Alexander the Great and the Alexander the Great and the Spread of Greek CultureSpread of Greek Culture

Macedonia Attacks GreeceMacedonia Attacks Greece MacedoniaMacedonia – a powerful kingdom – a powerful kingdom

that lay north of Greecethat lay north of Greece Philip IIPhilip II needed to unite Greece needed to unite Greece

with Macedonia to with Macedonia to defeatdefeat the the PersianPersian Empire Empire• After training a vast army, Philip After training a vast army, Philip

began taking over the Greek began taking over the Greek city-city-statesstates

Defeated the Greeks at the Defeated the Greeks at the BattleBattle of Chaeronea (kehr-uh- of Chaeronea (kehr-uh-nee-uh) nee-uh) • After this battle, Philip controlled After this battle, Philip controlled

most of most of GreeceGreece

Alexander Builds an EmpireAlexander Builds an Empire AlexanderAlexander the the GreatGreat became king of became king of

Macedonia after his father, Philip, diedMacedonia after his father, Philip, died Began his Began his conquestconquest of the Persian of the Persian

Empire in 334 B.C. with the Battle of Empire in 334 B.C. with the Battle of Granicus Granicus • Alexander’s forces destroyed the Alexander’s forces destroyed the

PersianPersian forces forces A year later, he defeated the Persian A year later, he defeated the Persian

army at army at IssusIssus and freed the Greek cities and freed the Greek cities in Asia Minorin Asia Minor• Captured Syria and Captured Syria and EgyptEgypt

Built the city of Built the city of AlexandriaAlexandria (in Egypt) as (in Egypt) as the center of business and trade the center of business and trade

Continued his conquest of the Persian Continued his conquest of the Persian Empire by Empire by fightingfighting in modern Pakistan, in modern Pakistan, India, and Iran India, and Iran

In 323 B.C., Alexander planned to invade In 323 B.C., Alexander planned to invade southern southern ArabiaArabia, but he became ill and , but he became ill and dieddied

LegacyLegacy = what a person leaves behind = what a person leaves behind when he or she dieswhen he or she dies• Alexander’s legacy – the Alexander’s legacy – the spreadspread of Greek of Greek

cultureculture throughout southwest Asia and throughout southwest Asia and northern Africa northern Africa

Alexander’s conquest marked the Alexander’s conquest marked the beginning of the beginning of the HellenisticHellenistic Era- time when Era- time when GreekGreek language and language and ideasideas spread to non- spread to non-Greek areas of southwest Asia Greek areas of southwest Asia

After Alexander’s death, his After Alexander’s death, his generalsgenerals fought for fought for power, and his empire endedpower, and his empire ended• FourFour kingdoms emerged in its place kingdoms emerged in its place

Government business was conducted in the Government business was conducted in the GreekGreek language language • People who didn’t People who didn’t speakspeak Greek could not hold Greek could not hold

government jobs government jobs helped the Greeks maintain control helped the Greeks maintain control New New citiescities were created during the Hellenistic were created during the Hellenistic

EraEra• Cities needed Cities needed architectsarchitects, engineers, and philosophers, engineers, and philosophers• Hellenistic rulers sent Greek colonists to southwest Asia Hellenistic rulers sent Greek colonists to southwest Asia

to help to help buildbuild the cities the cities Greek Greek cultureculture spread spread

Greek Culture SpreadsGreek Culture Spreads

Philosophers, Philosophers, poetspoets, scientists, and , scientists, and writers writers movedmoved to the new Greek to the new Greek cities in southwest Asia, mainly cities in southwest Asia, mainly AlexandriaAlexandria, during the Hellenistic Era, during the Hellenistic Era

Kings hired Greek architects and Kings hired Greek architects and sculptorssculptors to make their cities like to make their cities like GreeceGreece

WritersWriters of the Hellenistic Era of the Hellenistic Era produced a large body of literature produced a large body of literature

Athenians still created Athenians still created playsplays, but the , but the plays of the Hellenistic Era were plays of the Hellenistic Era were about about lovelove and relationships and relationships

New Philosophy and ScienceNew Philosophy and Science Epicurus taught that Epicurus taught that happinesshappiness was was

the goal of life the goal of life Zeno developed Zeno developed StoicismStoicism (stoh-uh-sih- (stoh-uh-sih-

zuhm) – happiness comes from zuhm) – happiness comes from reasonreason, , not emotions not emotions

Astronomers study the stars, Astronomers study the stars, planetsplanets, , and other heavenly bodies and other heavenly bodies

Euclid- one of the most famous Greek Euclid- one of the most famous Greek mathematiciansmathematicians • described plane geometry (points, described plane geometry (points,

lines, angles, etc.)lines, angles, etc.) Archimedes- the most famous Archimedes- the most famous scientistscientist

of the Hellenistic Eraof the Hellenistic Era• Worked on solid Worked on solid geometrygeometry (spheres, (spheres,

cylinders, pi, invented the catapult)cylinders, pi, invented the catapult)

Greece Falls to RomeGreece Falls to Rome

The four Greek kingdoms shared their The four Greek kingdoms shared their culture but culture but foughtfought one another one another

In the late 200s B.C., In the late 200s B.C., RomeRome, a city-state , a city-state in in ItalyItaly, conquered the Italian peninsula, , conquered the Italian peninsula, and the Romans began and the Romans began expandingexpanding into into GreeceGreece

Greece began supporting Rome’s Greece began supporting Rome’s enemiesenemies in times of war, but the in times of war, but the RomansRomans conquered Greece and its allies conquered Greece and its allies

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