Friday, December 14, 2007

Plutarch's On the Fortune of Alexander (Extra Credit)

I will read to you in class a few passages from Plutarch's On the Fortune of Alexander. Glance through the online translation of this work (you don't need to read the whole thing), and pick out any information that would help you in writing an essay on whether or not Alexander deserves to be called "great." Note that there are two different "Orations" on this site, both from Plutarch's "Moralia."
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5 comments:

  1. Warren BerryDecember 17, 2007 at 5:37 AM

    First I would state the obstacles that faced Alexander when he started his reign of Greece and his campaign against the Persians. As Plutarch wrote, Alexander had to face the elements such as "storms, droughts, deep rivers, the heights of the Birdless Rock, the monstrous shapes of savage beasts, an uncivilized manner of life, the constant succession of petty kings and their repeated treachery." Alexander also faced internal rebellion and external threats to his empire.

    Despite these threats, Alexander conquered them all and became the master of his domain. How did one man turn a small opportunity into the biggest empire the world had ever seen? Through his character. As Plutarch also wrote, Alexander displayed certain characteristics of a great leader. "greatness of soul, keen intelligence, self-restraint, and manly courage." Alexander had these characteristics that made him Great.

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  2. DincubusDecember 17, 2007 at 12:08 PM

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  3. AnonymousDecember 18, 2007 at 3:20 PM

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  4. AnonymousDecember 22, 2007 at 8:23 AM

    I liked a lot about how first Alexander is praised for crossing impossible rivers and passing mountains so high that no arrow could reach. I also really liked the part when he talks about how Alexander was a better instructor then Socrates and Plato! He talks about how Alexander had helped the Persians to revear their mothers and not force them into wedlock anymore, there was another group that he taught them to bury their dead, and their were many more examples. But he says that this form of instruction far outways that of Socrates for, Alexander taught them somthing real instead of ideas. I think that alone shows that Alexander is great, because not only did he just go around and conquer countries but he improved them and ruled generally very nice for having such a big empire!
    -Ben Lickteig

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  5. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2008 at 1:44 PM

    In this reading Plutarch tries to make clear that it is Alexander’s character and personal ability and not fortune that lead to his victories. He points out a long list of injuries Alexander suffered and the other difficulties of his campaign. It looked as though fortune fought Alexander every step of the way. Plutarch went on to look at Alexander in terms of philosophy. He concluded the philosophers were all talk and it took Alexander to get any of the ideas put into action. He observed that Socrates thought there was only one truth and all people should be ruled in accordance to it. Socrates may have put out the ideas, but Alexander was able to put it into action changing the laws of the Persians. He took the basic idea of universal good and practiced it by making universal laws for all the different peoples. Plutarch makes a good case for the greatness of Alexander by showing he had to overcome fate instead of fate putting him into power and he took philosophic ideas and made them real.
    Jesse peck

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