1. Alexander the Great

2. Hellenistic Culture Hellenistic Period
Alexander’s spread of Greek ideas and culture through his dominated empire
Mediterranean to Asia
Hellazein: to speak Greek or identify as Greek
Koine: “common tongue”
The Empire spoke the same Greek language
Trade was expansive and fluid throughout the Empire
How does trade contribute to diversity?

3. Alexandria, Egypt The second most powerful city after Rome
Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great
Became the center of Hellenistic world
Home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The second most powerful
city after Rome
Intellectual and cultural
center of the ancient world

4. Primary Sources
Is Alexander great?
Unit question practice

5. Plutarch 46 – 120 AD Greek biographer and essayist
Wrote many biographies about Roman Emperors
Parallel Lives
Series of biographies of famous Greek and Romans
Created to describe their morals
Comparison between Greek and Roman lives
Physical characteristics and moral characters
About Alexander: not concerned with the history but with the character and influence that he had
Spoke a lot about his youth and upbringing

6. Quintus Curtius No birth dates: 1st Century Roman historian
Little personal history is known
“Histories of Alexander the Great”
Much of it is missing
Theories suggest that he collected his data and information from military officer “Day Journals”
Gathered information at the libraries built by Lyceum (the school built for Aristotle)

7. Arrian 86 – 160 AD Greek historian, military commander
Considered one of the best sources on Alexander’s military campaigns
Anabasis of Alexander
2nd century
7 books on Alexander’s campaigns in the Persian Empire
Very little about his early life
Goal was to correct the common “vulgate” (common/popular) narrative about Alexander