1. Alexander the Great admired the heroes of the Trojan War so much that he always traveled with a copy of Homer’s Iliad.
Reflective Writing Prompt:
If you could choose one single book to carry with you, what would it be? Why?

2. Alexander The Great
Chapter 5, Section 4 PAGE

3. Macedonia & King Philip II
Macedonia—Kingdom of mountain villages north of Greece
Macedonians call themselves Greek; rest of Greece does not
King Philip II—ruler, brilliant general; dreams of controlling Greece
Philip’s Army
Philip creates well-trained professional army; plans to invade Greece
Philip wanted to make his kingdom of Macedonia strong by uniting the Greek city-states with his own kingdom. He trained an army to fight like the Greeks, and took over the city-states one by one. He took some by force, and others he bribed, while some joined his kingdom voluntarily.

4. King Philip’s End
Philip’s fifth wife was a Macedonian woman, Queen Olympias
Queen Olympias gives birth to Alexander in 356 B.C.
Philip was murdered in 336 B.C.
Alexander claims the title of King of Macedonia
Philip planned to conquer the Persian Empire with the Greek’s help, but before he could do this he was murdered. Philip was murdered in 336 by one of his bodyguards. Alexander and the Macedonian army sought out other potential heirs to the throne, and murdered them.
Question to ask: What do you think are some possible reasons that Philip was murdered? Do you think Alexander could have been behind it? Why?

5. Alexander’s Early Life
Tutored by Aristotle
Inspired by the epic poem, the Iliad
Taught horsemanship, archery, how to be a warrior
Destroyed the Greek allies at Battle of Chaeronea near Thebes with his father while still a teenager
Became king when 20 years old
Inspired by the Iliad to become a heroic warrior. Alexander carried the Iliad with him for most of his life, slept with it under his pillow. Was inspired by Achilles, a character in the Iliad. Was a commander in the Macedonian army at age 16.
Question to ask: Do you think a leader of his age could be successful in today’s world? Why/why not?

6. Artistic renditions of Alexander the Great

7. Alexander Defeats Persia
Invasion of Persia
334 B.C. Alexander invades Asia Minor with a quick victory at the Battle of Granicus
Darius III, King of Persia, then decides to assemble an army of 50,000-75,000 men.
Alexander defeats this army, forces King of Persia to flee.
A few years later at Gaugamela, Alexander defeats the Persians yet again.

8. Alexander in Egypt
Alexander marches into Egypt, captures it, and is crowned Pharaoh in 332 B.C.
Alexander builds the city of Alexandria, as a center of business and trade
Became one of the most important cities in the ancient world
After Gaugamela, Alexander and his army easily overran the rest of the Persian empire.

9. Alexander’s Other Conquests
Alexander in India
Fights his way across the deserts of Central Asia to India
Conquers Indus River Valley area in 325 B.C.
Reluctantly returns to Babylon in 323 B.C., by crossing the Gedrosian Desert
¾ of his 30,000 men die during this journey
Alexander dies two years later, at the age of 32 (323 B.C.)
His soldiers grew weary of continuous war, and refused to farther, so Alexander reluctantly led them home. The Gedrosian desert is one of the hottest, driest places in the world. It is in the southern part of modern day Pakistan and Iran. There are no trees, and temperatures are often 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Little fresh water.

11. Explain Alexander the Great’s legacy.
Alexander the Great spread Greek art, ideas, language, and architecture across Asia and brought new ideas from Asia to Greece.

12. Section 4: The Spread of Greek Culture
Hellenistic cities, such as Alexandria, attracted some of the Greek world’s best architects, sculptors, and writers. Epicurus and Zeno showed the world a new way to look at happiness through the development of the philosophies of Epicureanism and Stoicism. Hellenistic scientists, including Aristarchus, Eratosthenes, Euclid, and Archimedes, made important advances in the fields of astronomy and mathematics.

13. Alexander’s Legacy
Alexander extended Greek and Macedonian rule, and culture over a vast area
He was a successful military leader
His Empire became four kingdoms
Macedonia, Pergamum, Egypt, and the Seleucid Empire
His conquests marked the beginning of the Hellenistic era
Question: What does legacy mean? Legacy: what a person leaves behind when he or she dies.
He was brave, and even reckless. He even rode into battle ahead of his men. He was inspiring. He helped extend Greek and Macedonian rule over a vast area. Spread Greek culture.