Unit 6

 Alexander the Great  B.C.  Son of Philip and Olympias (Philip’s principal wife)  Traces his heritage back to Heracles and Achilles  Was truly convinced that he potentially was the son of Zeus and not Philip  May have also poisoned Philip’s other son  Lived with dreams of eventually being a war hero Very proud of leading the cavalry at Chaeronea, was supremely confident in the battlefield.

 Alexander’s Childhood  Did not get along with Philip  “If Philip continues to win these victories, there will be nothing left for me.”  Trained for 3 summers, tutored by Aristotle  Carried a copy of The Iliad  Trained Bucephalus  “My son, when you grow up you will have to find greater kingdoms because Macedon will not hold you.”  Didn’t always get along with Philip  Olympias was banished to Epirus along with Alexander temporarily  Greeks are ECSTATIC when Philip dies  Demosthenes throws a party!  Alex trains Bucephalus:  49:11 – 54:45  VIDEO VIDEO

 Alexander fights with Philip

 Securing the Inheritance  Defeats Thrace and Illyria  Illyrians, Thebans, Athenians and Thracians attempt to rebel  Alexander III is rumored to have died in battle, Demosthenes takes advantage!  Alexander heads south to crush the rebelling Thebans  Alexander for surrender. Thebes said no…..big mistake!  The Macedonians defeat Thebes, take 30,000 prisoners and burn the city to the ground!  Destroyed the entire city!  Greeks saw this as an act of barbarism  Elected head of the Greek league  Why was it such an opportune time for Greeks like Demosthenes to stir up ideas of rebellion?  Why was the failed rebellion of Thebes so important to both the short and long-term success of Alexander in Greece?

 Persian Empire  million people  Babylon is center of culture  Susa – administrative Capital  Satrapies/Satraps – hereditary rulers  Egypt is rival monarch

  Darius III in control  Trusted leader, Memnon of Rhodes pushes Macedonians back to Hellespont  PROBLEMS WITH HIS TRIP:  Justification was weak  Persia is strong with many resources  VERY big  Left half his army in Greece  No heir!  Why did Alexander invade anyway? Trouble in Persia

 Seven Wonders of the World Alert!! Colossus of Rhodes  Celebrates Rhodes’ victory over Cyprus  Stood from B.C.  Fell down because of an earthquake  Almost 100 feet tall!!!

  1. Siege Train/Engineering Corps  2. Officers Two major advantages Alexander had…..

  Alexander improved upon siege weapons  Moving towers  Catapults  Battering rams  Defensive shields  ballisti  Needed 125 tons of grain and 100,000 gallons of water a day!  Draft animals and war horses  Record speeds, miles a day! Siege Train/Engineering Corps

 Officers  Two generations  “The bodyguards” – 7 men his age  Alex is always involved in fighting  Had scars from every battle  Was able to manage egos  Darius had no clue how skilled and powerful they are HIS MEN  Hephaestion  Cleitus the Black  Parmenion/Philotas  Antipater/Cassander  Ptolemy  Craterus

  keleton-emerges-from-mysterious-greek-tomb htm keleton-emerges-from-mysterious-greek-tomb htm Hephaestion

 Cleitus the BlackPtolemy Craterus

 Antipater/Cassander Parmenion/Philotas

Alexander’s Army  1,800 “Companions” – elite cavalry force  About 3,000 other cavalry  3,000 Macedonian infantrymen  Light infantry – javelin men from Thrace  Archers from Crete and Illyria  7,000 Greek Hoplites  About 37,000 total soldiers  Engineers, architects, scientists, surveyors and a historian, Callisthenes  Siege machines – torsion catapult Later, Philip’s engineers improved the catapult and was used to break down walls by Alexander in many battles, most notably when sieging the island of Tyre.

 Alexander’s invasion

  Arrives in Persia, declares himself the new Achilles with Hephaestion representing Patroclus.  Goes to Achilles gravesite, runs around naked and puts on the armor that had been there since Achilles’ death….. Alexander enters Persia

  334 B.C.  Memnon met Alexander in steep river banks  “Alexander doesn’t steal victories”  Alexander led the cavalry charge that broke through the Persian lines  Cleitus the Black saved Alexander’s life  Remember this name!  Alexander spared very few, killed 90% of the enemy forces! Battle of the Granicus He wanted to send a message to Greece that no Greece mercenaries were to fight under Darius or they would be killed. FACTS: -2 miles long -9 Persian commanders killed

 Aftermath of Granicus  Coast of Ionia is Alexander’s  Tries to invade Halicarnassus, but is unable to  Why is it important for him to control the Ionian coast?  Olympias and Antipater are not getting along in Macedonia  Heads back north toward Gordium

  Battle of Granicus

 Alexander’s invasion

 Seven Wonders of the World Alert!! Mausoleum at Halicarnassus  Built in 350 B.C.  Honors the wife of the King of Halicarnassus  150 feet high!!!

 Gordian Knot  Knot on an ox cart, had been dedicated to Gordias, the King  Whoever could untie it would be King of Asia!  Alexander just sliced it in half…..

 Alexander’s invasion

 Battle of Issus  After a year, the Macedonians were still on the edge of Persia  Alexander had become sick  the attempted “poisoning” of Alexander  Just north of the gulf of Issus  November 333 B.C.  Alexander’s cavalry break through on the right side, Darius flees  Persians – 100,000  Macedonians – 35,000  Alexander kidnaps Darius’s family For the first time, the Macedonians partake in the great spoils of war. The bounty was extremely valuable.

 Battle of Issus

 Siege of Tyre  Represents the gateway to Egypt  Nov. 333-Aug. 332  Small island off coast of Persia  Spent 8 months to build a causeway 2/3 of a mile long!  Also built mobile siege towers  Eventually gained about 200 ships from Cyprus and other Persian cities  Killed 8,000 defenders, crucified 2,000 SHOCKING SIEGE: Darius can’t believe Alexander took Tyre It once held out for over 13 years against a siege!

 Let’s Make a Deal!  Darius III offers Alexander a deal  Western half of Asia  Marriage to his oldest daughter  Why did Alexander take it? “If I were Alexander I would take it.” “If I were Parmenio, I would take it too.”

 Alexander in Egypt  Capitulates to Alexander’s Army  Commissions the building of Alexandria  Regarded as pharaoh

 Oasis at Siwa  “Getting to Siwa” “Getting to Siwa”  “Were the assassins of my father punished?”  “Were the assassins of Philip punished”…  - Calisthenes

 Seven Wonders of the World Alert!! Lighthouse in Alexandria  Built between B.C.  Stood up to 450 ft high!  Fell down because of earthquakes  Didn’t finally fall until 1323 A.D.!

  Descendant of Heracles  Oracle at Delphi and Siwa  Copy of the Iliad, ; shield and armor of Achilles  Ate, drank, and slept with his men  Ask about their wounds, led attacks from the front (not like Hannibal, Julius Caesar, etc..)  His men are proud to say they served their king! Alexander’s Image