According to the ancient and magnificent Spartan ruler, in the year 334 BCE, Alexander the Great started his invasion of the Middle East, one of the most pivotal events in the history of the whole region. War campaigns, cultural neologisms, diplomacy, and administration reforms were constituent parts of his undertaking. At first, he drew much attention to his military skills by using them in the battles he won. It started in the first battle, the Battle of Granicus in 334 BCE, where he beat the Persian army, showing his superiority in Anatolia. Nevertheless, Alexander’s policy also consisted of warfare and was a fusion; he wore Persian clothing, and when his Greek soldiers married Persian noblewomen, He employed this tool to promote harmony between otherwise distinct peoples and ensure that they became part and parcel of his empire.
Alexander’s military conquest into the inner regions of the Persian Empire served as the stage of manifestation of his unique diplomatic capabilities. In 333 BCE, he finally met the Persian King Darius III on the land of Issus and once again became a battlewinner. After that, instead of dramatically unveiling Greek culture, Alexander tried to adopt a more pacifist approach (Poyonov, 2023). He only controlled Assyria, and then only for a short period. Among the cities that kept their independence, they spent several months in a state of war, and then Xerxes pardoned the cities that surrendered. Thus, a sense of security started to prevail among local populations. The tolerance policy was the factor, among others, that helped settle the seized settlements and incorporate the conquerors into the process of conquering lands (Saviello, 2023). Likewise, his action of taking up the tradition of wearing Persian clothes and preferring Persian aristocrats to occupy positions in his court provides an example of his solid cultural tactfulness.
By 331 BCE, the conquest of Alexander had seen its culmination at the Gaugamela battle, which ended in his defeat of Darius III, consequently dispelling any form of Persian Emperorship (Classen, 2021). Nevertheless, Alexander’s deeds were attributed to more than just bloody conquests. He set out to conduct an intensive administrative reform, giving rise to a new system of satrapies, which meant particular territories were now endowed with their overlords and governors (Chugg, 2020). Alexander, therefore, chose the local lords to fill this position of provincial governorship, which is proof of his pragmatic mind. By giving authority to reliable people knowledgeable in local traditions and languages, he tried to achieve stability and ensure being in power and effective administration throughout his empire (Heckel et al., 2020).
At the same time, he initiated and implemented reforms related to his administration, and he also followed a policy of cultural assimilation, promoting the use of Greek language and culture across his dominions. He started many cities, notably Alexandria in Egypt, the greatest, whose members, predominantly Greeks, represented and were actively involved in spreading Greek culture and trade (Martin,2020). These cities mediated the relationship between East and West based on ideas and goods’ mobility and helped Hellenism spread throughout the Middle East.
Nevertheless, not all followed Alexander the Great in this achievement, and his lack of appreciation of the divinity of some of his Greek and Macedonian followers became a significant concern. The unexpected event occurred in 324 BCE when the empire general walked down the aisle with a Persian noblewoman during a mass wedding at the palace of Susa. This was considered a controversial step to cause further bewilderment among the Macedonian officers.
Alexander the Great: Crash Course World History, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LsrkWDCvxg
Chugg, A. M. (2020). The quest for the tomb of Alexander the Great. Lulu. com. https://www.academia.edu/download/37958335/Quest2Preview.pdf
Classen, A. (2021). The topic of Persia in the medieval literary imagination focuses on Middle High German literature. Ceræ: An Australasian Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, 8, 35-65. https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.573330858051132
Heckel, W., Naiden, F. S., Garvin, E. E., & Vanderspoel, J. (Eds.). (2021). A Companion to Greek Warfare. John Wiley & Sons. https://www.academia.edu/download/85763454/NANKOV_Blackwell_Thracian_Warfare_2021.pdf
Martin, A. B. (2020). The Dipsomania of Alexander the Great. https://repository.ihu.edu.gr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11544/29551/Aubrey.Martin_CAAHM_29-04-2020..pdf?sequence=1
Poyonov, A. B. (2023). Ancient Bactria in Greek sources. Scholar, 1(17), 121-127. https://researchedu.org/index.php/openscholar/article/download/4137/5373
Saviello, A. (2023, May). European Matter and Mughal Spirit. In Religion in Representations of Europe (pp. 145-166). Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. https://www.academia.edu/download/63975712/The_Un_Holy_Russo_Chinese_alliance20200720-123263-1qbouyu.pdf