Alexander-Empire Builder

1
Alexander-Empire Builder

• Alexanders empire extended across three
  continents that today consist of many nations and
  diverse cultures

2
Why it Matters Now

• Did Alexander the Great create history, or was he
  just carried on by the tide of events which were
  already occurring?

3
The rise to power

• Assumed the throne at age twenty when his father
  was murdered
• Marched for eleven years, over 22,000 miles and
  never lost a battle against the strongest foes of
  his time

4
(No Transcript)
5
Conquest of Greece and Persia

• Alex identified himself with Achilles from the
  Illiad
• Greece was exhausted after the Peloponnesian War
  easy targets
• Persia was almost destroyed after the Persian
  wars even easier targets

6
Darius Wants Peace

• Darius tried to negotiate a peace settlement. He
  offered Alexander his entire western empire.
• Alexander rejected Darius offer and announced
  that he would not stop until he controlled the
  entire Persian empire.

7
Alexander Defeats Egypt

• After his Persian campaigns, Alexander turned his
  attention to Egypt.
• In 332 B.C., Alexander marched in to Egypt where
  he was welcomed by the Egyptian people. They
  crowned him pharaoh.
• He founded the city of Alexandria at the mouth of
  the Nile.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Colonial Administration

• Alexander allowed conquered territories to
  operate under self-rule in local affairs as long
  as the people recognized that they were now a
  subject people of Macedonia.
• Saw no difference between Macedonians, Greeks,
  and others all were brothers

10
A Scientific Conqueror?

• Brought scientists on expeditions gathered data
  about biology and geography
• Made Greek the prevailing language of the Near
  East for government, learning, and commerce

11
Blending an Empire

• He adopted the Persian style of dress, married a
  Persian princess who was the daughter of Darius
  III.
• He presided over a mass marriage of thousands of
  his soldiers to Persian women.
• Hellenism A blending of Greek, Persian,
  Egyptian, and Indian cultures (Greece HELLAS)

12
Alexander meets his match

• Alexander moved his forces to the east where he
  faced the armies of India, which included over
  200 elephants. Woot!
• After the conquest of India, Alexanders men were
  ready to return home to Macedonia.

13
(No Transcript)
14
Alexander Dies at age 32

• Alexander died at age 32 after a heavy drinking
  bout and swimming in a river from which he caught
  a fever
• Little had been done to organize his empire
• No permanent institutions were created to govern
  it it would go to the strongest

15
Alexanders Legacy

• His generals were smarter than that they would
  carve up the kingdom with relative peace
• Antigonus became king of Macedonia and took
  control of the Greek city-states.
• Ptolemy seized Egypt and took the title of
  pharaoh. Macedonia held power in Egypt until the
  death of Cleopatra in 26 B.C.
• Seleucus took most of the old Persian empire
  which became known as the Seleucid Empire.