alexander the great presentation

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction & Top Questions

Beginnings of the Persian expedition

Asia minor and the battle of issus, conquest of the mediterranean coast and egypt, campaign eastward to central asia, invasion of india, consolidation of the empire.

Why is Alexander the Great famous?

What was alexander the great’s childhood like, how did alexander the great die, what was alexander the great like.

• What is imperialism in history?

Alexander the Great

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Constitutional Rights Foundation - The Legacy of Alexander the Great
• Chemistry LibreTexts - The Legacy of Alexander the Great
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Historical Perspective and Medical Maladies of Alexander the Great
• Live Science - Alexander the Great: Facts, biography and accomplishments
• JewishEncyclopedia.com - Alexander The Great
• Social Studies for Kids - Biography of Alexander the Great
• Khan Academy - Alexander the Great
• Livius - Biography of Alexander the Great
• PBS LearningMedia - The Rise of Alexander the Great
• World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Alexander the Great
• Alexander the Great - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Alexander the Great - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

Although king of ancient Macedonia for less than 13 years, Alexander the Great changed the course of history. One of the world’s greatest military generals, he created a vast empire that stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to part of India. This allowed for Hellenistic culture to become widespread.

Alexander was the son of Philip II and Olympias (daughter of King Neoptolemus of Epirus). From age 13 to 16 he was taught by the Greek philosopher Aristotle , who inspired his interest in philosophy, medicine, and scientific investigation. As a teenager, Alexander became known for his exploits on the battlefield.

While in Babylon , Alexander became ill after a prolonged banquet and drinking bout, and on June 13, 323, he died at age 33. There was much speculation about the cause of death, and the most popular theories claim that he either contracted malaria or typhoid fever or that he was poisoned.

While he could be ruthless and impulsive, Alexander was also charismatic and sensible. His troops were extremely loyal, believing in him throughout all hardships. Hugely ambitious, Alexander drew inspiration from the gods Achilles , Heracles , and Dionysus . He also displayed a deep interest in learning and encouraged the spread of Hellenistic culture.

Alexander the Great (born 356 bce , Pella, Macedonia [northwest of Thessaloníki, Greece]—died June 13, 323 bce , Babylon [near Al-Ḥillah, Iraq]) was the king of Macedonia (336–323 bce ), who overthrew the Persian empire , carried Macedonian arms to India , and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms. Already in his lifetime the subject of fabulous stories, he later became the hero of a full-scale legend bearing only the sketchiest resemblance to his historical career.

He was born in 356 bce at Pella in Macedonia, the son of Philip II and Olympias (daughter of King Neoptolemus of Epirus ). From age 13 to 16 he was taught by Aristotle , who inspired him with an interest in philosophy , medicine , and scientific investigation , but he was later to advance beyond his teacher’s narrow precept that non-Greeks should be treated as slaves. Left in charge of Macedonia in 340 during Philip’s attack on Byzantium , Alexander defeated the Maedi, a Thracian people. Two years later he commanded the left wing at the Battle of Chaeronea , in which Philip defeated the allied Greek states, and displayed personal courage in breaking the Sacred Band of Thebes , an elite military corps composed of 150 pairs of lovers. A year later Philip divorced Olympias, and, after a quarrel at a feast held to celebrate his father’s new marriage, Alexander and his mother fled to Epirus, and Alexander later went to Illyria . Shortly afterward, father and son were reconciled and Alexander returned, but his position as heir was jeopardized.

In 336, however, on Philip’s assassination , Alexander, acclaimed by the army, succeeded without opposition. He at once executed the princes of Lyncestis, alleged to be behind Philip’s murder, along with all possible rivals and the whole of the faction opposed to him. He then marched south, recovered a wavering Thessaly , and at an assembly of the Greek League of Corinth was appointed generalissimo for the forthcoming invasion of Asia , already planned and initiated by Philip. Returning to Macedonia by way of Delphi (where the Pythian priestess acclaimed him “invincible”), he advanced into Thrace in spring 335 and, after forcing the Shipka Pass and crushing the Triballi , crossed the Danube to disperse the Getae ; turning west, he then defeated and shattered a coalition of Illyrians who had invaded Macedonia. Meanwhile, a rumour of his death had precipitated a revolt of Theban democrats; other Greek states favoured Thebes , and the Athenians , urged on by Demosthenes , voted help. In 14 days Alexander marched 240 miles from Pelion (near modern Korçë , Albania ) in Illyria to Thebes. When the Thebans refused to surrender, he made an entry and razed their city to the ground, sparing only temples and Pindar ’s house; 6,000 were killed and all survivors sold into slavery . The other Greek states were cowed by this severity, and Alexander could afford to treat Athens leniently. Macedonian garrisons were left in Corinth , Chalcis , and the Cadmea (the citadel of Thebes).

