Chapter 6, Section 3: Alexander the Great

1. Chapter 6, Section 3: Alexander the Great Objectives: Detail how Phillip II of Macedon paved the way for cultural change. Examine what Alexander the Great accomplished. Identify the factors that contributed to the breakup of Alexander’s empire.

2. Background Information • Macedon Kingdom located in the Macedonian region to the north of Greece • Hard, warlike people • Lived in villages that were each ruled by a noble • Macedonian kings could only rule with the support of the nobles • Greece after Golden age, it entered into a period of struggle • Athens declined in power • Bitter competition among the city-states • Persians tried to break Greek unity • 338 B.C. peace was restored

3. Phillip II of Macedon • 359 B.C. became king • Growing up was a hostage in Thebes for about 3 years • Learned to admire Greek ways and learned about the organization of the Thebe’s army (very important!!) • Recruited and organized his own army (very disciplined) in order to not depend on his nobles • Phillip’s army was the first professional army in Macedon • Organized his infantry into a phalanx (borrowed this from the Greeks) rows of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder with spears up to 18 feet long.

4. Phillip II of Macedon (cont.) • First goal restore order in Macedon • Then won control of several Athenian colonies in northern Greece • Decided to go south to all of Greece • Some Greeks saw him as a savior • Others opposed him and saw him as a threat to freedom • Demosthenes Athenian orator who led the attack against Phillip. • Gave speeches to arouse Athenians to attack however known of the other city-states joined him

5. Phillip II of Macedon (cont.) • 338 B.C. Battle of Chaeronea (ker-uh-NEE-uh) • Thebes and Athens were defeated by Phillip • Victory allowed Phillip to united all of Greece • Organized the cities into leagues • Wanted to invade Persia but was assassinated in 336 • 20 year old son (Alexander) succeeds him

6. Alexander the Great • Growing up tutored by Aristotle and received military training in the Macedonian army • Military and classical education prepared him for leadership • As military commander more skilled than his father and was known for his strength, bravery, and courage • Crushed rebellions that broke out in Greece after his father’s death and turned his attention to the world • 331 B.C. he completely destroyed Persia and had conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia • Aim was to conquer all of the known world into a single empire

7. Alexander the Great (cont.) • After Persia set out for India • Four years met little resistance and got as far as the Indus River • Due to weather and exhaustion of troops, had to go back to Persia (326 B.C.) • Spring of 323 B.C. Alexander became sick in Babylon • Struggled with a fever for about 10 days and died in June of 323 B.C. (not even 33 years old)

8. Beginnings of the Hellenistic World • Spread of Greek culture—especially Greeks and Persians • Alexander purposely spread Greek culture wherever his troops marched • Founded numerous cities (ex. Alexandria) • Under his leadership Macedonians, Greeks, and Persians worked together to govern the empire • Married 2 Persian noblewomen, required his generals to marry women from the Persian royal family, and held a mass wedding where 10,000 of his troops married Persian women

9. Hellenistic • Reign spread a culture that was not necessarily purely Greek (Hellenic) anymore • “Greek way” of life became known as the Hellenistic culture • Combined ideas and values drawn from the Mediterranean and Asia

10. The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire • Generals competed for Alexander’s kingdom when he died • 301 B.C. three generals divided Alexander’s empire into three main kingdoms • 1. Macedon • 2. Egypt • 3. Syria • Three kingdoms were often at war and wasted much of their wealth and energy • About 200 B.C. Romans begin invading Macedon and over time will conquer most of Alexander’s kingdom