The conquests of Alexander the Great still surely rank as one of the most
awe-inspiring military campaigns of
recorded history. Whether for personal glory or more
altruistic motives, the fact remains that Alexander's forceful unification of the known
civilized world had far-reaching consequences. The imposition of
Greek culture and thought upon the peoples of
Asia Minor,
Egypt, and the
Indian subcontinent and the subsequent synthesis of Asian ideas was a highly significant event in its impact upon civilization as a whole.
One of the most powerful effects of this cultural unification was the fundamental shift that it produced in the sense of personal identity of the individual. Up until the Hellenistic period, the structure of one's identity was centered in the group- tribe, polis, or nation- of which one was a member. This sense of belonging does not necessarily imply a lack of self-awareness, but rather a greater sense of belonging to your particular group.
With Alexander's conquests came the establishment of the Hellenistic imperial order, which to a certain extent shattered the cohesion of local societies. These smaller groups were swallowed by the Empire and, by losing their autonomy, ceased to provide a strong sense of community to their members. Thus, people at large began to identify themselves less as members of local societal groups and began to see themselves as "cosmopolitan"- as citizens of the world.