The Crucial Role Religion Played in the Conquests of Alexander the Great

Religion in the ancient world was a very important factor in every aspect of life. It was even more pronounced in the life and campaigns of Alexander the Great. He ensured that he was not only doing enough to keep the gods appeased but he sacrificed above and beyond what was normally done even by a king. The religious aspect of his life strengthened his campaigns as well as his empire and seemed to greatly aid Alexander. Alexander would have to have been very aware of the good consequences his actions in regards to his religion and religious practices would have had with his followers and the people he conquered. He eventually conquered much of the known world and created a massive empire with very loyal followers. This paper discusses the fact that it was eventually generally accepted that Alexander the Great was a demi-god, descended from Zeus. A lot of what he did in his life seemed to be in order to prove this to his followers, and maybe to himself. Not to mention, his conquests seemed to back him up as a demi-god. Alexander claimed to have done not only as much, but more than gods such as Dionysus. He also firmly believed himself to be on a quest from the gods and that he was to, as it says in Plutarch, “bring the whole world together as its governor and arbiter.” This being said, Alexander treated the people who he conquered exceptionally well. He let them continue to practice their religion and even himself sacrificed to the gods of the people he conquered. Alexander was continuously making very public sacrifices to the gods so people knew his devotion to them and assumed that when they conquered yet another land that it was because of his favor with the gods. He made these sacrifices before and after battles and just because. These sacrifices included not only regular offering, but also holding religious celebrations and games, appeasing not only the gods, but his people as well. He also made sure that when something good happened, whether it was a major battle or recovering from an illness he would praise the gods