Alexander the Great Review The Peloponnesian War n

Alexander the Great

Review: The Peloponnesian War n n In 431 B. C. E. , the conflict between Athens and Sparta grew the Peloponnesian War. The name comes from the Peloponnesus, the peninsula that extends south from mainland Greece. Sparta was located here. Other city-states were drawn into the war as allies of either Athens or Sparta. The war lasted for 27 years, from 431 to 404 B. C. E. Sparta won.

Rise of Macedonia n n n While the Greek city-states fought one another, Macedonia grew stronger. Macedonians had lived in scattered tribes until King Philip II unified the warlike tribes of the north and created a well-trained army. Philip then looked south to mainland Greece. Years of war had left the Greeks divided and weak. Philip used this weakness. By 338 B. C. E. , King Philip had conquered most of mainland Greece. 336 B. C. E. , Phillip was murdered. His son, Alexander, was the new Macedonian king.

Young Alexander n n Alexander was only 20 years old when he became king. He had been tutored by Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher. Aristotle had taught him public speaking, science, and philosophy. He had also taught Alexander to appreciate Greek culture.

Fun Facts n n Plutarch tells the story of how, in 344 BC, a thirteen-year-old Alexander won the horse. A horse dealer named Philonicus the Thessalian offered Bucephalus to King Philip II for the sum of 13 talents, but because no one could tame the animal, Philip was not interested. However, Philip's son Alexander was. He promised to pay for the horse himself should he fail to tame it. Alexander was given a chance and surprised all by subduing it. He spoke soothingly to the horse and turned it towards the sun so that it could no longer see its own shadow, which had been the cause of its distress. Dropping his fluttering cloak as well, Alexander successfully tamed the horse. Plutarch says that the incident so impressed Philip that he told the boy, "O my son, look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee. "

Revolt of Thebes n n In 335 BCE the people of the Greek city of Thebes decided t revolt against the Macedonians Alexander destroyed the city, killing about 6, 000 Thebans and selling everyone else into slavery

Invasion of Persia n 334 BCE: Won the first battle with the Persians at the Granicus River by order his cavalry to charge

Story of the Gordian Knot n n n In 333 B. C. Alexander the Great had invaded Asia Minor and arrived in the central mountains at the town of Gordium; he was 23. Undefeated, but without a decisive victory either, he was in need of an omen to prove to his troops and his enemies that the outcome of his mission – to conquer the known world – was possible. In Gordium, by the Temple of the Zeus Basilica, was an ox cart, which had been put there by the King of Phrygia over 100 years before. The staves of the cart were tied together in a complex knot with the ends tucked away inside. Legend said that whoever was able to release the knot would be successful in conquering the East. To the East lay the Kingdom of Persia, the rich centre of the civilized world, ruled by Darius III. Having arrived at Gordium it was inconceivable that the impetuous young King would not tackle the legendary “Gordian Knot”. His generals gathered round as he struggled with the Knot for a few minutes. Then he asked Aristander, his seer, “does it matter how I do it? ”. Aristander couldn’t provide a definitive answer, so Alexander pulled out his sword and cut through the knot. That night there was a huge electrical storm which Aristander proclaimed was the Gods’ approval of Alexander’s action and proof of both his deity and the success of their cause.

Alexander & the Gordian Knot

Battle of Issus 333 BCE n n n Darius III assembled a huge army to fight Alexander at Issus Alexander, knowing he was outnumbered, ordered his best troops to break through the Persian lines They charged the Persians and won, forcing Darius III to flee

Egypt n n n 332 BCE Egypt was a part of the Persian Empire Egyptians welcomed him as a liberator (someone to save them from the Persians) Alexander was crowned a pharaoh Founded the city of Alexandria

331 BCE Battle of Gaugamela n Alexander Darius III

Alexander Burns Persepolis to the Ground

Death of Darius III n Alexander tried to follow Darius III to the Capsian Sea only to find that he had been killed by a provincial governor or (satrap)

Beyond Persia n 326 BCE Alexander had reached India and won a great victory against the Indian forces

Spread of Hellenism n n Alexander wanted all the people he conquered to accept him as their ruler. Built Greek-style cities that had agoras, temples, and theaters.

Spread of Hellenism n n n People from Greece flocked to settle in Alexander’s cities. They brought with them their Greek laws, art, and literature. Alexander insisted that local soldiers and government officials speak only Greek.

Religion n honored Egyptian and Persian gods, with the same respect he paid to Greek gods. To show his respect, he visited oracle sites, made sacrifices, and had temples built to honor these gods. These actions helped Alexander gain the loyalty of the Egyptian people.

Religion n n Second, Alexander promoted the idea that he himself was a god. He began wearing a crown with two ram’s horns, like the sacred headdress of Ammon. Seeing Alexander wearing the crown encouraged the Egyptians to accept him as a god. Later on, he also required all Greeks to accept him as the son of Zeus Ammon

Accepting Foreign Customs n n n The third part of Alexander’s plan was to show respect for the cultural practices of the people he had conquered. He did this by adopting some of these practices himself. For example, in Persia, he adopted the Persian system of government. He allowed Persian governors to run the day-to-day business of their lands. However, he was careful to appoint Macedonians to head the army. He also made sure his own people controlled the taxes that were collected.

Persian Customs n n Alexander also borrowed Persian customs. Persian-style clothing He received official visitors in a luxurious tent as a Persian king would have done. Alexander demanded that each of his visitors greet him according to Persian custom. n A visitor had to kneel in front of the throne and bend over until his head touched the ground. Alexander would then raise the visitor to his feet, kiss him, and address him as “kinsman. ”

Persian Greeting

Intermarriage n Finally, Alexander encouraged marriage between the people of Macedonia and Persia. He himself married the eldest daughter of Darius III, a Persian king he had defeated.

Hephestion n Alexander’s bodyguard and best friend Died in 324 BCE Plutarch wrote, “…he (Alexander) had the wretched doctor impaled on a stake and banned playing the pipes and all music in the camp for a considerable period of time, until he received an oracle from Ammon, telling him to worship Hephaestion as a hero and to institute sacrificial rituals in his honor. ”

End of the Conquest n n n By 324 B. C. E. , Alexander’s armies were in northern India. After ten years of fighting, the exhausted soldiers refused to go on. Alexander returned to Babylon, in Persia. In 323 B. C. E, he died at the age of 33.

Bucephala

After Alexander n n After his death, Alexander’s empire fell apart. Settlers left the cities he had built, and the cities fell into ruin. His generals fought to control the empire. Eventually, his land was divided into kingdoms.

Legacy n n Alexander had spread Greek ideas throughout a vast area. In the centuries to come, Greek power would slowly fade away. But Greek culture would continue to influence the lands that Alexander had once ruled. Hellenistic Culture: mix of Greek, Egyptian, and Persian cultures