Alexander the Great

Why “the Great”? In ten years, he created the largest empire in the world up to that time. Alexander spread Greek culture.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE Alexander’s father was King Philip of Macedonia. Macedonia is a mountainous land north of the Greek peninsula. Alexander became king in 336BC, at the age of 20 when his father was killed.

Alexander had Greek teachers, one of which was Aristotle Alexander had Greek teachers, one of which was Aristotle. He spoke Greek. He knew the Greek history. He believed in the Greek gods. When he was a boy, Alexander dreamed of teaching everyone, everywhere, about the wonderful Greek culture he knew and loved so well. 

In 334BC he led his soldiers into Asia Minor to destroy the Persian army

He defeated Darius III, the Persian king at the Battle of Issus in 333BC.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE In 332BCE, Alexander moved south to Egypt. The Egyptian people welcomed him as a hero. They declared Alexander a pharaoh and a god because he freed them from harsh Persian rule.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE The young general founded Alexandria, the greatest center of learning in the ancient world. A library in Alexandria housed the accumulated knowledge of the Greeks.

His greatest battle was in 331BC when he destroyed the entire Persian army at Gaugamela.

He took the Persian title “King of Kings” and married one of the daughters King Darius.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE Alexander’s army marched as far east as the edge of the Indian subcontinent in 326 BCE, but the heavy monsoon rains and a revolt among his soldiers forced the young general to end his conquests.

Alexander’s Empire

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE Alexander was only thirty-three years old in 323BC, but he caught ill and died.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE Alexander changed the world. Alexander’s empire combined Greek culture with the customs of Persia. Later historians called this combination of cultures the Hellenistic civilization.

Susa wedding Susa was one of the major cities in the Persian Empire Alexander forced many Macedonian soldiers and officers to marry local women in Susa because he wanted to unite Macedonia and Persia.

The Gordian Knot The Gordian Knot: the legend behind the ancient knot was that the man who could untie it was destined to rule the entire world. Alexander simply slashed the knot with his sword and unraveled it.