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How did the rule of Alexander the Great during the Hellenistic Age affect the relationship between the Persians and the Greeks?
The
rule of Alexander the Great during the Hellenistic Age greatly affected the
relationship between the Persians and the Greeks in a positive way. As a matter
of fact, he mixed these two civilisations together, combining the two different
cultures, customs, manners and so on. His
grand scheme was to create a multiracial kingdom with a multiracial army. His
first step in accomplishing this was to train thousands of Persian youths in
Macedonian tactics and then enrol them in his army. This was the start to his
multiracial army, composed of Macedonians, Greeks and Persians. Furthermore, he
encouraged marriage amongst his officers, mainly from Macedonia and Greece, with
Persian women. Actually, Alexander himself married the daughter of a Persian
noble. By doing so, he united these two populations more and more, even with
ties of blood. In
addition to this, Alexander the Great also founded many new cities in Asia along
his line of march. These, of course, all had mixed populations of Greeks and
Asians. They spoke Greek, which became the new international language, and their
religion, art and literature were a cosmopolitan blend of Greek and Asiatic
elements. This consequently, had major effects on the relationship between the
Persians and the Greeks, since they literally became good next door neighbours. In
conclusion, during the 13 years of his reign, Alexander the Great spread Greek
learning and culture to Eastern lands. He also adopted Eastern ways and customs.
A new civilisation developed from this blend of East and West.
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