Was Alexander the Great a Villain and Destroyer of Civilisations?
The destruction of the Achaemenid Empire was a tragedy for the world
Alexander the Great has been recognised as one of the greatest conquerors in human history, and it’s difficult to say how much further he would have gone had he survived longer.
His greatest achievement, or perhaps mistake, was dismantling the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE) and burning its capital, Persepolis, to the ground. An empire that was so large that it stretched from the shores of the Bosphorous to India.
Like the future Romans, this empire was prosperous, tolerant, and a beacon of technological innovation. Yet, its destruction brought massive instability not only to the region but to the entire civilised world.
Should Alexander be celebrated as a heroic figure, or was he, in fact, a villain that set human history back by centuries?
The Persians Have Been Vilified
The victors have always written history, and in the case of Alexander’s triumph, it’s sometimes portrayed as a western imperial victory over the eastern barbarians.
But were the Persians really barbarians?
