...no one should marvel at the ease with which Alexander [the Great] kept possession of Asia, or at the difficulties which others, like Pyrrhus and many more, had in preserving their conquests. The difference does not arise from the greater or lesser ability of the conqueror, but from dissimilarities in the conquered lands. Anonymous
About This Quote

These words were written in the late eighteenth century by the British historian Edward Gibbon. They are written to refute the so-called “barbaric” view that Alexander’s conquests were won through great bravery and valor. Instead, the writer argues, the conquests of Alexander were won using greater skill and cleverness than others who had won similar territories.

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