Read 10 Min

Describe what you know about Alexander the Great. If you don’t know anything who do you think he was and why do you think he was important.

Bell Ringer

Label map - macedonia

Macedonia & King Philip II

• After Peloponnesian War Macedonia took over weakened Greece, led by Philip II

• His son was Alexander……the great.• Macedonia considered backwards, due to dialect of Greek

they spoke and lived in mountain villages not city-states• Philip adopted Greek style of fighting, what was it? How

would he improve this fighting system? TPS• Phalanx system w/ spears, gave his men longer spears than

other nations. Had larger cavalry and archers than all others

16x16 phalanx with 18 foot pikes, used phalanx to break through and cavalry to crush his disorganized opponents.

Continued…

• Philip desired to conquer all of Greece, Athens/Thebes realized his strength but were no match, quickly conquered all except Sparta

• 336 BC at daughters wedding was assassinated, Alexander took over plans @ 20 yrs old

• Trained to rule from birth in politics/war by 3 teachers, his father, his clever mother, Aristotle. More than willing to take over when his father died.

• Immediately what do you believe happened with Greece and it’s people when Alexander took over? Why• Revolt , Alexander took harsh measures to show control

• I.E. Thebes (crushed army/sold people to slavery/burned city), all other Greeks afraid of rebellion now

Was Alexander right to destroy Thebes? Explain LL

Bucephalus“Oh my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee.” - King Philipp II

Alexander’s Conquest

• 334 BC desired an empire/wanted to fulfill fathers plan. Led army into Asia to take on Persians. What do we know of the Persian army?• Persians massive but disorganized, Alexander's army was

small but well trained and fiercely loyal to him.• Within a year Alexander took control of Asia Minor/

crossed the Hellespont into Anatolia, surprise attack at Issus (outnumbered 35k – 70k) broke through at a weak point and ran for Darius III who fled.

• Darius offered all of his land West of Euphrates to Alexander but he denied, quietly proclaiming he would take the entire Persian empire.

• Would liberate both Phoenicians/Egyptians from Persians• Egyptians viewed Alexander as a liberator, so grateful for him

that they named him the new pharaoh. Created Alexandria• Marched into modern day Iraq (city of Gaugamela) defeated

250,000 Persians, Darius III fled and was murdered by his own officers.

• With Darius’ death he was in charge of Persian empire.

Continued…

• Marched to Persian capital Persepolis burning it to the ground as a sign of his victory.

• Still not satisfied marched deeper into Asia, eventually taking over the Indus.

• Here Alexander wanted to take over the Chinese empire but his men refused and wanted to go home. Forced to turn back to the west.

• TPS How do you think Alexander could have supplied his troops during his 11-yr campaign? Why did Alexander's troops remain loyal for over a decade?

Alexander’s Conquest

Cut and paste map

End of the Empire

• Largest empire the world had ever seen• 323 BC Alexander fell ill in Babylon, died after a few

days at the age of 32• Died without naming an heir, generals fought amongst

themselves for power. Eventually was divided among 3 most powerful generals, who called themselves kings.

• By covering such a wide area created a new type of culture. Hellenisitic – Greeklike. Blended elements of Greek civ. w/ ideas from Persia, Egypt, Central Asia and other regions. Civ. No longer purely Greek or Hellenic (Hellas name Greeks used for their country)

Partner Work – Map p. 144

• Read across the map from left to right beginning in the NW corner of the map at Troy. Find two of the many cities Alexander named after himself? Where are they located?

• Onto which continents did Alexander’s empire spread?• Which kingdoms succeeded the empire of Alexander the

Great after his death in 323 BC?• Why might Alexander have taken such a unique route

after the Zagros Mountains?

Blending of Cultures

• Alexander made an effort to blend empire. I.e. married two Persian princesses and encouraged his men to do so.

• Appointed local leaders to help rule the empire and built dozens of new cities – most named Alexandria – encouraging Greeks to settle in them.

• Most famous of these cities was Alexandria, Egypt at mouth of Nile/Mediterranean Sea. Why this location?

• Ideal for trade, one of the busiest harbors in the world at his time(still largest seaport in Egypt today)

• Built great palaces/streets/monuments/libraries

The Pharos @ Alexandria

Survived longest of 7 ancient wonders, only one w/ practical application. Stood 40 stories tall, destroyed by earthquakes. Still being worked on in sea since 1994.

• Archimedes Read

Hellenistic Life

• City-State of Greece replaced by kingdom, democracy gave way to monarchy

• After Alexandria, women gained rights to receive an education/own property.

• Advances in philosophy/art/literature/science/technology• One new school of philosophy, cynicism. Which is??• Rejection of the ideas of pleasure, wealth, social

responsibility. Believe people should live according to nature.

Jigsaw – Groups of 3

• 1 – Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria P. 146• 2 – Science & Technology P. 147• 3 – Philosophy & Art P. 148• 5 facts to share and all vocab

Ch. 5 quiz - homework

Group Project

• After a great warrior died people would create a monument and inscribe it with tales of the leader’s mighty deeds. You will design an appropriate monument for Alexander.

• In small groups, list the main accomplishments of Alexander. Then, sketch a three-dimensional monument accompanied by your lists.