Alexander and the Hellenistic Age Macedonia and Philip

Alexander and the Hellenistic Age

Macedonia and Philip II • Rugged land to the north of the Greek city-states • Ruled and inhabited by people of Greek origin and who kept ties to Greece • Philip II ruled Macedonia starting in 359 BC – Built a powerful army – Allied himself with some city-states – Conquered some city-states – Eventually defeated Athens and controlled all of Greece – Wanted to conquer and rule Persia, too, but was assassinated and his son Alexander took over

Alexander the Great • Though Alexander was only 20, he was an experienced soldier, well-educated, and was ready to try to take Persia by 334 BC • Persia wasn’t as strong as it had been and Alexander never lost a battle – He captured and controlled most of the Persian empire – His soldiers were tired and wanted to go home, so Alexander eventually agreed to go back (to Babylon) for a bit – Alexander died (of a fever) before he could go out again – 3 generals divided up the empire and their descendants battled for control of the land for 300 years

The Legacy of Alexander • As Alexander’s army conquered and his empire spread, Greek culture was spread from Egypt to India • Alexander adopted many Persian customs and encouraged others to do the same, which resulted in a great blending of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian culture = Hellenistic • Capital of Hellenistic culture: Alexandria, Egypt – Lots of trade in this city – Built a great museum and library to serve as a center of learning

Hellenistic Age • Women – – no longer restricted to home Some could read and write Some became philosophers or poets Royal women held power and worked alongside ruling husbands; in Egypt, Cleopatra held her own power • New Ideas – Golden Age of Greek drama (plays) was during this time – Stoicism: avoid desires; calmly accept what life brings; protect the rights of fellow humans; all are morally equal because all have the power of reason; influenced Roman and Christian thinkers – Pythagoras and Euclid developed their mathematical formulas – Aristarchus (astronomer) figured out that the earth revolved around the sun, though the idea was not accepted for almost 2, 000 years – Archimedes used principles of physics to master the use of the pulley and lever – Hippocrates studied illnesses and looked for cures (Hippocratic oath is named after him)