From his accession Alexander had set his mind on the Persian expedition . He had grown up to the idea. Moreover, he needed the wealth of Persia if he was to maintain the army built by Philip and pay off the 500 talents he owed. The exploits of the Ten Thousand, Greek soldiers of fortune, and of Agesilaus of Sparta , in successfully campaigning in Persian territory had revealed the vulnerability of the Persian empire . With a good cavalry force Alexander could expect to defeat any Persian army. In spring 334 he crossed the Dardanelles , leaving Antipater , who had already faithfully served his father, as his deputy in Europe with over 13,000 men; he himself commanded about 30,000 foot and over 5,000 cavalry, of whom nearly 14,000 were Macedonians and about 7,000 allies sent by the Greek League. This army was to prove remarkable for its balanced combination of arms. Much work fell on the lightarmed Cretan and Macedonian archers, Thracians, and the Agrianian javelin men. But in pitched battle the striking force was the cavalry , and the core of the army, should the issue still remain undecided after the cavalry charge, was the infantry phalanx , 9,000 strong, armed with 13-foot spears and shields, and the 3,000 men of the royal battalions, the hypaspists. Alexander’s second in command was Parmenio , who had secured a foothold in Asia Minor during Philip’s lifetime; many of his family and supporters were entrenched in positions of responsibility. The army was accompanied by surveyors, engineers, architects, scientists, court officials, and historians; from the outset Alexander seems to have envisaged an unlimited operation.

After visiting Ilium ( Troy ), a romantic gesture inspired by Homer , he confronted his first Persian army, led by three satraps , at the Granicus (modern Kocabaş) River, near the Sea of Marmara (May/June 334). The Persian plan to tempt Alexander across the river and kill him in the melee almost succeeded; but the Persian line broke, and Alexander’s victory was complete. Darius ’s Greek mercenaries were largely massacred, but 2,000 survivors were sent back to Macedonia in chains. This victory exposed western Asia Minor to the Macedonians, and most cities hastened to open their gates. The tyrants were expelled and (in contrast to Macedonian policy in Greece) democracies were installed. Alexander thus underlined his Panhellenic policy, already symbolized in the sending of 300 panoplies (sets of armour) taken at the Granicus as an offering dedicated to Athena at Athens by “Alexander son of Philip and the Greeks (except the Spartans) from the barbarians who inhabit Asia.” (This formula, cited by the Greek historian Arrian in his history of Alexander’s campaigns, is noteworthy for its omission of any reference to Macedonia.) But the cities remained de facto under Alexander, and his appointment of Calas as satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia reflected his claim to succeed the Great King of Persia. When Miletus , encouraged by the proximity of the Persian fleet, resisted, Alexander took it by assault, but, refusing a naval battle, he disbanded his own costly navy and announced that he would “defeat the Persian fleet on land,” by occupying the coastal cities. In Caria , Halicarnassus resisted and was stormed, but Ada , the widow and sister of the satrap Idrieus, adopted Alexander as her son and, after expelling her brother Pixodarus, Alexander restored her to her satrapy. Some parts of Caria held out, however, until 332.

In winter 334–333 Alexander conquered western Asia Minor, subduing the hill tribes of Lycia and Pisidia , and in spring 333 he advanced along the coastal road to Perga , passing the cliffs of Mount Climax, thanks to a fortunate change of wind. The fall in the level of the sea was interpreted as a mark of divine favour by Alexander’s flatterers, including the historian Callisthenes . At Gordium in Phrygia , tradition records his cutting of the Gordian knot , which could only be loosed by the man who was to rule Asia; but this story may be apocryphal or at least distorted. At this point Alexander benefitted from the sudden death of Memnon , the competent Greek commander of the Persian fleet. From Gordium he pushed on to Ancyra (modern Ankara ) and thence south through Cappadocia and the Cilician Gates (modern Külek Boğazi); a fever held him up for a time in Cilicia . Meanwhile, Darius with his Grand Army had advanced northward on the eastern side of Mount Amanus. Intelligence on both sides was faulty, and Alexander was already encamped by Myriandrus (near modern İskenderun , Turkey ) when he learned that Darius was astride his line of communications at Issus , north of Alexander’s position (autumn 333). Turning, Alexander found Darius drawn up along the Pinarus River. In the battle that followed, Alexander won a decisive victory. The struggle turned into a Persian rout and Darius fled, leaving his family in Alexander’s hands; the women were treated with chivalrous care.

