Alexander the Great

1. Alexander the Great And Hellenistic Greece

2. Macedonians • Live north of the Greek peninsula and even spoke a Greek dialect • Most Macedonians were farmers and shepherds, so they had not achieved the same cultural feats as the Greeks

3. Macedonians • By the 4th century BCE the people of Macedonia were united because of the work of several kings • This transformed the country into a military power to be reckoned with

4. Philip II • Ruled Macedonia until 336BCE • Was considered the most brilliant of Macedonia’s kings • Discovered gold deposits and gained enough wealth to assemble a massive army

5. Thebes • In 338BCE at the battle of Chaeronea near Thebes the forces of Macedonia defeated the Greek city-states and amalgamated them into Macedonia

6. Macedonia Army • Was strong due to two primary factors • The phalanx formation • Well-trained cavalry

7. Assassinated! • In 336BCE, one of Philip’s body guards assassinated him • Philip’s son Alexander was proclaimed king of Macedonia

8. Alexander the Great • Alexander was a cavalry officer in wars with the Greek states and had proven himself as a military leader • After being announced kin, Alexander had any rivals murdered and launched military campaigns to show his military strength • Thebes had tried to revolt, so Alexander had 6000 citizens executed and sold the rest into slavery

9. 11 Year Campaign • Alexander wanted to complete his father’s plans to conquer Egypt, Persia, Mesopotamia, and India • Within one year Alexander had already conquered the Persian Empire

10. Hydaspes • In 327 BCE, 30 000 of Alexander’s troops moved into India • But, Alexander’s cavalry became virtually immobilized by the Indian elephants • The battle of Hydaspesended in a victory for Alexander • But, his men were ready to mutiny so Alexander turned back to head home

11. Marching Home • The Greek forces went south down the Indus river, marched along the Persian Gulf, and entered Babylon • Alexander died at Babylon in 323BCE of either typhoid or malaria

12. Hellenistic Greece • Alexander’s campaigns resulted in an increased cultural exchange for the Greek civilization from both the east and the west • Alexander had used men from all over his empire in his army, so troops became quite cosmopolitan • Alexander’s empire also stretched from Greece to India with lots of interaction between different people:

13. Hellenistic Greece • Alexander wanted to make Greek culture and language the unifying factor in his empire • But, he was too pluralistic and respected the laws and customs of conquered peoples • He even allowed officials in conquered territories to maintain administration rights

14. Hellenistic Greece • Important scientific and philosophical advancements: • Euclid made advancements in geometry • Archimedes made advancements in physics • Aristarchus formulated the heliocentric view of the universe • Stoicism developed • People believe humans should always be honourable

15. Crumbling Empire • Alexander had no children, so there was no heir to his throne • As a result, his generals fought for power for 40 years • The Macedonian Empire became several large states each ruled by a descendent of a general • The Greek mainland was not peaceful until the Roman conquest in 27BCE

17. Quick Review “Alexander the Great and the Situation” – CrashCourse Turn to pg. 122 and complete questions 1-3