Alexander the Great's Partner in Crime

Have you ever had a best friend, or someone that you can't live without? Well, then you have something in common with Alexander the Great. Alexander was the son of King Phillip II and had an inseparable bond with a horse named Bucephalus. Bucephalus was a beautiful black horse with a white star on his forehead. Alexander’s life was greatly impacted by this one horse.

            When Alexander the Great was young, his father, King Phillip II, was brought a horse by Philoneicus of Thessaly. The horse was much about three times more expensive than horses were usually sold for. The horse was also very wild and unmanageable. The king, thinking he wouldn’t be able to tame this beast sent it away and refused to purchase it. However, Alexander believed that he could tame the horse and said he would pay for it himself. When Alexander approached the horse, he realized why it was acting so wild. The horse was able to see its shadow which was scaring it. After Alexander was able to move the horse so it couldn’t see the shadow anymore, it calmed down and Alexander was able to mount the horse and ride it. Alexander’s perseverance and confidence when trying to tame the horse led his father to believe that he could rule a large kingdom one day. Many historians also feel that this is a turning point in Alexander’s life and career because it showcased traits that would make a great leader, including confidence, determination, etc. Soon after this event, Alexander and his horse became inseparable. Alexander took Bucephalus into all of his battles and even threatened to “fell every tree, lay the countryside, to waste, and slaughter every inhabitant in the region,” when Bucephalus was kidnapped after Alexander helped defeat Darius. This large threat can give us a better idea of how important Bucephalus was to Alexander. However, horses don’t live forever and one day Alexander and Bucephalus had to part. Bucephalus was said to have died of old age by Onesicritus. Alexander was heartbroken over this loss and to honor Bucephalus, he named a city Bucephala in his honor so he could always remember his incredible horse.

            As you can see, Bucephalus had a huge impact on Alexander’s life. He helped him to show how great of a leader he could be, and he was his partner in every battle. Alexander and Bucephalus’ legacies will go on forever in Grecian history as one of the most powerful duos ever.

Works Cited

Trentin, Summer, and Debby Sneed. “Alexander and Bucephalus.” Classics, 15 Aug. 2019, www.colorado.edu/classics/2018/06/19/alexander-and-bucephalus.

Wasson, Donald L. “Bucephalus.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar. 2020, www.ancient.eu/Bucephalus/.

 Trentin, Summer, and Debby Sneed. “Alexander and Bucephalus.” Classics, 15 Aug. 2019, www.colorado.edu/classics/2018/06/19/alexander-and-bucephalus.

Wasson, Donald L. “Bucephalus.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar. 2020, www.ancient.eu/Bucephalus/.

Why did the Sophists start caring?

I think that Sophists such as Protagoras and Socrates would start questioning traditional societal beliefs at this point in time because society and the government began showing their true selves after and during the war. For example, after Pericles' death Athens needed a leader of which many figures ran in the assembly. However, all they wanted was power and would do anything to get it, almost leading to mob rule since the Athenian crowds were given anything they wanted. This new flaw revealed about Democracy probably caused these Sophists to wonder if this really was the ideal government or if it wasn't good for the people at all because of all of the riots and issues being caused.  Another example of society and the government showing their true sides is, after the Athenians had won a sea battle against Sparta they were forced to come straight back to Athens due to the dangerous waters, forcing them to leave overboard soldiers at sea. When they returned to Athens, the leaders of the battle were put into prison and executed due to leaving these soldiers. The Athenian assembly didn't see anything good with these leaders even though they had just won a battle for Athens in the war. Socrates most likely began questioning society at this point because this event showed him that the assembly didn't see anything good about people. Socrates probably wondered if the assembly/ athenians had a conscience or only cared about rules and laws.

Athens Plan Unfolds

As war between Sparta and Athens commenced, the Athenians knew they needed to have a plan to survive and beat the Spartans. Pericles had moved all of the Athenians out of Athens and they were living behind the city walls. He planned to use the Athenian fleets and Navy to have a chance of winning against Sparta. However, disaster struck on the Athenians. A grain ship had brought plague outside the city walls, where all the Athenians were crowded together. In the crowded conditions the disease spread, killing hundreds of Athenians and causing awful conditions everywhere. Eventually, Pericles himself contracted the disease. He became very ill and had to rely on potions and spells to try and heal himself. However, as you may have figured, these didn't work and Pericles passed away in 429 B.C. The Athenians no longer had a leader or a plan to defeat Sparta. How would Athens keep its power now?

Blog 2

Some people might say that they lose track of time while playing a sport, drawing, playing music, etc. These are all very interesting hobbies that people can be passionate about and love doing, but personally I lose track of time when I'm with the people I love. I realize that spending time with people isn't really a hobby that you can do often but, when I am able to be with my family and spend hours with them, I never want it to end. I want to constantly feel the love and affection given to me by my parents, grandparents, even friends. Spending time with the people I love gives me a sense of joy and makes me feel important. There are some people in the world whom I could spend hours with and it would only feel as if a minute passed. For example, my best friend goes to a different high school than me and I don't get to see her very often. However, when I get to spend time with her we always laugh until our sides hurt and have so much fun making memories, but it always feels like our time is cut short.

Losing Track of Time

writing circle time flies

Some people might say that they lose track of time while playing a sport, drawing, playing music, etc. These are all very interesting hobbies that people can be passionate about and love doing, but personally I lose track of time when I'm with the people I love. I realize that spending time with people isn't really a hobby that you can do often but, when I am able to be with my family and spend hours with them, I never want it to end. I want to constantly feel the love and affection given to me by my parents, grandparents, even friends. Spending time with the people I love gives me a sense of joy and makes me feel important. There are some people in the world whom I could spend hours with and it would only feel as if a minute passed. For example, my best friend goes to a different high school than me and I don't get to see her very often. However, when I get to spend time with her we always laugh until our sides hurt and have so much fun making memories, but it always feels like our time is cut short.

Writing circle #1

I WROTE TWO DIFFERENT POVS OF THE PROMPT


Who am I or who do I see myself as? How would I be perceived through the eyes of say a journal, or blog looking at who I am from the outside? I have a hard time describing myself based on how I can be perceived by others because I see myself as simple and adequate, nothing extraordinary. However, when I talk to others, they tell me that I am a kind individual who has impacted so many people due to my positive attitude and happy energy. This is the person whom I strive to be. I want to eventually see myself for how kind I really am, how smart I am, how funny I am. Because right now, I have a hard time seeing my true worth, but deep down I know who I am. I help so many people feel better about themselves everyday by giving advice to them, making them laugh, and making them feel wanted. I get good grades on almost everything I do for school (with some exceptions) and I always give my all to my assignments. I don't know why I have trouble seeing it, but I need to realize that Im not adequate or average, I'm worthwhile and that's what my journal would see, too.


Who is Meghan Kerr? Good question. She's a girl who can make anyone smile on their bad days and give advice to make people feel important and wanted. She's a smart person who gives her all to her assignments and tries hard in school to have a good future. She's funny and can crack a joke even in the most inconvenient circumstances. But, she doesn't see that. She sees herself as a girl who's just average and not worthwhile. She doesn't see herself as anything important, but she should. She's trying to see her true worth and deep down she knows it, but it's a work in progress. Meghan's goal is to one day see her true impact and importance, and one day she'll get there.