Transcript Map of Macedonia

Alexander the Great
Philip II (Alexander’s father)
• Became king of Macedon
in 359 BC
• Conquered south
• Athenian Demosthenes
spoke out against him
(Three Philippics)
• Battle of Chaeronea 338
BC, defeated Athens and
Thebes, controlled Greece
• Assassinated in 336 BC
Young Alexander
• Born in 356 BC to Philip II
and Olympias (nonMacedonian)
• Tutored by Aristotle and
Leonidas
• Tamed the horse
Bucephalus
• Father assassinated in
336 BC
• Life of Alexander by
Plutarch
“Untying” the Gordion Knot
• Gordium, Turkey, 333
BC
• Tied by King Midas or
his father Gordius
• The prophecy
• Alexander solves it
Battle of Granicus, 334 BC
• First major victory over
Persians
• Persia ruled by Darius
III
• 47,000 (Macedonians
and various Greeks)
versus 24,000
• Greek mercenaries
• Granicus - river near
Troy
Battle of Issus, 333 BC
• Alexander defeats
Darius III despite
being heavily
outnumbered
• Darius III flees
• Empire expands to
include Persia
More battles
• Battle of Gaugamela, 331
BC, against Darius III again
• Battle of Hydapses, 326
BC, Punjab region of
Pakistan, against King
Poros, war elephants
• Empire extends to
western India
• Hellenistic vs. Hellenic
culture
Alexander’s Empire
Superimposed on modern map
Alexander’s Demise
• Got sick and stayed in
Babylon, died there in
323 BC
• Divided up empire
among the Diadochi (The
followers)
• Egypt – The Ptolemies
305-30 BC
• Asia – Seleucids 305-63
BC
• Macedonia – Antigonids,
295-168 BC
Seleucids, Ptolemies, Antigonids
Egypt and Alexandria
• Ptolemies followed the
pharoahs, 305-30 BC
• Many Cleopatras
• The Library of
Alexandria
• Three separate burnings
• 30 BC – Roman
conquest