World Rulers Essay, Research Paper

Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Genghis Khan

This paper will explore the lives of three of the most well known

rulers in human history, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and

Genghis Khan. This will first consist of an examination of the

personalities and gifts of each of these rulers. Details of the course

and extent of the conquests and achievements of each individual will

follow this. The lasting contributions made by these three men will

then be noted. The first ruler under consideration is Alexander the

Great. He was the son of Philip II , King of Macedonia, and his wife

Olympia, in the year 356 B.C. (^Alexander^). He was a student of

Aristotle, and gained interests in the areas of philosophy, medicine,

and scientific investigation (^Alexander^). Aristotle took great care

in providing Alexander with a very structured and disciplined education

(Williams 7-9). However, Alexander^s father, Philip II, would not

allow Alexander to form the habits of a recluse. Philip initiated

Alexander early with the duties of his high station. It was in this

role that Alexander showed his ability to lead men, and be a great

administrator. At age sixteen, Alexander was appointed Regent of

Macedonia, while Phillip was detained at the siege of Byzantium

(Williams 10). It has been noted that Alexander, by this point, had

already astonished some Persian deputies by the pertinency of his

questions, and the acuteness of his intellect (Williams 10). By the

time he was eighteen, Alexander had commanded the left wing of the army

at the battle of Chaeroneia, and defeated the Thebans (Williams

10-11). The following is an account of the words of Arrian, an

acquaintance of Alexander. He spoke these words Alexander^s death on

June 13, 323 B.C.:

Let him who would vilify Alexander, not select a few blameworthy acts,

but sum up all his great deeds and qualities, and then consider who and

what he himself is who would thus abuse the man who attained the

pinnacle of human felicity^who was the undisputed monarch of both

continents^and whose name has pervaded the whole of the earth^ My own

opinion, therefore, I will profess, that not without especial purpose

of the deity such a man was given to the world, to whom none has ever

yet been equal (Williams 409). The date of Julius Caesar^s birth is in

dispute. The probable date was July 12 or 13, 100 B.C. (David 12).

His father was Gaius Caesar, who died when Julius was only sixteen.

His mother was Aurelia, who was a noble woman, and it seems certain

that he owed much to her (David 12). In 84 B.C., Caesar married

Cornelia, a daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna (^Caesar^). Caesar is

noted for his great energy, intellect, and physical state (^Caesar^).

Caesar showed generosity to his opponents after he defeated them,

however this did not necessarily make him endeared to them (^Caesar^).

He won the devotion of his soldiers by the victories that he led them

through (^Caesar^). He was a man of great intellect and used this in

battle as an excellent strategist. This was made evident in his

defeat of the Gauls (David 86-89). This same intellect assisted him in

becoming a great politician of his time. He also prepared his seven

books on the Gallic War for publication in 51 B.C., wrote his books on

the civil war, and his Anticato (^Caesar^). Genghis Khan was a warrior

and a ruler of genius who, starting from obscure and insignificant

beginnings, brought all the nomadic tribes of Mongolia under the rule

of himself and his family in a rigidly disciplined military state

(^Genghis Khan^, Britannica).

“Alexander the Great.” The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1998 ed.

“Caesar.” The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1998 ed.

David, Peter. Julius Caesar. New York; Cromwell-Collier Press. 1968.

“Genghis Kahn.” Collier^?s Encyclopedia. 1968 ed.

“Genghis Kahn.” The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1998 ed.

Williams, John. The Life of Alexander the Great. New York; A. L. Burt Company.

1902.

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