Transcript Notes on Philip II and Alexander

Notes by: M. Steward
Template by: Susan M. Pojer
Horace Greeley H.S. Chappaqua, NY
Macedonia
• Small, mountainous country north of
Greece
• Most Macedonians were farmers.
• Cared little for Greeks; fought them in
Persian Wars
• Macedonian kings were from Greek
decent.
Philip II of Macedon
• Becomes king in 359 BCE
• Sparta still saw itself as the most powerful
polis, or city, in Greece.
• Sparta left weak after Peloponnesian War,
Macedon left strong.
• From 359-336, Philip conquers most of
Greece around Macedon and down
towards Athens
King Phillip II of Macedon
• Learned to love Greek
culture when he was
held prisoner in Thebes
as a youth
• Believed it was his
destiny to unify the citystates and spread Greek
culture
How did he accomplish this in 20
years?
•
•
•
•
Had professional army
New infantry formation (the phalanx)
Better weapons
Projectile weapons
Warfare in the Age of Alexander
• Phalanx: A formation of infantry carrying
overlapping shields and long spears, developed by
Philip II and used by Alexander the Great
“Alliances”?
• To gain the upper-hand, would bribe
local Greek officials
• Caused conflict among city-states,
when weakened, would attack and
conquer
• Made treaties with Greek leaders only
to break them
• Used marriage to form political
alliances
Demosthenes
• Athenian orator; tried to warn Greeks
against Philip
• Most Greeks believed in Philip after
being discouraged with their local
governments
• When Philip lead his soldiers into
central Greece in 338 B.C., Thebes
and Athens tried to prevent invasion.
• They were defeated at the Battle of
Chaeronea
Philip’s Dream Unrealized...?
• Philip was killed during his preparations to
take over Persia as well.
• His son Alexander took over the throne.
Alexander the Great
356-323 B.C.E.
Alexander the Great--birth
• Born in 356 BCE.
• Some claim he was the son of Olympias
(his mother) and Zeus was his father.
• Father was Philip II.
• Raised in a military family, taken to
battlefield at an early age.
Alexander the Great-education
• Fearless and strong, at 12, tames
Bucephalus, a horse no one else could
ride. Becomes his horse and travels on
many journeys.
• From 13 to 16, he was taught by Aristotle,
a great Greek philosopher, scientist and
lover of art.
Alexander the Great
• Strong in mind and physically
• Was commander of his army since the age
of 16
• Included scientists and philosophers in
army
• Would take back plant and animal
samples for Aristotle
Alexander the Great’s Empire
Alexander the Great in Persia
Alexander the Great
• Conquerors: Alexander
Building Greek Cities in the East
Pergamum:
A New
“Hellenistic”
City
Cosmopolitan
Culture
Trade in the Hellenistic World
Library at Alexandria (333 B.C.E.)
EXTRA SLIDES
Hellenic vs. Hellenistic Art
Hellenistic Philosophers
$
$
Cynics  Diogenes

ignore social conventions & avoid
luxuries.

citizens of the world.

live a humble, simple life.
Epicurians  Epicurus

avoid pain & seek pleasure.

all excess leads to pain!

politics should be avoided.
Hellenistic Philosophers
$
Stoics  Zeno
 nature is the expansion of divine
will.
 concept of natural law.
 get involved in politics, not for
personal gain, but to perform
virtuous acts for the good of all.
 true happiness is found in great
achievements.
The “Known” World – 3c B.C.E.
Hellenism:
The Arts & Sciences
$ Scientists / Mathematicians:
 Aristarchus  heliocentric
theory.
 Euclid  geometry.
 Archimedes  pulley.
 Ptolemy  geocentric theory.
Ptolemaic View of the Universe
The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire
The Incursion of Rome into the
Hellenistic World