears. His mother told him that he learnt how to ride before he could walk. Of course, his mother also told him that he was the son of Zeus, and that he would conquer the world. Right. Not much for a boy of just thirteen years. Pitter Patter. Pitter Patter. The steady gallop of Alex’s horse began to dwindle to a trot and eventually came to a stop. They had finally reached. Alex and his schoolmates had been travelling to his hometown, Pella, for over five hours. “Hey Alex, how’s it going?” a mocking voice echoed through the courtyard, jolting the young prince out of his daydreams. Turning, Alex discovered with disgust that it was the pathetic Ptolemy. Ugh. That ridiculous bully actually thought that he could hurt him, Alex, the prince of Macedonia, with stupid taunts. “What do you want?” he asked coldly. “Oh I don’t want anything. I just fear the day that you’ll become king. Nobody wants a coward on the throne,” jeered Ptolemy, the bright sun gleaming off his black hair.
Alex’s face burned with fury. He couldn’t believe this. Ptolemy had gone too far; insulting his honour. Clenching his fists, Alex walked stiffly to where Ptolemy stood and threatened through clenched teeth, “Say that again, and I’ll rearrange you face.” Snickering maddeningly, Ptolemy continued, “It’s true. The only reason people respect you is because of that stupid rumour that you are a descendent of the Gods.” . “I’m not a coward, and I’ll prove it to you,” Alex retorted. “Wait and see.” *** Alex was lying on his bed at his school. The silvery moon shone bright and full outside his window. A dark figure loomed over his bed. Ptolemy. “You think that you are so special just because you are the prince of Macedonia, don’t you?” he hissed. “Well, you aren’t. You are just like any of the boys studying here. In fact, I deserve to be king even more than you do.” Ptolemy took a glimmering knife out of his robes and turned it so that the wickedly sharp blade caught the moonlight. He plunged it down into Alex’s chest and then Alex was falling and falling and falling into a pit of endless darkness… Gasping, Alex sat up in his bed, sweat streaming down his face. He had a sudden flashback to his first day of school. Ptolemy had come to his bed and spit out the exact same words, except he didn’t have a knife with him that time. After that night, Alex had been subject to constant teasing in school. It seemed as if this dream was a sign, as if tomorrow something significant would happen that would change his life again. Shaking his head, Alex chided himself ‘It was just a dream. Go back to sleep.’ Heart still racing as fast as a galloping horse, Alex lay down, tried to steady his breathing, and waited for the sweet embrace of sleep.
*** After a troublesome night, Alex was woken up by raucous shouts coming from outside his window. Peering through the shimmering glass, he saw his father and some other nobles yelling in frustration at a beautiful black horse that was snorting and shying away from them. Quickly, Alex climbed out of his room and sprinted towards the group of men. “Father, what are you doing?” he asked. His face red and puffy with annoyance, King Philip glanced at his son, eyes bulging. “This stupid horse won’t be tamed! Even Ptolemy here could not do it!” Alex’s eyes lit up. He loved horses, and was sensing a perfect opportunity to prove himself worthy of his title. “Let me try,” he begged. His father laughed disbelievingly. “Son, do you know how much gold this horse cost me? If you are not able to tame her, you must pay me back!” Alexander felt a shiver of fear run down his spine, but didn’t let it show on his face. “Very well.” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. Turning towards the horse, he realised that the cause of her distress was that she was afraid of her own shadow. Murmuring nonsensical words, Alexander took slow steps towards her. With a silky black coat and a pure white star on its forehead, the horse looked as proud and beautiful as a queen. In one quick movement, Alex grabbed the bridle, and turned the horse towards the sun. Now that she could no longer see her shadow, she was as calm as a lake on a day with no wind. Stroking her smooth mane, Alex swiftly hopped onto the saddle, and galloped back to where his father was standing, astonishment clearly painted on his
face. With a voice filled with pride, King Philip, congratulated his son, “My boy, that was amazing! I owe you an apology. You must find a kingdom worthy of your might since my lands are much too small for you.” “Alex,” Ptolemy called. Not wearing his taunting mask for once, he continued. “Maybe you aren’t a coward, and will make a proper ruler after all.” Coldly, Alex replied. “You are the coward. You have nothing better to do in your pathetic life than mock the future king of Macedonia. Watch what you say in the future.” A wet nose poked Alex’s ear. Turning away from Ptolemy’s shocked face, he stroked the horse’s nose. “You stubborn horse,” he laughed. Because of your obstinacy, I shall name you Bucephalus, which means ox-headed. Now that I know what I am capable of, I will travel the world and conquer many lands, with you by my side.”
Works Cited Alexander the Great: Master of the Ancient World. N.d. Photograph. N.p. Alexander The Great. Photograph. EncyclopĂŚdia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 9 Nov 2012. "Introduction." Great Empires of the Past Online. Infobase Publishing. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://online.factsonfile.com/RecURL.aspx?did=63267>. Wilhelm, Doug. Alexander the Great: Master of the Ancient World. New York: Franklin Watts, 2010. Print.