Alexander the Great is a well know figure in Western civilization. He was admired and praised by others, but nonetheless cursed by many. Some say he was even a decedent of Achilles himself. However, who is Alexander the Great? What is this controversy about his alcohol addiction? What role has alcohol played in his conquest? Alexander the Great, or Alexander of Macedon, was the son of King Philip II of Macedon. Since birth, Alexander was bred to be a successor of the Kingdom of Macedon. He was a student of Aristotle and was brought to battle by his father as early as age fourteen. Then, when his father was assassinated, he succeeded the throne and began his long conquest of the whole known world. However, scholars have portrayed him as an alcoholic. One account said that He was so intoxicated that he stabs one of his trusted general because he insulted Alexander’s father. Another story alleged that he paraded on the streets riding a donkey, in honor of the god Mithras. Conversely he also expanded the Greek culture from the Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush. Thus, was he really an alcoholic or a person who indulge in the luxuries of life itself?
Alexander the Great was not an alcoholic, but a person that participated in extravagant symposia and indulged …show more content…
The Macedonians are a well-known for worshiping the god Dionysus. The people of Macedonia were recorded to have many gatherings, For instance a nine day festival was prepared before the eve of departure of Alexander the Great to conquer Babylon and the entire Persian Empire. Athenaeus, a historian, depicted the Macedonian society as wine loving people. Their wine is so refined that it doesn’t need a dilution from water because it has low alcohol level. In turn, it can confuse a historian of thinking Alexander was an intoxicated man because he never diluted his wine and for the marvelous gatherings he