Lesson 30 - Section 3

Over a short time, Alexander extended his rule over Asia Minor, Egypt, and Central Asia.  Still not satisfied, he pushed forward and marched to the farthest limit of the Persian Empire.  His armies even reached western India.

Many leaders throughout history have dreamed of controlling the world, but Alexander came as close as anyone to fulfilling that dream.   He brought much of the known world at that time under his power.  His notable achievements earned him the name  Alexander the Great .

Alexander was a bold and brilliant general, but his many conquests created new challenges.  How could he maintain such a large territory?  And how could he successfully unite so many different peoples and cultures?

Alexander wanted all the people he conquered to accept him as their ruler.  He also intended to spread Greek culture, although he did not want to destroy the local  customs  and traditions of the various cultures across his empire.  His goal was to unify the different peoples of these many cultures under a single government.

To achieve his goals, Alexander developed a plan with three key parts. First, he would spread Greek culture and ideas. Second, he would use religion to inspire loyalty. Third, he would show respect for the cultures he now controlled, and even adopt some of their customs.  Let's examine each aspect of his strategy.