Who was Alexander the Great's father?

A) Philip II of Macedon

B) Darius III

C) Ptolemy I

D) Aristotle

Which famous philosopher was Alexander the Great's tutor?

A) Socrates

B) Plato

C) Aristotle

D) Herodotus

Alexander The Great

  • Alexander began his conquest by crushing a Greek revolt in Thebes; He ordered the death of 6,000 people & sold everyone else into slavery; His brutality convinced other Greeks to not rebel

Alexander set his sights on the Persian Empire & began his attack by conquering Egypt; Egyptians viewed Alexander as a liberator

Alexander Conquers India and Persia

  • In 331 B.C., Alexander attacked & defeated the mighty Persian army led by King Darius III

  • Alexander led his army to conquer India; After taking the Indus River Valley, Alexander’s troops begged him to return home after 11 years away from their homes while conquering the empire 

By 323 B.C., Alexander had conquered a massive empire & began plans to govern & unify his kingdom, but he fell ill & died at the age of 32

Alexander left behind an important legacy: He spread Hellenic (Greek) innovations & culture throughout his empire

  • In each territory he conquered, Alexander left behind a Greek-styled city named Alexandria

When Alexander died without an heir, his empire was divided among his top 3 generals

Alexander's empire was the largest of the classical era, but it was short-lived (13 years) &  was never unified or governed

  • He was a military genius & well educated

  • His interest in Greek history & culture as well as Persian, Egyptian, & Indian ideas led to a vibrant new culture, Hellenism, that shaped future civilizations

But, his empire did not last long enough to compete with future empires, such as those ruled by Rome and the Mongols

What was Hellenism?

A) A period of Greek history characterized by the dominance of the city-state system

B) The spread of Greek culture and influence throughout the Mediterranean and Near East following the conquests of Alexander the Great

C) A political movement aimed at unifying Greek city-states under a single government

D) A religious cult centered around the worship of the Greek gods