Alexander The Great Research Paper

To what extent did Alexander adopt local ideas of kingship in Egypt and Persia? As Alexander expanded his empire throughout Egypt and Persia, he had to adapt to a more efficient way of governing such a diverse empire with political and cultural complexities. Alexander incorporated some of the distinct local customs of Egypt and Persia with his own Macedonian and Greek ideologies. This essay will argue that Alexander the Great adopted local ideas of kingship to a moderate extent in both Egypt and Persia. While both political and cultural factors are significant in his ability to integrate and rule his empire, this essay will only focus on the political and administrative ideas of kingship that Alexander either implemented from his homeland or …show more content…
This included the use of satraps to manage regions of the empire and incorporating Persian officials into his administration. However, this is not enough to argue that Alexander adopted local ideas of kingship to a great extent, as he did not implement many aspects of the Persian Empire, such as the decentralised administrative structure, and he continued using Greek instead of adapting to the language of administration, Persian. He Hellenized Persia just as he did with Egypt by establishing Greek cities and in Persia, notably imposed Greek-style urban planning on Persian cities. By using the system of satrapies and choosing to retain many of the already established Persian satraps in their positions, Alexander was able to ensure stability within his administration and facilitate the integration of the locals within his empire. This continuance of the local satrapies also ensured a level of efficiency and continuity within the governance of the empire. They were already familiar with the political dynamics and local customs within each of their territories and managed day to day affairs. This enabled Alexander to focus on larger objectives and to navigate the intricacies of governing such a diverse empire. This continuity of governance shows Alexander’s willingness to adopt Persian administrative ideas of kingship. Some examples of Alexander retaining the Persian satraps include Mazaeus, the satrap of Babylon. He was a Persian noble that Alexander had allowed to continue governing Babylon, which paved the way for a smooth transition of power and maintained order in Babylon. Alexander also ensured efficiency in the administration of cities like Susa through retaining Persian officials like Abuletes as satrap there. Abuletes’ knowledge and his management of the day-to-day affairs of the city enabled

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