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We and military historians relate and rate Alexander as the greatest field commander General ever. {Arguably} Is this fair or are we biased. Was Alexander the Real deal?

I ask this of members and opinions. I think he was. some people say he defeated a weak Persian enemy. I say he fought thwe best at that time and shied away from no challenge. Was he the all rounder the real deal. I think so.

Every type of warfare at that time Alexander mastered and inovated. From open siege warfare . Siege warfare and even Blitzcrieg attacks against Guerilla warfare. Then we talk about tactics always inovative developing and adapting to any kind of situation.

And just as important the logistics. the foreward planning and supplies were faultless. The only real blunder he made and I believe he knew it all along was the march through the Makran. But it was there and he thought he would take it on. Very lucky to get away with it.

But the whole complete package with Alexander was about as spot on as you could get even as a politician he was a wiery as his father wich sometimes gets overlooked. If Alexander did have a fault maybe he was a little too soft. Could you imagine Ghengis Khan allowing Demosthenese and the Athenians to run off at the mouth. Were Alexander more like Ghengis Khan then I doubt a poison theory would arise no one would dare. Nor would the Macedonian Elite be hen pecking and plotting as they must have with there disilusionment with Alexanders plans. They would have done exactly as they were told and bloody liked it.

So was Alexander the Real Deal?

Kenny

kennyxx wrote: If Alexander did have a fault maybe he was a little too soft. Could you imagine Ghengis Khan allowing Demosthenese and the Athenians to run off at the mouth.

Hi Kenny,

This is a bit problematical. After all, Demonsthenes was not one of Alexander's subjects, so by what right would Alexander have 'dealt with him' (for want of another way of expressing it). According to the sources he *did* demand that Demosthenes, and others, be surrendered to him, after Thebes, but was deterred by [Phocion?]. It would not have looked very good to take him, and others, prisoner and deal with them in whatever way, when they were citizens of a free city that was supposedly an ally of Macedonia - many people spend a lot of time defending some of Alexander's less glorious actions; but they would have a hard time finding a way to defend Alexander had he arrested and imprisoned, or executed, a citizen of an allied state, who did no more than speak out against him.

Rather than soft, I would say "sensible"!

ATB