From Issus Alexander marched south into Syria and Phoenicia , his object being to isolate the Persian fleet from its bases and so to destroy it as an effective fighting force. The Phoenician cities Marathus and Aradus came over quietly, and Parmenio was sent ahead to secure Damascus and its rich booty, including Darius ’s war chest. In reply to a letter from Darius offering peace, Alexander replied arrogantly, recapitulating the historic wrongs of Greece and demanding unconditional surrender to himself as lord of Asia. After taking Byblos (modern Jubayl) and Sidon (Arabic Ṣaydā), he met with a check at Tyre , where he was refused entry into the island city. He thereupon prepared to use all methods of siegecraft to take it, but the Tyrians resisted, holding out for seven months. In the meantime (winter 333–332) the Persians had counterattacked by land in Asia Minor—where they were defeated by Antigonus , the satrap of Greater Phrygia—and by sea, recapturing a number of cities and islands.

While the siege of Tyre was in progress, Darius sent a new offer: he would pay a huge ransom of 10,000 talents for his family and cede all his lands west of the Euphrates . “I would accept,” Parmenio is reported to have said, “were I Alexander”; “I too,” was the famous retort, “were I Parmenio.” The storming of Tyre in July 332 was Alexander’s greatest military achievement; it was attended with great carnage and the sale of the women and children into slavery . Leaving Parmenio in Syria, Alexander advanced south without opposition until he reached Gaza on its high mound; there bitter resistance halted him for two months, and he sustained a serious shoulder wound during a sortie. There is no basis for the tradition that he turned aside to visit Jerusalem .

In November 332 he reached Egypt . The people welcomed him as their deliverer, and the Persian satrap Mazaces wisely surrendered. At Memphis Alexander sacrificed to Apis , the Greek term for Hapi, the sacred Egyptian bull, and was crowned with the traditional double crown of the pharaohs ; the native priests were placated and their religion encouraged. He spent the winter organizing Egypt , where he employed Egyptian governors, keeping the army under a separate Macedonian command. He founded the city of Alexandria near the western arm of the Nile on a fine site between the sea and Lake Mareotis, protected by the island of Pharos, and had it laid out by the Rhodian architect Deinocrates. He is also said to have sent an expedition to discover the causes of the flooding of the Nile. From Alexandria he marched along the coast to Paraetonium and from there inland to visit the celebrated oracle of the god Amon (at Sīwah ); the difficult journey was later embroidered with flattering legends . On his reaching the oracle in its oasis , the priest gave him the traditional salutation of a pharaoh , as son of Amon; Alexander consulted the god on the success of his expedition but revealed the reply to no one. Later the incident was to contribute to the story that he was the son of Zeus and, thus, to his “deification.” In spring 331 he returned to Tyre, appointed a Macedonian satrap for Syria, and prepared to advance into Mesopotamia . His conquest of Egypt had completed his control of the whole eastern Mediterranean coast.

In July 331 Alexander was at Thapsacus on the Euphrates . Instead of taking the direct route down the river to Babylon , he made across northern Mesopotamia toward the Tigris , and Darius, learning of this move from an advance force sent under Mazaeus to the Euphrates crossing, marched up the Tigris to oppose him. The decisive battle of the war was fought on October 31, on the plain of Gaugamela between Nineveh and Arbela. Alexander pursued the defeated Persian forces for 35 miles to Arbela, but Darius escaped with his Bactrian cavalry and Greek mercenaries into Media .

