2. Unit Five Block Ten Lecture Alexander the Great

3. Click me I am the Greatest! You might be “the greatest,” but I’m just “the Great!”

4.  Macedonia is a “barbarian” kingdom located to the north and west of the major Greek city-states.  Macedonia is a “landlocked” kingdom with a strong army and no navy.  Macedonia has no democratic tradition (they are a monarchy) Click Here Athens Sparta Macedonia

5.  Phillip II of Macedonia conquered most of Greece in 359 BCE/BC  Married another woman after Alexander’s birth, which caused a family split  Assassinated by Pausanias (may have been a plot by Alexander and his mother) Click me Macedonia at Phillip’s Death Macedonian Phalanx

6.  Alexander is “larger than life” ◦ His birth is surrounded in several myths suggesting that he was the son of Zeus ◦ Alexander uses these myths to his advantage (I am a powerful Demigod)  Alexander is also highly educated ◦ Educated by Aristotle from an early age ◦ Aristotle molds Alexander to become what he envisions is the “perfect ruler” Click Here

7.  Consolidates power on the Balkan Peninsula (335 BCE/BC)  Defeats Darius II and conquers the Persian Empire (329 BCE/BC)  Establishes his empire from Macedonia/Greece to the Indus River valley to Egypt (everything in brown)  Conquests stops in the Indus River Valley (327 BCE/BC) Click Here

8.  Alexander is ready to take is army through the Khyber Pass and invade India.  Alexander’s army has been away from Greece for eight years and they refuse to Follow him.  Alexander is mad at his men, so he marches them the long way home as punishment!  While in Babylon, Alexander there he dies after a night of partying. He either got sick and died from a high fever (what probably happened) or was poisoned  Alexander died in 323 BCE/BC leaving no heir or ability to peacefully shift power, so his empire soon collapses into multiple kingdoms Click Here

9.  The Hellenistic Era begins after Alexander’s death.  Alexander changed the world and the world changed him: ◦ Multiple cities are named in his honor (Alexandria) ◦ Alexander and his empire adopted elements of Greek, Persian, Indian, Egyptian cultures to create a new culture ◦ Greek culture was part of this blended culture due to Alexander’s conquests  This era lasts until the last Hellenistic Kingdom is conquered by the of Roman Empire (31 BCE/BC) No … not that Helen! Lighthouse at Alexandria Egypt (pretty cool)