ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Chapter 8, Lesson 3 and 4

EQ: What makes a great leader?

Phillip II of Macedonia

After Peloponnesian War, Greece was very weak.

Macedonia is a kingdom North of Greece.

Phillip II, King of Macedonia took the opportunity to take over Greece.

338 BC: Phillip and the Macedonians defeat the Greek City States and Unify Greece.

Alexander Takes Over

Became King of Macedonia at age 20 after Phillip died of poisoning (suspiciously).

Wanted to be like warriors he studied from the poet, Homer.

Aristotle was his teacher. Determined to outdo his father

and spread Greek culture. Believed he descended from

Hercules and Achilles.

Alexander’s Plan

Alexander wanted to rule the world, uniting different cultures under one ruler.

How would he do this? Spread Greek culture and ideas,

make everyone “Greek”. Make himself a “god” to inspire

loyalty. Respect people he conquered and

adopt their cultures in addition to Greece.

Born to Be a Leader

Alexander was an excellent military leader, men were very loyal to him. Led from the front of his men. Ate and drank with his men. Soldiers would follow him

happily into battle.

Alexander’s Conquests

By conquering the Persians, Alexander could the unite Greeks against a common enemy.

By 334 BC he freed all Greek city states from Persia.

332 BC: Invaded Ancient Egypt, a Persian territory. Was welcomed as a liberator. Crowned as a pharaoh/god Founded the city of Alexandria and a huge

library on the Nile. 330 B.C: Conquered the Persian Empire.

Alexander the Great’s EmpireMap of Alexander the Great's Empire

Activity: Alexander’s Profile

Who was Alexander the Great? List and explain 4 facts about him.

What were Alexander the Great’s legacies?List and explain 3 legacies.

Read Alexander Takes Over.TIMELINE: Complete a timeline of events that show how Alexander conquered his empire. At least 6 events in chronological order.

Event #1

Event #2

Event #3

Event #4

Event #5

Event #6

HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Home Learning

Complete Lesson 2: “Alexander the Great” if you have not done so.

Complete Lesson 3: “Hellenistic Culture”

The Library at Alexandria

Facts about the library

Contained a Zoo, botanical gardens, and a restaurant.

Included over 500,000 papyrus scrolls.

Became a center of advanced Greek learning.

Spreading Civilization By the Sword

As Alexander’s empire spread, so did the Greek culture.

Alexander passed the ideas and philosophies of Aristotle on to the world. Sent samples of plants and animals

back to his tutor to study. Encouraged his soldiers to marry

foreign girls so that the Greek culture would spread.

The Hellenistic Heyday Alexander’s conquests led to the

combination of many cultures. This time period of combined cultural

advances under Alexander was called the Hellenistic Era. Hellas in Greek means land. So all of this

was considered “Greek land” Greek + Egyptian + Indian + Persian

= Hellenistic Culture Practices of other cultures were adopted

by Greeks, like monotheistic religions.

Hellenistic Advances Alexander’s conquests spread the

classical Greek ideas such as democracy and geometry out into the world.

Cities conquered were redesigned in Greek style. Greek soldiers married foreign girls to

“blend” the cultures” Alexander tried to set an example

by marrying a Persian princess, wearing Persian clothes, worshiping Egyptian gods, etc.

The End of Alexander

324: After reaching India, Alexander’s soldiers were too tired and refused to go on.

Age 33, Alexander died of swamp fever and alcoholism.

After his death, Alexander’s generals divided his empire into three pieces: Egypt, Greece, and Asia. He was buried in Alexandria, but his body

was lost after being burned.

What if???? What if the Greeks had not united with

Sparta during the Persian War? What if Persia had won the War? What if there had been no Greek Golden

Age? What if there had been no Aristotle? What if there had been no Alexander

the Great? What would we have without Greece?