Popular Perception

Coner McFarlin

            What is popular perception? I think of it as the way the general public views someone or something that is above them. Unfortunately, popular perception of something or someone is not always entirely true. This was the case with Alexander the Great. Distance and time impacted the popular perception of Alexander the Great, just like time and distance have altered our understanding of other historical events.

The city of Byzantion, which was
conquered by Alexander.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium

            Distance affected the popular perception of Alexander the Great. As the stories of Alexander were passed along throughout the ancient world, they were exaggerated and distorted. The effect distance has on popular perception of something is similar to that of the telephone game we all played as kids. In the game, you whisper a word in the ear of the person next you, and they pass it down and so on. By the time you get to the end, you have a totally different word. This is what occurred with the stories of Alexander the Great. First of all, there were no real reliable historical sources at this time. Secondly, after he died, he became a legend. Even his enemies, the Persians, named him son of king Darius. Another example is the Byzantines, members of a city which was a leading port and distribution center of Greek colonies. They were forced to recognize Alexander’s supremacy and give into him. After this they had to fight to regain independence. Even these people pronounced Alexander a saint. So, it is evident that distance had a major role in the myths and the lies in the popular perception of Alexander the Great.

Genghis Khan - leader of the mongol tribes
http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/where-is-genghis-khan-buried

            Time affected popular perception of Alexander the Great in a huge way. Over time, many historians have distorted and exaggerated the truth about Alexander the Great. For instance, Plutarch, a significant historian, wrote about Alexander nearly 400 years after his death. In his writing he himself admits to only emphasizing the positives of Alexander the Great. His account, among many others, of Alexander has greatly distorted the popular perception of the Macedonian king. Another historical figure that there are misconceptions about is Genghis Khan. Over time he has received a reputation of violence and brutality that was not uncommon in his time. In reality, he was a good, strong leader who was able to unite all the Mongol tribes. The stories about him became more and more myth, and now we have forgotten the factual information. In conclusion, both time and distance have had huge impacts on our popular perception of Alexander the Great.

            Distance and time are the major contributors to changing the popular perception of someone or something. Popular perception can be true or untrue, and more often than not, it distorts and exaggerats the facts of a subject. This is one reason why we study history, to clarify and find the truth in the popular perceptions of historical figures and events. This is why history is so important. 

Works Cited

·         Tzalas, Harry E. "Alexander as Myth." Hellenic Electronic Center, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.

·         "Byzantium." Byzantium. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.

·         "The Internet Classics Archive | Alexander by Plutarch." The Internet Classics Archive

| Alexander by Plutarch. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.

·         "FACT BEHIND FICTION | Genghis Khan." FACT BEHIND FICTION | Genghis Khan. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.