Alexander`s Empire
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Transcript Alexander`s Empire
Chapter 5
Section 4
Do Now: Map Quiz
Obj:
Describe Phillip’s Conquest of Greece
Explain Alexander’s defeat of the Persians
Explain Alexander’s effect on future cultures
HW: Active Read 5.5
Main Ideas #3-5 & Critical Thinking # 6
Phillip II
Macedonia
Alexander the Great
Darius III
Many city-states were severely weakened after war
Rapid decline of military and economic power
King Phillip II of Macedonia takes notice
Has dream of taking control of all of Greece and
eventually Persia
Northern Greece; lived in mountain villages more than
city-state
Consider themselves to be Greek,
However the Greeks looked down upon them as
uncivilized
Lack of great philosophers, sculptures, and writers
Phillip becomes king in 359 B.C.E. at 23 yrs old
Transforms his villagers into lethal professional army
Phillip uses a 16x16 man phalanx, all armed with an 18ft
spear
Uses the phalanx to break enemy lines and then sends in
swift cavalry to crush disorganized opponent
Greek city-states failed to unite against Phillip
Eventually Thebes and Athens unite against Phillip; but
it was too late
Macedonian army had become too powerful and easily
defeated the city states
Greece now under the rule of a “foreigner”
King Phillip planned on attacking Persia next
At his daughters wedding he was stabbed to death
Never got a chance to see the Persian War
Phillips son Alexander takes the throne
Alexander immediately takes control of the
Macedonian kingdom and vows to attack Persia like
his father had planned
20 yrs old when he came
to power
Taught by Aristotle;
learned science, geo, and
literature
Kept a copy of Iliad
under his pillow to
inspire himself
To prove his strength
crushed Thebes during a
revolt
Battle of Granicus
Battle of Issus
35,000 Macedonians
King Darius III raises an
Vs. 40,000 Persians
army of 75,000 men
Alexander outnumbered
charges through weak
spot
Forces Darius III to flee
Alexander smashes
through enemy lines
Victory!
Alexander takes control
of Anatolia
After the loss at Issus Darius III tried to negotiate with
Alexander
Offered him all the land west of the Euphrates River
Advised to take the deal- Persian resistance swelled
Alexander’s ambition
Refused the offer and vowed to conquer the whole
empire
Alexander marches to Egypt in 332 B.C.E.
He is met as a liberator
The Egyptians make him a pharaoh!
He builds the city of Alexandria at the mouth of the
river Nile
What’s next……?
Alexander heads east to Mesopotamia
Battle to Gaugamela:
Darius assembles an army of 250,000 men
Once again the power of the phalanx and Alexander’s cavalry
were too much for Persian battle lines
Darius flees again; and Persian control ends
Soon Alexander controls:
Babylon, Susa, and Persian capital Persepolis
Alexander burns Persepolis to the ground
After returning to Babylon after 11 years and 11,000
miles Alexander makes plans to organize the empire
He wants to:
Build roads
Construct new cities
Construct new harbors
Invade Arabia
However; he become very sick with a fever and dies a
few days later- 323 B.C.E.
After his death the Empire was divided by 3 powerful
rulers
1) Antigonus- Macedonia (Greek city states)
2) Ptolemy – Egypt
3) Seleucus – Persian Empire
(You Fill in the Blank)