Alexander The

Great

Mr. GieslerGlobal Studies

Who was Alexander the Great and why so great?

Alexander III (356-323 BC), or Alexander the Great was Macedonian king and son of Philip II of Macedon Born in Pella, Macedonia Tutored by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle His father, Philip, was king of Macedonia, and had conquered the Greek city states during his 27 year reign In ten years, Alexander of Macedonia created the largest empire in the world up to that time Alexander spread Greek culture, ensuring cultural diffusion and the survival of the qualities of classical Greece

Defeating Darius III of Persia, 331BCEDarius made sure that this battleground favored his army and its tactics particularly the use of his feared scythe-wheeled chariots. Persian army of possibly 200,000 faced off against Alexander's 35,000. Alexander immediately sized up the Persian's tactical advantage and countered by ordering his cavalry to shift to the right hoping to move his enemy away from its flat field. Darius took the bait ordering his troops to follow. Soon the Persians found themselves on rough, rock-strewn terrain.Seeing the thinning Persian line, Alexander led the charge that crashed through to the Persian rear. As at the battle of Issus, Darius fled, leaving the field and victory to AlexanderDarius was forced to flee, abandoning is mother, wife and children to Alexander

Defeating Darius III of Persia, 331BCESoon the Persians found themselves on rough, rock-

strewn terrain.Seeing the thinning Persian line, Alexander led the charge that crashed through to the Persian rear. As at the battle of Issus, Darius fled, leaving the field and victory to AlexanderDarius was forced to flee, abandoning is mother, wife and children to Alexander

After Alexander died, his generals jockeyed for power and by 275 they had divided up his kingdom into three large states

Antigonus took Greece and Macedon

Ptolemy took Egypt

Seleuces took the former Achaemenid empire

The period of Alexander and his successors is called the Hellenistic period to reflect the broad influence of Greek culture beyond Greece’s borders

Life after Alexander