March 1st Daily

Was Alexander the Great a "good leader"? Compare/Contrast with Pericles.

I think that both Alexander the Great and Pericles were "good leaders." They both had the same mindset in the sense that they wanted total control over the Mediterranean area, Alexander just spread his mindset even further into all of Asia also. In the end, I think that Alexander the Great was a better leader when it came to fighting and having total power. Unfortunately for Pericles, this conquest led to defeat and a nasty plague over Athens which lead to the death of 1/3 of their population. Pericles was a much better person than Alexander in my opinion, but Alexander was the stronger fighter which can lead to more power. I think at an intellectual and cultural stand point, Pericles was the better leader from what I know of about both of their expeditions. Under Pericles rule, Athens and its empire became the intellectual center of the known world. They created amazing structures and buildings, especially the temple for Athena, which took 15 years to build with precise detail. Also, theatre became a huge part of their culture. In my perspective, I think that both of these leaders were "good leaders," but they were good for different reasons. They were both good fighters; but Alexander, in the end, was the better fighter, and he made the Macedonian Empire more successful in a fighting and taking over land standpoint. They were both intellectual; but Pericles, in the end, was more intellectual and made the empire at the time more successful in a cultural standpoint. I think that if Pericles had some of Alexander's fighting qualities, he would have been much more successful in growing his empire. If Alexander had some of Pericles cultural and intellectual qualities, he could have been even more successful, also. There is always room for improvement in everyone, even some of the greatest ancient leaders.