1. Aim: Did Alexander the Great deserve his name?
Do Now: What should someone have accomplished to deserve being named “the great”?
NY State Standards 2, 3
Common Core RS 2, 5, 7, 8, WS 2

2. I After the Peloponnesian War
Although Sparta won the Peloponnesian War (with the help of Persia), Sparta was not able to unite the Greek mainland.
The Greek poli (city-states) were weakened from fighting.
C) King Philip II of Macedonia (north of Greece) conquered the Greek mainland in 338 BCE. *The one area he could not conquer was Sparta.

3. After the Peloponnesian War Continued…
D) King Philip II respected Greek culture, which is why he hired Aristotle to tutor his son Alexander. E) Philip’s dream was to conquer the Persian Empire, but in 336 BCE he was assassinated.

5. II The Rise of Alexander (b. 356 – d. 323 BCE)
At 16 years old, Alexander became the leader of his father’s empire.
B) He never lost a battle.

6. III How Did Alexander Do It
A) 335 BCE Alexander massacred 6,000 rebels in Thebes; a warning to not rebel.
B) Conquered Persian ports; prevented Persia from access to their ships.
C) Married his men to local women to prevent homesickness.
D) Alexander showed respect to local cultures.
333 BCE Persian King Darius III fled the battlefield and left his family behind. Alexander treated them with the respect of royalty.
He never destroyed temples, art or libraries.
Made himself a pharaoh in Egypt

7. IV The Death of Alexander
A) 323 BCE in Babylon Alexander died at 33 years old. B) As he left no heir, his Empire was divided up into 4 main kingdoms. C) The last Macedonian ruler of Egypt was Cleopatra VII !

8. V The Legacy of Alexander the Great
A) Alexander spread Hellenism (Greek culture). This is why his empire is often called the Hellenistic Empire.
B) He founded cities in his name. Alexandria in Egypt housed the Library at Alexandria. The Lighthouse at Alexandria used a mirror to light the harbor, to help guide ships.
C) The Library at Alexandria led to discoveries in science and astronomy.
Pythagoras invented the Pythagorean Theorem (A2 + B2 = C2)
Aristarchus discovered that the Earth rotates on its axis, and orbits the sun. *Copernicus won’t “rediscover” this for over 1000 years!

9. Reconstruction of Alexandria, Egypt

10. Lighthouse at Alexandria Reconstruction

11. Summary through Primary Sources
A) “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” B) “I had rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the extent of my power and dominion.”
1. What did Alexander the Great mean by these quotes?
2. Based on the above quotes and what you just learned, do you believe that Alexander the Great deserved his name?

12. Key Vocabulary Alexander the Great Persian Empire Alexandria Philip II
Aristarchus
Pythagorean Theorem
Cultural Diffusion
Hellenism
Hellenistic Empire
King Darius III
Library at Alexandria
Lighthouse at Alexandria
Macedonia