Question

How has Alexander the Great affected today's society?

Answer 1

We wear pants.

Answer 2

Im not entirely sure what he did specifically, but the Hellenistic age gave many enlightened ideas or something like that.

Answer 3

Alexander was not Greek, he was Macedonian. Although he was tutored by Aristotle, it is likely the influence ran the other way - that Aristotle was influenced by the inspired dreamer Alexander, rather than that Alexander was influenced by Aristotle. I think Alexander generally saw the Greeks as decadent. In any event, Greek culture passed to Rome directly, through its colonies in Italy, and through Roman conquest of Greece later on, and to medieval Europe through the Byzantines.

I think Alexander in general is much more responsible for the introduction to the Greek and Roman west of ideas and customs originating in Persia (which he conquered) and India, such as astrology and trousers. Astrology of course begins with astrometry -- careful measurement of the motions of the planets -- and that practice was transplanted to Alexander's burial place, the city of Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander but fostered by one of his greatest generals, Ptolemy, as part of the flourishing of Alexandria as the greatest seat of learning in the ancient world. When we speak of the ancient System of the World, for example the Ptolemaic (geocentric) view of how the planets orbit in the heavens, we are speaking of what was set down in Alexandria, following on the traditions of Babylon, transplanted there by Alexander and his generals.