In 335 B.C., Alexander the Great and his army began a conquest to expand the Greek Empire. For ten years, they went undefeated in all the battles they fought and they had successfully conquered Egypt and the vast Persian Empire. However, power-thirsty Alexander lusted for more and decided to continue his conquest to India. The men, who had become weathered by all the years of warring, had low morale and lacked the will to continue the conquest any longer. In his powerful speech, Alexander the Great used rhetorical questions, rallying diction, and a strong balance between logos and pathos in order to motivate his men to continue on.
In the beginning part of his speech, Alexander the Great used empowering rhetorical questions and diction to force his men to realize how strong they were and make them thirsty for more. After listing all of the places they had conquered, Alexander says, “With all that accomplished, why do you hesitate to extend the power of Macedon− your power− to the Hyphasis and the tribes on the other side? Are you afraid that a few natives who may still be left will offer opposition?” In the first question, he emphasizes “your power” in order to make his troops realize their great abilities and show that a little more conquesting will not pose a threat. Then, in the second question, he plays the “scaredy-cat” card, teasing his men and their dignity. He asks his men if they are scared of “a few natives” as reverse psychology to make his men realize that fighting means keeping their dignity.
In the central part of his speech, Alexander the Great transitions by using a more logical approach. He explains to his men that if they do not conquest India, then someone else will. He says, “Should that happen, all that we have done and suffered will have proved fruitless--or we shall be faced with the task of doing it over again from the beginning.” For the sake of progress, he able to convince his men that if they do not conquest India, all of their past conquests were for nothing and they might have to start over. This appeal to the soldiers’ logos forces them to understand that the only logical option is to continue on.
In the end, Alexander the Great transitions back to appealing to the soldiers’ pathos by glorifying them and using a “we are in this together attitude.” He says, “We have passed beyond Nysa and we have taken the rock of Aornos which Heracles himself could not take.” Alexander focuses on the fact that his men has taken land that Heracles, a demigod known to be stronger than any man and even some gods in Greek mythology. This is a rallying call for the soldiers because if they can conquer land that Heracles cannot, what can’t they do? He continues, and says, “You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labour and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all.” His word choice of “you and I” helps to unify his men and make them feel a bond through the battles they fought. By ending this way, he paves the path to continuing the conquest to India.
Alexander the Great’s ambitions did not line up with those of his men, who were tired of fighting, and he realized that they needed to be motivated for one last conquest. By using his awe-inspiring oration skills learned from the great Aristotle, he was able to successfully rally his men and continue on to India.
To read his speech, click here.
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