2. RAP
Where was Alexander from? (area just north of the Greek city-states)
Who was Alexander’s father?
Who was Alexander’s tutor? (famous Greek philosopher)
What series of wars weakened the Greek city-states, leaving them open for attack?
How far east did Alexander’s empire stretch?
Macedonia
King Phillip of Macedonia
Aristotle
Peloponnesian Wars
To the margins of India

3. Alexander the Great and the Spread of Hellenistic Culture
The Macedonian conquest of Greece followed the weakening of Greek defenses during the Peloponnesian Wars.
Alexander the Great adopted Greek culture and spread Hellenistic influences throughout his vast empire.
Alex loved Greek culture (he was trained in the classics by Aristotle). So basically, he assumed command of the Greeks…joined his Macedonian army w/ the Greeks and began conquering all of the known world.

4. Guiding Question
How did the empire of Alexander the Great establish a basis for the spread of Hellenistic culture?

5. Philip II, King of Macedon
WHI.5g
Philip II, King of Macedon
Conquered most of Greece
(FYI: Became king in 359 B.C. at 23 years old; brilliant general and politician; assassinated by a former guard in 336 B.C.)
Alexander the Great
Established an empire from Greece to Egypt and the margins of India
Extended Greek cultural influences
(FYI: Became king at 20 years old; studied under Aristotle (Iliad); defeated Persian Empire; marched his army 11,000 miles in 11 years; died in 323 B.C. from a fever; empire was divided into three parts)
There’s a movie titled “Alexander” that is pretty informative about his life and what he accomplished…it definitely includes some “Hollywood” but it’s not too bad.

7. Alex the Great Map Instructions
Label the following using BLUE:
Arabian Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Euphrates R.
Indus R.
Mediterranean Sea
Nile R.
Persian Gulf
Tigris R.
Label the following using BLACK:
Alexandria
Babylon
Persepolis
Label the following using GREEN:
Asia Minor
Greece
Macedonia
India
Egypt
Label the following battles using RED *
Granicus
Issus
Guagamela
Lightly shade the area conquered by Alex the Great and construct a legend (key) in the blank box on your map.

8. Alexander and Bucephalus
His horse was his bff…Alex was heartbroken when his horse was killed in battle on his return to Babylon (after leaving India).

9. After Alex’s death, his empire was divided up among his leading generals.

10. Blend of Greek and oriental elements
WHI.5g
Hellenistic Age
Blend of Greek and oriental elements
(Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences)
Spread of Hellenistic culture through trade
(Alexandria became the foremost center of commerce & Hellenistic culture)
Hellenistic Age = the culture created by Alexander the Great
A lot of the Greeks in his military did not approve of his adoption of other cultural elements because they viewed Greek culture as dominant.

11. The light house at Alexandria (in Egypt) was one of the Wonders of the Ancient World.
Alexandria (and other cities like it) were built throughout his empire…the cities were built using the basic design of traditional Greek cities.

12. “Under the Ptolemies, a line of Greek kings, Alexandria soon sprang into eminence, and, accumulating culture and wealth, became the most powerful metropolis of the Orient. Serving as the port of Europe, it attracted the lucrative trade of India and Arabia. Its markets were enriched with the gorgeous silks and fabrics from the bazaars of the Orient. Wealth brought leisure, and it, in turn, the arts. It became, in time, the home of a wonderful library and schools of philosophy, representing all the phases and the most delicate shades of thought. At one time it was the general belief that the mantle of Athens had fallen upon the shoulders of Alexandria.”
-Mangasarian, historian

13. Read Chapter 5, Section 5 and complete the following web:
Hellenistic Culture
Read Chapter 5, Section 5 and complete the following web:
Hellenistic Culture
Science
Mathematics
Art
Philosophy
Museums & Libraries
You can Google or use the online version of the text to explore this information.