Chapter 5 Section 3 Alexander the Great

Kingdom of Macedonia was north of Greece Greek city-states considered Macedonia to be outside the Greek world and inhabited by a bunch of barbarians Not worthy of serious consideration unless their help was needed in a war

PHILIP II Situation changed in 359 BC –When Philip II became king Philip admired the Greeks. Phillip II needed to unite Greece with Macedonia to defeat the Persians. After a training a vast army, Philip began taking over the Greek city-states. A lawyer named Demosthenes tried to warn the Athenians about Philip, but it was too late.

MACEDONIAN ADVANTAGES No single city-state was strong enough to resist him and it was unlikely that they would be able to form any sort of alliance against him The Macedonian army had become a formidable fighting force The Macedonians defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Chaeronea. After this battle, Philip controlled all of Greece.

DEATH OF PHILIP II By playing one city-state off against the other and through the basic superiority of his army, Philip had taken control of Greece by 338 BC But he was in the midst of planning this campaign when he was assassinated at his daughter’s wedding. -Succeeded by his 20-year old son, Alexander

Alexander the Great Alexander began his conquest of the Persian Empire in 334 B.C. –Defeated Persian army every time they met Then headed into Syria and took over the entire Mediterranean coast without any real resistance.

START OF ALEXANDER’S CONQUESTS Alexander built the city of Alexandria in Egypt as the center of business. Here he proclaimed himself to be pharaoh. Would become one of the greatest cities in the ancient world Lighthouse at Alexandria

Death of ALEXANDER Alexander continues to conquer of the Persian Empire by fighting in modern Pakistan, India, and Iran. In June 323, Alexander died at the age of 32 –In the midst of planning the invasion of Arabia Exact cause of death is unknown

Alexander’s Empire (before death)

Alexander’s Legacy He left behind a legacy. A legacy is what a person leaves behind when he or she dies. Alexander’s legacy is his skill and daring. His legacy was his courage: Alexander rode into battle ahead of his men, and he often risked his own life. He once refused water because there was not enough for all of his soldiers to have a drink.

Continuation of Alexander’s Legacy Alexander’s conquests marked the beginning of the Hellenistic Era. This was a time when Greek language and ideas spread to non-Greek areas of southwest Asia. After Alexander’s death, his generals fought for power, and Alexander’s empire ended. Four kingdoms emerged in its place. –Government business in the four kingdoms was conducted in the Greek language. People who did not speak Greek could not hold government jobs. This helped the Greeks maintain control –New cities were created in the Hellenistic Era, and these cities needed architects, engineers, and philosophers. The rulers of the four kingdoms sent Greek colonists to southwest Asia to help build the cities. In this way, Greek culture spread.

Hellenistic World (after Alexander’s death)