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It was not merely for symbolic purposes that I sought to defeat the Persians. Sure, they had dealt traumatic losses to the Greeks in centuries past, but Persia offered something of tremendous value to me and the Greek Empire: gold, plenty of it.

It was not only that Persia offered considerable gold, it was that the Persian rulers had hoarded plenty of it for generations, amplifying the potential riches to finance my world empire.

Once I overtook the Persian Empire, I soon began to mint the gold reserves to finance my subsequent conquests to the East, building ports and cities along the way. It is true that I never used my authority and spoils for personal pleasures. Thanks to my efforts, global trade flourished. With Persian treasures pumping money in circulation, constant warring spiking demand for iron and my global empire opening borders, I was at the forefront of capitalism centuries before Adam Smith penned Wealth of Nations.

Another thing that remained unchanged was the geographical landscape known to man. In my time, I had conquered many corners of the world, until the Iberian forces pushed the envelope nearly two thousand years later during the 15th century.

While my goals appeared largely altruistic – and in many ways, were – the fact of the matter is that no war is ever fought for altruistic reasons. Any leader who tells you otherwise is lying to you. War is unjust and historically conducted to profit from, be it directly or indirectly.

My wars would be profitable, though I would use the profit to advance Greek Civilization. I learned that it was acceptable to cheerlead for an organization but not for oneself.

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