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

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

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 by his own bodyguard.

II The Rise of Alexander (b. 356 – d. 323 BCE) A) At 16 years old, Alexander had served as an official in his father’s Empire. After his father’s assassination in 336 BCE, Alexander became the leader of the empire, and of the dream to conquer Persia. B) Alexander gained respect by executing anyone who defied him, including women and children. After he secured Greece, he conquered Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt, Babylon, Persia and northern India. HE NEVER LOST A BATTLE.

III How did Alexander Do It? A) 335 BCE Alexander heard about revolts in Thebes. He ordered a massacre of the city, killing 6,000 and enslaving 30,000. This sent an early warning to anyone who dared to rebel. B) Like the Athenians and Spartans, Alexander’s army used the phalanx formation, catapults and siege towers. C) He conquered port cities of Persia before going inland. This prevented Persia from access to their ships. D) When Alexander’s troops showed signs of homesickness, Alexander forced them to marry local women.

How Did Alexander Do it Continued… E) Alexander showed respect to local cultures. 1. In Egypt he went to a priest to be declared the son of Amun (the Egyptian Sun God) and was named a pharaoh! 2. In 333 BCE Alexander battled the Persian King Darius III in Syria. Darius fled and left behind his wife, children and mother! Alexander treated them with the respect of royalty. When Darius III was murdered by a Persian, Alexander caught the murderer and had him executed. 3. When conquering cities, he would never destroytemples, art or libraries. The one exception was when he burned Persepolis, the palace of Darius III to the ground.

IV The Death of Alexander A) In 323 BCE in Babylon Alexander developed a high fever & 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 ! Historians to this day still debate the cause of Alexander’s death, from poisoning to malaria, the West Nile Virus, or even alcoholism.

A) Alexander spread Hellenism (Greek culture) throughout his Empire. This is why his empire is often called the Hellenistic Empire. B) He founded cities in his name. The most famous was Alexandria in Egypt, which housed the Library at Alexandria. Its goal was to collect all of the knowledge of the ancient world! The Lighthouse at Alexandria used a mirror to light the harbor, to help guide ships. BOTH were wonders of the ancient world. C) The Library at Alexandria produced some of the greatest discoveries in science and astronomy. -Pythagoras invented the Pythagorean Theorum (A2 + B2 = C2) - Aristarchus discovered that the Earth rotates on its axis, and orbits the sun. *This knowledge was lost to Europe for over 1000 years! V The Legacy of Alexander the Great

Lighthouse at Alexandria Reconstruction

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?

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