1. Alexander the Great

3. The Early Years
Born in 356 B.C.E. in Pella (capital city of Macedonia)
Father Phillip II (King of Macedonia)
Mother Olympias
Spent his childhood watching his father develop Macedonia into a great military power
Private tutor was Aristotle
At the age of 16, Alexander ruled over Macedonia while his father continued to expand power into Greece
Tamed a wild horse named Bucephalus at the age of 12.

4. “O my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee”
-Plutarch

5. Family Split
Philip II
Olympias

6. Assassination
In the spring of 336 BC, with Philip’s Persian invasion already set in motion, the king was assassinated by a young Macedonian noble named Pausanias in the old capital of Macedonia.
A young Alexander would be the heir to Macedonia

8. Alexander takes the Throne at 20 years old
After his father’s death, rebellions began to spread throughout Greece.
Alexander had any threats at home murdered and used his military to put down any rebellion.
Hearing of rebellion, Alexander marched south covering 240 miles in two weeks appearing before the walls of Thebes with large Macedonian army.

9. Two Options (Surrender or Die)
Athenians as well as most Greek city-states decided not to fight and kept their lives and freedom. Macedonian would keep control over the region, but these city- states had to pay a tax for his campaigns
Thebes decided to fight the Macedonians The Macedonians stormed the city, killing everyone in sight, women and children included. 6,000 Thebans citizens died and 30,000 more were sold as slaves. The city was plundered, sacked and burned to the ground

10. In one year, Alexander had control over all of Greece

11. Conquest of Persia
With the conquered territories firmly in Macedonian control, Alexander began his conquest of Persia by crossing the Dardanelles into Asia Minor
35,000 troops and 120 ships
Upon landing in Asia Minor, he threw his spear into the ground and declared that he would accept this land as a gift from the gods.
What does this say about Alexander the Great?

12. Persian Empire
-Despite not being able to conquer Greece during the Persian Wars, Persia had a vast empire with a lot of valuable resources and citizens. -Each Independent region ruled by local governors called “satraps.” (local governor of an ancient Persian Monarchy) -Darius III ruled over this land at the time of Alexander the Great

13. Terror and Kindness
For those who surrendered, they would keep their government officials, property and helped rebuild any damage done. For those who resisted, they would be burned to the ground and people sold into slavery. Later Alexander, would pull back from this terror but the initial campaigns set the tone……

14. Liberators Some saw Alexander as a Liberator
Alexander acted as liberator in Asia Minor, by overthrowing Persian rule and replacing it with a Hellenistic form of culture/government
Pardoned citizens
Granted cities Freedom
Taxes to continue the campaign
Liberated all the coastal cities of Asia Minor and 40 cities on the Western side

15. Characteristics of Alexander (described by Plutarch)
“Uncompromising work ethic”
“Obsessive attention to detail”
“Ambition for Greatness”
“Heroic Concentration of Confidence”
Out Plan
Out Work
Out Last

16. Battle at Granicus 334 B.C.E. at the Granicus River
The Macedonians defeated the Persians and put them to flight
1st Battle between the Persian and Macedonians

17. Another Major Victory
Battle of Issus (November 333 B.C.E.) -Persian Army greatly outnumbered the Macedonia Army -Macedonian Victory -King Darius III fled the battle field -Son, Mother, and Wife captured (happened to be with the military at the time)

18. City of Tyre

19. City of Tyre

21. Siege at Tyre

22. Technology in Warfare

23. Plans to Unite His Empire
Spread Greek Culture and Ideas
Religion to Inspire Loyalty
Show respect for the cultures he conquered

24. Alexander’s Empire
Ruled over Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt, and a vast majority of Asia Helped spread Greek ideas such as Agoras, Education, Theaters, Court Systems, Libraries, and the Greek Language Stayed with his soldiers in camp, ate the same ration of food, and did the same manual labor to show he was one of them. In Egypt, Alexander built Alexandria into the educational capital of the Mediterranean

27. Alexander the Great’s Empire
Alexander had led his army 22,000 miles
Undefeated in battle
Captured over 70 cities and renamed many in the process
“I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity.”
End of an Empire
Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king and the great conqueror of Persian Empire, died at the age of 33 of a mysterious fever in 323 B.C.E. without designating a successor to the Macedonian Empire.