The Life of Alexander Plutarch - 1383 Words

In Life of Alexander, Plutarch employs extensive methods to depict Alexander as a man of both great ambition and self-control, despite Alexander’s degeneration of character by the end of his life. In the modern world, the regression from just conqueror to unrestrained tyrant is completely congruent with the contemporary concept of ambiguous morality. In the ancient world, however, everything is expressed and understood in clear constructs; therefore, one’s character cannot change within a lifetime—it can only be revealed. The history of Alexander the Great is well-known, so Plutarch has to address common knowledge and beliefs while persuading the audience to believe in his portrayal of Alexander. Plutarch establishes Alexander as a great ruler whose out of character actions are made sensible with reinterpretations of situations and are neutralized with stories proving his positive traits. Through these methods, Plutarch successfully resolves the issue of Alexand er’s conflicts in character and is able to create a convincible and consistent character. Plutarch’s portrayal of Alexander as a just king is challenged by the infamous destruction of Thebes. Alexander leading his army to destroy Thebes and massacre its population is characteristic of a cruel tyrant, not a just king. To resolve this, Plutarch describes Alexander as â€Å"wishing to give her still a chance to repent of what she had done, he merely demanded the surrender of Phoenix and Prothytes and proclaimed an amnestyShow MoreRelatedThe Victory Of The Battle Of Issus, And The Conquering Of Tyre922 Words   |  4 PagesHowever, the accuracy of the film takes a turn when transitioning from Alexander taking over gaining more power and taking over the thrown and the battle of Gaugamela. Covering Alexander’s accomplishments concerning the defeat of the rebellion of Thebes, the battle of Issus, and the conquering of Tyre would have drastically increased the running time of the film, but these events are important to understanding Alexander’s overall triu mph. Before his father, Philip, died a Greek city called ThebesRead MoreAlexander the Greats Determination845 Words   |  4 Pagesdeath of King Darius III, Alexander began to introduce his ‘Policy of Fusion’. He believed that if the two traditions (Macedonian and Persian) could be â€Å"blended and assimilated†, his authority would be more securely established and would rest on good will rather than on force, according to ancient historian Plutarch. This tell us that Alexander did not want to destroy the Persia that Darius and his ancestors had set up and replace it with a Macedonian ruling. Quoting Plutarch, â€Å"He understood that theRead MoreThe Potential Of Persuasion By Phaedrus And Life Of Demosthenes1585 Words   |  7 PagesBui Ngo Thanh Truc (Tessa) The Potential of Persuasion in Phaedrus and Life of Demosthenes Persuasion is an essential skill for rhetoricians. Since all a rhetorician needs is not the truth but his own opinion, persuasion is necessary to address the assembly. While persuasion could be used to lead a city to making the right decisions and gaining glory, the power of persuasion could be also abused or used by the wrong person. Demosthenes uses his rhetorical skills to push Athens away from its courseRead MoreAlexander the Great Essay1747 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander the Great, son of King Philip II of Macedonia, underwent a journey of overwhelming odds. Alexander led his army through multiple victories across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without the agony of a single defeat. 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We are able to establish Plutarchs aims in creating his biographies by looking at his background and influences. Plutarch was born in Greece to a wealthy established family. He was well educated, studying rhetoric in Athens, and then travelled to Rome where he established connections with some important political figures. Despite being an outsider (a Greek), Plutarch accepted Roman aristocratic traditionRead MoreEssay on The Death of Alexander the Great7402 Words   |  30 PagesIn the year 324 BC, Alexander, on the way to Babylon, came to his traditional summer retreat of Ecbatana. There, he held a massive festival in honor of Dionysus in which it is believed up to 3,000 Greek performers were brought to provide entertainment. Night after night, lavish drinking parties ensued in which Alexander and Hephaestion, (his supposed alter ego) undoubtedly participated in. It was during this time of extravagant celebration that Hephaestion became ill and contracted a high feverRead MoreJulius Caesar- Rise to Prominence1729 Words   |  7 PagesJulius Caesar’s rise to prominence up until 60BC transpired due to a number of factors. The first of these being his family background and Marian connections, which at varying stages of his life were both a help and a hindrance. We can also note that most of his marriages wer e used to gain political and financial resources accentuating his connections to powerful families and individuals. This rise to prominence can also be attributed to Caesar’s opportunistic nature and vast ambitions coupled withRead MoreAlexander The Second Of Macedon Essay1530 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander the Third of Macedon, commonly referred to as Alexander the Great, was king of the Ancient Macedon a Greek kingdom upon his father s death in 336 BCE. Alexander was born the son of King Philip of Macedon in the Greek city of Pella in 356 BCE. He succeeded his father and took reins of Macedon at age twenty. Alexander spent a large majority of his ruling years on an military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa. By 326 BCE at the age of thirty he lead one of the largest empires ofRead MoreMovie And Scene Of The Movie Spartacus 1659 Words   |  7 Pagesresearch on what really happened at the time. This included written works by ancient writers, one of which was Plu tarch. Plutarch was the author of Lives, an ancient literary work that recorded the biographies of various prominent individuals from the time of Spartacus. There was no known date of when Lives was written, but it was known that Plutarch began writing rather late in his life, in his home of Chaeronea, in Greece (Warner 1964, 7). The context of the work at the time of the production of