Does Power Corrupt?

Power is “the possession of control or command over others.” ("Power." Dictionary.com. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/power.) Because civilizations need someone to lead them, throughout history, it has been necessary to give power to a single person or group. However, if too much power is put into one person’s hands, it can prove to be corruptive. Too much power can cause a person to make poor decisions based on their desire for more power. Once a person has authority, he will want more and it will never be enough. Also, if a leader has a great deal of power, he will think that he can do anything he wants and get away with it. Though power does not always corrupt, it often does, especially if it falls into the wrong hands or if too much is given to one individual.

History shows us many examples of leaders who were corrupted by power. One of these individuals is Alexander the Great, who eventually dominated the entire known world. Alexander’s father was King Philip II of Macedonia, so he possessed substantial power since he was quite young. When he was only a teenager, he was given complete authority over the country while his father was away. The boy was able to assemble an entire army and stultify a group of dangerous rebels. He even named their captured base after himself, which shows that he wanted to prove his authority. Shortly after this, Philip made him a commander in his army invading Greece, and Alexander did not let his father down. ("Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography." History of Macedonia and the Macedonian Nation. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html.) These first successful experiences with power at such a young age gave him a longing for more and probably contributed to his gradual corruption.

When King Philip II was assassinated, Alexander became the king of Macedonia. As the new ruler, he had to make his authority known and work to suppress rebellions in nearby regions, including the Thebans, the Thracian, and the Illyrians. After he restored Macedonian rule, Alexander entered Persia and declared war. He first conquered all the states in Asia Minor and continued south down the coast of the Mediterranean. In Syria, Alexander defeated the Persian King Darius III at the Battle of Issus. The Macedonians travelled into Egypt, and soon Alexander had power over the whole coast. He went on to conquer Babylon and Persepolis, the capital of Persia. He ended up dying in Babylon, but not before he had conquered most of Asia. ("The Conquests of Alexander the Great." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. http://library.thinkquest.org/20176/alexander.htm.) Alexander the Great was clearly very successful in his time, obtaining power over most of the known world.

It was precisely this power that corrupted Alexander and his decisions. His desire for power is the reason for his conquests; the more power he had, the more he desired to further his conquests. He did not conquer for the good of his people, but merely for the good of himself, in order to prove his authority and power. Many of his actions prove that Alexander was corrupted by power. One early sign that he could be falling unto corruption was the massacre at Thebes. When there were revolts in this Greek city, Alexander immediately sent an army to attack them. They broke down the city gates and destroyed the city, killing six thousand innocent people and capturing thirty thousand to be sold as slaves. ("Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography." History of Macedonia and the Macedonian Nation. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html.) Fighting other soldiers in battle is one thing, but killing thousands of innocent citizens shows that Alexander would do almost anything to maintain power. In fact, the more power he had, the more he had to lose, and it was this fear that motivated many of his corrupt decisions.

On more than one occasion, Alexander ordered a man to be killed because he felt that his power was threatened. ("Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography." History of Macedonia and the Macedonian Nation. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html.) For example, Philotas was the son of Parmenion, who was a trusted general of Alexander. Philotas was suspected to be part of a conspiracy against Alexander, and so Alexander did not hesitate to him put to death. Not only was Philotas killed, but Parmenion was also assassinated merely because of the plans of his son. ("Parmenion." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmenion.) Another example of Alexander’s corruption for fear of losing his power is in the death of Callisthenes. This man went around openly mocking Alexander and undermining his power. Alexander did not do anything about his comments and campaigning at first. However, when a group of men attempted to assassinate the paranoid ruler, they were tortured and questioned. They revealed, without proof, that Callisthenes was part of their plans, and Alexander had no trouble believing them. The supposed conspirator was tortured and put to death. ("Histories/ Alexander the Great." Dragonrest - The Art of Marguerite Wolf. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. http://www.dragonrest.net/histories/alexander.html.) Both of these examples show that the power Alexander had made him fearful of losing it, and he would do anything to maintain it.

Alexander the Great is a perfect example to prove that power can be corruptive. His initial desire for power was what compelled his conquests. However, once he had obtained great power, his fear of losing it is what drove him to corruption. If too much power is given to one person, the longing for more and the fear of losing it can eventually corrupt anyone.

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