Where I am Today: Alexanders Story

Kelsey Bruinekool

HIST 134 - Ancient World History

Section # 112327

Instructor - Dr. Alec Thomson

March 12, 2017

My name is Alexander and I was born in 497 BCE, in the beautiful city of Athens,

Greece. Athens during this time was growing by the minute and was one of most powerful and
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most popular empires in the land. There are many classes of people here, but luckily for myself I

was born into a family of aristocrats. So I grew up in a very large home with plenty of land and

lots of wealth. My father was a general in the cavalry so he was gone a lot of the time out

defending our city-state. Since women had very little rights during this time, my mother was

always home cooking, weaving, cleaning, or making something from scratch. I have two

younger brothers and one younger sister that are school aged. In Athens depending on how

wealthy your family is, determines how long children can go to school for. I went to school until

I was sixteen, from there I began military camp. There I would and I would sleep in cold

barracks at night be put through intense training all day every day to prepare for war.

Unfortunately girls get little education so many times my sister would stay home with our

mother and learn the basics of domestication. Sadly in 480 BCE my father was killed while

defending off a second Persian invasion. I always wanted to follow my fathers footsteps and

honor his life, so thats what I did.

Now its 479 BCE and Im doing exactly what I wanted to do in life, honor my father by

joining the Calvary and succeeding in life. So far Im off to a good start because we just defeated

the Persians at their city-states, Plataea and Mycale. After all the wars during a short amount of

time, Athens has grown itself into the best naval power in Greece. Im honored to know that I

will be involved in forming the Delian League soon. Which will ultimately become an alliance

that creates a united system among other city-states to ward off any further Persian attacks.

Maybe one day we will so powerful we will be able to dictate the laws, customs, and trade of all

neighboring city states. I have always been interested in government and politics, so now that we

are not a war anymore I can get involved because I am finally old enough. I like living in Athens

because I have lived here my whole life, but also because it is a democracy here. I am hoping to
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get involved in the assembly, or even in the council one day. I know my father would be proud of

that. He always told me I would be great, and that I will have a great life. I have a meeting with

some family friends today to meet their daughter, hopefully making her my wife. I finished

building my house last week so I can bring her to it on the night of our marriage. I will start to

grow a family of my own and make my father proud.