Early Life
• Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC
– As a young boy, he was tutored by the great philosopher Aristotle
– Alexander was very well educated. He was good at all subjects
Phillip II(Phillip the 2nd)
• His father was Philip II, King of Macedonia– Phillip II wanted to expand the
Macedonian kingdom and conquer Greece
• Alexander became king at 20 years old when Philip II was assassinated by his own bodyguard
King Alexander
• When Alexander took the throne, he inherited a very strong army and continued his father’s mission to expand the kingdom
• Alexander was a brilliant commander and expanded the empire from Egypt and Greece all the way to the Indus Valley
Commander In Chief
• Alexander is considered to be one of the greatest military commanders of all-time
• He was undefeated in battle– 10 major battles and over 100 smaller
ones
• Alexander’s army defeated King Darius and the Persians, which was the most powerful military at the time
Decline
• Eventually, his army got tired and many decided to return to Macedonia after conquering so much land
• At age 32, he got sick and died suddenly
Cultural Diffusion
• The conquests of Alexander the Great led to a significant amount of cultural diffusion– This means culture was spread (or diffused) over a
vast area– Ideas, languages, religions, technologies, and
much more moved from one place to another
Hellenistic Age
• Lasted from about 324 BC – 200 BC• Greek culture mixes with the cultures of the
Middle East, Northern Africa, and India• Greek language and ideas are spread
• Discovery Ed Video- Alexander the Great (9.3 page 11)
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