Alexander the Great

1. Alexander the Great

2. Philip II of Macedonia • Philip comes to power in 359 BC, building a powerful army • Desires to unite all Greece • Conquers Greece in 338 BC • Assassinated two years later

3. Alexander • Becomes king at age 20 in 336 BC • Student of Aristotle • Angry over Persians burning Athens in 480 BC • One Mission: Conquer Asia and destroy Persia

4. Path of Empire • Issus, 334 BC: Alexander kills 20,000 Persians in one battle, controls Asia Minor • Tyre, 333 BC: An island that thought it was invincible… • …Until Alexander built a ½ mile long bridge to destroy the city! • Conquers Egypt in 332 BC

5. Battle of Gaugamela, 331 BC Alexander the Great Darius III and the Persians • 47,000 total soldiers • Alexander lost 500 men • Alexander’s greatest victory • Alexander conquers Persia and Asia • 100,000 total soldiers • Persians lost 90,000 • Darius III murdered a year later, by his own nobles

7. “To the End of the World and the Great Outer Sea” • Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BC was Alexander’s last victory, and the furthest his empire ever extended • Alexander’s empire stretches from Macedonia and Greece to Egypt, across Persia to India! • Spreads Greek culture throughout the known world: TheHELLENIZATION of the world

8. Alexander the Great’s Legacy • Alexander dies at age 32 in 323 BC with no heir • Empire immediately divides • His friend, Ptolemy, takes command of Egypt at Alexandria • Alexander the Great never lost a battle • Still the standard by which generals measure themselves • One of the most tactically gifted and brilliant commanders in human history