1. Alexander the Great & Hellenistic Culture
Classical Greece
Alexander the Great & Hellenistic Culture

2. Alexander the Great Setting the Stage: Macedonia
Located north of Greece, Macedonia had a rough terrain and cold climate
People lived in mountain villages instead of city-states
Many Macedonians thought of themselves as Greeks, however…
The Greeks looked down upon them as uncivilized foreigners

3. Geography of Macedonia
Rough mountains
Cold climate
Created shrewd and fearless kings

4. Question
How would the terrain and climate isolate the Macedonians from the Greeks? How did these groups relate?

5. Philip II of Macedonia

6. Philip II Philip II of Macedonia
Philip II became king of Macedonia in 359 B.C. at age 23
Trained rugged peasants into a professional army which consisted of:
Phalanx (16 x 16 men)
Each soldier carried an 18 foot pike
Fast moving cavalry (soldiers on horseback)
Attacked the Greeks who were disunited
Philip invades Greece, but not to destroy or enslave the Greeks

7. Philip II Battle of Chaeronea: - Planned to next attack Persia
Athens & Thebes joined forces to fight Philip’s army
Philip’s army is too powerful and defeats the Greeks
Ends Greek independence; Philip controls Greece
Philip next sets out to defeat the mighty Persian Empire but won’t…
Philip stabbed to death in 336 B.C. at his own wedding
- Planned to next attack Persia
Assassinated before he got the chance
- His son Alexander takes the throne in his place

8. Activity
Pick 3 words to describe Philip II. Write them in the margin of your notes. Discuss with a shoulder partner why you picked your 3 words. Be ready to share out and justify your words.

9. Alexander the Great

10. Alexander the Great Alexander the Great Background
Takes over at age 20 after the death of his father Philip II
Taught by Aristotle: learned science, geography & literature
Enjoyed Homer’s description of the heroic deeds of Achilles during the Trojan Wars
Killed 6,000 Thebans in a rebellion; cruelty frightened Greeks into accepting Alexander as their leader

11. Alexander the Great
How Alexander defeats the Persians
Philip wanted to conquer Persia, never had the chance
Alexander leads 35,000 troops into Anatolia (Turkey)
Met 40,000 Persians at Granicus River, Alexander’s army attacks first and is victorious
Darius III responds with army of 50,000-75,000
Macedonians break through weak point, Darius III flees
Result: Alexander has control of Anatolia

12. Alexander the Great Persia: Egypt
332 B.C. Alexander marches into Persian controlled Egypt
Welcomed by the Egyptians as a liberator, crowned pharaoh
Founded the city of Alexandria.
Result: Alexander has control of Egypt

13. Alexander the Great Persia: Mesopotamia
Battle of Gaugamela: 250,000 Persians under Darius III
Alexander launched a massive phalanx attack followed by a cavalry charge and the Persian lines crumbled
Again Darius III flees in battle
Result: Alexander has control of all of the Persian Empire!!

14. Alexander’s Empire

15. Alexander the Great Other Conquests
Travels east to India- finds out Darius III was murdered
Soldiers exhausted- 11 years, 11,000 miles- turn back home

16. Alexander the Great
Alexander dies from illness at age of 32, very young

17. Alexander the Great Legacy Now what?
Empire broken into 3 main territories
Antigonus – King of Macedonia
Ptolemy – Pharaoh of Egypt
Seleucus – King of Persia
Would last for centuries

18. Partner Activity
In the margin of your notes create a venn diagram. Compare/contrast Philip II and Alexander.
Who do you think was the better leader? Explain. Which one would you have followed and why?

19. Hellenism
Hellenism
Hellenistic Culture: blending of Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Indian influences after the exploits of Alexander.
Would forever transform Greece and Asia
Alexandria becomes the foremost center of commerce and Hellenistic civilization
Pharos - lighthouse
400 feet tall

20. Hellenism Alexandria Center for trade 350 ft light house- first ever
Library with 250,000 scrolls; learning becomes a commodity

21. Hellenism Science and Technology
Euclid: book The Elements became basis for geometry
Archimedes: accurately estimated Pi (3.14)
Hero: used steam power

22. Astronomy Ptolemy placed the Earth at the center of the universe
Calculated the Earth’s circumference

23. Mathematics and Physics
Euclid
Highly regarded mathematician who formed what is today geometry
Wrote Elements
Archimedes
Estimated the size of pi (π)
Founder of what is today physics

24. Stoicism and Epicureanism
Believed there was a divine power who controlled the universe
Epicureanism
Taught that the universe was composed of atoms and ruled by the gods who had no interest in humans

25. Realism in Sculptures Colossus of Rhodes Winged Victory of Samothrace
A Hellenistic statue that was created on the island of Rhodes
More than 100 feet high
Winged Victory of Samothrace

26. Alexander the Great
Result: Through Philip II’s and Alexander’s conquests of the Greeks, Egyptians, & Persians, ideas would spread and cultures would combine in a way that had never been seen before. After Alexander’s death, the Greek Civilization would gradually decline until many of their achievements and ideas would be absorbed into perhaps the greatest example of Hellenism in history: The Roman Empire.