Section 4

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• Section 4 Alexander the Great

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• Setting the Scene
• Through a brilliant career of military
• conquest, the Macedonian leader Alexander
• the Great built an empire that reached from
• the Mediterranean to the Indus River valley.
• To rule more efficiently, Alexander
• encouraged a blending of Greek culture with
• the customs of conquered peoples. An
• ancient historian wrote about Alexander,
• He understood that the sharing of race
• and customs is a great step towards
• softening mens hearts.

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Section 4 Alexander the Great
Main Idea Alexander the Great formed a huge
empire, spread Greek culture into Egypt and many
parts of Asia, and paved the way for a new
civilization to develop in those areas.

• Objectives
• How did Alexander the Great rise to power?
• What was life like in the Hellenistic world that
  developed after Alexanders death?
• What were some important Hellenistic achievements?

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I. Philip of Macedon

• After Peloponnesian War - period of struggle
• and competition among Greek city-states

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I. Philip of Macedon

• 359 B.C. - Philip II of Macedon became king
• of Macedonia

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I. Philip of Macedon

• Philip improved on the Greek phalanx
• organized a disciplined army

Each phalangite carried as his primary weapon a
sarissa, a pike over 6 m (18 ft.) in length, with
a counterweight and spiked end at the rear. An
intact phalanx could easily keep its enemies at a
distance the weapons of the first five rows of
men all projected beyond the front of the
formation, so that there were more spear points
than available targets at any given time.
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I. Philip of Macedon

• Philip conquered Athenian colonies in the
• north, then turned on the Greek heartland

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I. Philip of Macedon

• Some Greeks saw Philip as a savior others,
• such as Demosthenes, opposed Philip

Demosthenes (384 BC - 322 BC) is generally
considered the greatest of all Ancient Greek
orators. He is best-known for his Philippic
Orations, urging the populace to rise up and
defend their country against Philip II of
Macedon, who was steadily gaining power and
territory for Macedonia.
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I. Philip of Macedon

• 338 B.C. - Philip defeated Athens and Thebes
• at the Battle of Chaeronea united Greece
• under his rule

Philip's military zenith was at the battle at
Chaeronea in August of 338 B.C. Philip's army was
greatly outnumbered by the Athenian and Theban
forces, yet his phalanxes overwhelmed the
Athenians and Thebans.
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I. Philip of Macedon

• 336 B.C. - Philip planned to invade Persia but
• was assassinated

Theater of Aegae, where King Philip II was
assassinated
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Philip was hosting a massive banquet as a going
away party before he left for Asia. Philip wanted
his march into the theater to be triumphant, and
so he asked his bodyguards to stand back and out
of the way to show he had nothing to fear. At
that moment, however, a man named Pausanias
rushed forward from the crowd and stuck a dagger
in Philip's chest. During his escape, Pausanias
tripped and fell and was killed on the spot.
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II. Alexander the Great

• Philip was succeeded by his 20-year-old son,
• Alexander

Alexander III, aka Alexander the Great (356 BC
323 BC) was king of Macedon from 336323 BC. One
of the most successful military commanders in
history, he was undefeated in battle and by the
time of his death, he had conquered most of the
world known to the ancient Greeks.
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II. Alexander the Great

• Alexander had military training and was tutored
• by Aristotle

342 BC - Aristotle tutors Alexander in Macedonia
at the invitation of Alexander's father, Philip
II of Macedon. Aristotle spent seven years
tutoring the future general.
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II. Alexander the Great

• By 331 B.C. Alexander had conquered Persia,
• Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia

Alexander the Great fighting Persian king Darius
(Pompeii mosaic, from a original Greek
painting, now lost)
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II. Alexander the Great

• 326 B.C. - He reached the Indus his army
• refused to go on and he was forced to turn back

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II. Alexander the Great

• 323 B.C. - Alexander became seriously ill in
• Babylon died at the age of 32

Death of Alexander
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II. Alexander the Great

• In 13 years, Alexander conquered most of
• the known world

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III. The Spread of Greek Culture

• He spread Greek culture by founding cities and
• settling them with Greeks and Macedonians

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III. The Spread of Greek Culture

• Most famous city - Alexandria in Egypt became
• a center of learning and trade

The Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria, Egypt
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Alexandria was Egypts second largest city and
known as The Pearl of the Mediterranean
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III. The Spread of Greek Culture

• New culture emerged - no longer purely
• Hellenic, or Greek, but Hellenistic, Greek-like

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A. New schools of philosophy

• Cynicism - rejected pleasure, wealth, social
• responsibility

Diogenes of Sinope
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A. New schools of philosophy

• Epicureanism - seek pleasure, avoid pain

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A. New schools of philosophy

• Stoicism - most influential new school
• emphasis on reason, self-discipline, and
• emotional control

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B. Science and Technology

• Euclid new ideas about geometry
• Eratosthenes calculated size of the world
• Archimedes greatest inventor of ancient
• world

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IV. The Breakup of Alexanders Empire

• After Alexanders death, empire was divided
• between three of his generals

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IV. The Breakup of Alexanders Empire

• c. 200 B.C. - Romans invaded Macedon and
• eventually conquered the Hellenistic empire

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