Mar 4 Weekly

Throughout the course of human history, power has always existed.  It provides people with a way of governing and expressing authority.  With power comes an enormous amount of responsibility.  One must learn to achieve a stable balance between power and responsibility in order to avoid corruption and “getting a big head.”  If power falls into the wrong hands, it can indeed corrupt the individual in power.  Alexander the Great, for example, was corrupted by power.  He was driven by his want to conquer the Persian Empire, and once he did, he let his newfound power go to his head.  Power, if not handled responsibly, can definitely corrupt and make a person be blinded to the right decisions and actions, such as the case of Alexander.

            Power can corrupt in many ways.  If someone has been in power for a while, they may end up being corrupted.  Cultures that have government systems that include one person in power are more prone to corruption.  Usually, in cases where one person is in power, that person is able to make all the decisions and suppress political unrest and disagreement.  In this case, power is most definitely abused and the leader faces corruption.  Most people are corrupted by power because of its enormously influential effect on others.  A small amount of power may turn into a very large amount, therefore corrupting the person in power.

Alexander eventually became corrupted by the enormous amount of power that he had acquired over his lifetime.  At the start of his conquest, Alexander simply wanted to defeat the Persian Empire.  As he continued on his adventure, Alexander gained more and more power, ultimately causing him to become corrupt.  Alexander’s continuous gain of power was not the only cause of his corruption.  The myths that he created for himself also contributed to this.  He was told he was the son of a god and upheld this declaration.  He told other this, causing him to eventually believe that he was the son of a god and therefore immortal.  He was corrupted by this great amount of power that he acquired.

            Through conquering the Persian Empire, Alexander influenced the Persians more than they influenced him.  After defeating Darius and his empire, Alexander made the Persia his own.  He made the former Persian Empire part of his own empire.  Alexander had the men of his army marry Persian women.  Maybe this was a way for Alexander to leave his mark on Persia.  If Macedonians married Persians, the children of those people would not only have a Persian background, but a Macedonian one as well.  An obvious way that Alexander influenced Persia is that he conquered them.  He completed his ten year goal of conquering the empire.  When he finally did it, he wanted to have this momentous occasion for him remembered.

            Power, though it can be a positive thing to have, can corrupt people.  People must be careful when power falls into their hands.  If people in power are not held accountable for their actions, they may end up being corrupted.  In Alexander’s case, this is exactly what happened.  Alexander did not have anyone telling him “no;” therefore, he became corrupted with power.  Power, especially in Alexander’s case, must not be dealt with in an irresponsible, carefree manner, as to prevent corruption in the hand that holds it.