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Alexander the Great

In this lesson, students will identify the

contributions of Alexander the Great to world

history.

Students will be able to identify and/or

define the following terms:

Alexander the Great

Macedonia

Hellenism

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Greece’s neighbor

to the north is

Macedonia.

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Philip II

• Philip II was a king of Macedonia. In 338

B.C., he conquered the Greek city-states.

• After his successful conquest of the

Greeks, he planned to conquer Persia.

• However, he died before he could realize

his plan.

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This ancient coin bears the image of

Philip II of Macedonia.

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Alexander the Great

• After the death of Philip II, his son,

Alexander, set out to conquer the world.

• Alexander quickly conquered Asia Minor,

Egypt, and Babylon. By 330 B.C., he

defeated all of the Persian armies.

• Alexander moved his army all the way to

the Indus River.

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Alexander the Great conquered a vast

empire.

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A Tired Army

• The Indus River was the end of the known

world for his soldiers.

• In 323 B.C., Alexander developed a fever

in Babylon. He died within a few days.

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Alexander the Great was only 32 when

he died. For 13 years, he had ruled

a vast empire.

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After the death of Alexander

• Alexander’s empire fell apart after his death.

• His three generals divided the empire into three kingdoms-Macedon, Egypt, and Syria.

• These kingdoms often fought each other but they were united by their common Greek culture.

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After the death of Alexander the Great,

his vast empire was divided among his

generals.

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Hellenism

• Alexander the Great spread Greek culture throughout his empire.

• He created Hellenistic Culture.

• Hellenistic Culture is a blend of Egyptian, Greek, Persian, and Indian cultures.

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Hellenism is a Greek like culture.

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Hellenistic Culture

• Hellenistic culture shaped the

Mediterranean world for nearly 300 years.

• However, Alexander’s dream of creating

an enduring empire with one government

did not come true.

• After Alexander’s death, the Romans

eventually realized this dream

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Alexander the Great

spread Greek

culture throughout

the Mediterranean

world.

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Questions for Reflection:

• Where is Macedonia located?

• List two accomplishments of Alexander the

Great.

• Why did Alexander’s soldiers want to

return home after invading the Indus River

Valley?

• What happened to Alexander’s empire

after his death? Why did this happen?

• Define Hellenism.