Julius Ceasar & Alexander the Great
Who is the greatest leader from ancient times? Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great are both
leaders who left an imprint on history. Even though they lived in different times, both were strong leaders with
many things in common.
Alexander the Great’s name means “ruler of men”. He was known to have a good education, and was
taught by Aristotle. He loved the Iliad. As a leader, he fought side by side with his soldiers, making them
loyal to him. Being well educated, he developed good war strategy and often won battles even when he was
outnumbered. He was clever as a fox, and cut the Gordian knot with his sword instead of trying to untie it,
fulfilling prophecy to rule Asia. He died young of a mysterious illness or poisoning, but left the world ready to
receive the gospel of Christ because he unified much of the ancient world in culture and the Greek language.
Julius Caesar was the last ruler of the Roman Republic. With his charming personality and effective
leadership, he held many positions in government. He was popular among Roman citizens. Julius Caesar was a
powerful military leader, and was known as a fearsome fighter. Eventually, he named himself dictator. This
led to his murder by some Roman senators who wanted to prevent a monarchy. Even after his death, his changes
to the calendar are still used today.
Both Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were considered virtuous leaders who fought with their
armies. Their armies were loyal since they fought in battle with them. Both men experienced many victories
because of their strong military leadership. Both craved power and were good at leading people. They worked
to improve Roman society and were loved by their citizens. They both looked up to other heros – Alexander the
Great looked up to the Greek gods, while Julius Caesar looked up to Alexander the Great. These good leaders
had strong character traits that helped them to succeed and change history.