Alexander now occupied Babylon , city and province; Mazaeus, who surrendered it, was confirmed as satrap in conjunction with a Macedonian troop commander, and quite exceptionally was granted the right to coin . As in Egypt, the local priesthood was encouraged. Susa , the capital, also surrendered, releasing huge treasures amounting to 50,000 gold talents; here Alexander established Darius’s family in comfort. Crushing the mountain tribe of the Ouxians, he now pressed on over the Zagros range into Persia proper and, successfully turning the Pass of the Persian Gates, held by the satrap Ariobarzanes , he entered Persepolis and Pasargadae . At Persepolis he ceremonially burned down the palace of Xerxes , as a symbol that the Panhellenic war of revenge was at an end; for such seems the probable significance of an act that tradition later explained as a drunken frolic inspired by Thaïs , an Athenian courtesan. In spring 330 Alexander marched north into Media and occupied its capital. The Thessalians and Greek allies were sent home; henceforward he was waging a purely personal war.

As Mazaeus’s appointment indicated, Alexander’s views on the empire were changing. He had come to envisage a joint ruling people consisting of Macedonians and Persians, and this served to augment the misunderstanding that now arose between him and his people. Before continuing his pursuit of Darius, who had retreated into Bactria , he assembled all the Persian treasure and entrusted it to Harpalus , who was to hold it at Ecbatana as chief treasurer. Parmenio was also left behind in Media to control communications; the presence of this older man had perhaps become irksome.

In midsummer 330 Alexander set out for the eastern provinces at a high speed via Rhagae (modern Rayy , near Tehrān ) and the Caspian Gates, where he learned that Bessus , the satrap of Bactria, had deposed Darius. After a skirmish near modern Shāhrūd, the usurper had Darius stabbed and left him to die. Alexander sent his body for burial with due honours in the royal tombs at Persepolis.

Darius ’s death left no obstacle to Alexander’s claim to be Great King, and a Rhodian inscription of this year (330) calls him “lord of Asia”—i.e., of the Persian empire; soon afterward his Asian coins carry the title of king. Crossing the Elburz Mountains to the Caspian , he seized Zadracarta in Hyrcania and received the submission of a group of satraps and Persian notables, some of whom he confirmed in their offices; in a diversion westward, perhaps to modern Āmol , he reduced the Mardi, a mountain people who inhabited the Elburz Mountains. He also accepted the surrender of Darius’s Greek mercenaries. His advance eastward was now rapid. In Aria he reduced Satibarzanes, who had offered submission only to revolt, and he founded Alexandria of the Arians (modern Herāt ). At Phrada in Drangiana (either near modern Nad-e ʿAli in Seistan or farther north at Farah ), he at last took steps to destroy Parmenio and his family. Philotas , Parmenio’s son, commander of the elite Companion cavalry, was implicated in an alleged plot against Alexander’s life, condemned by the army, and executed; and a secret message was sent to Cleander , Parmenio’s second in command, who obediently assassinated him. This ruthless action excited widespread horror but strengthened Alexander’s position relative to his critics and those whom he regarded as his father’s men. All Parmenio’s adherents were now eliminated and men close to Alexander promoted. The Companion cavalry was reorganized in two sections, each containing four squadrons (now known as hipparchies); one group was commanded by Alexander’s oldest friend, Hephaestion , the other by Cleitus , an older man. From Phrada, Alexander pressed on during the winter of 330–329 up the valley of the Helmand River , through Arachosia , and over the mountains past the site of modern Kābul into the country of the Paropamisadae, where he founded Alexandria by the Caucasus .

Bessus was now in Bactria raising a national revolt in the eastern satrapies with the usurped title of Great King. Crossing the Hindu Kush northward over the Khawak Pass (11,650 feet [3,550 metres]), Alexander brought his army, despite food shortages, to Drapsaca (sometimes identified with modern Banu [Andarab], probably farther north at Qunduz); outflanked, Bessus fled beyond the Oxus (modern Amu Darya ), and Alexander, marching west to Bactra-Zariaspa (modern Balkh [ Wazirabad ] in Afghanistan ), appointed loyal satraps in Bactria and Aria. Crossing the Oxus, he sent his general Ptolemy in pursuit of Bessus, who had meanwhile been overthrown by the Sogdian Spitamenes. Bessus was captured, flogged, and sent to Bactra, where he was later mutilated after the Persian manner (losing his nose and ears); in due course he was publicly executed at Ecbatana .

From Maracanda (modern Samarkand ) Alexander advanced by way of Cyropolis to the Jaxartes (modern Syrdarya), the boundary of the Persian empire. There he broke the opposition of the Scythian nomads by his use of catapults and, after defeating them in a battle on the north bank of the river, pursued them into the interior. On the site of modern Leninabad ( Khojent ) on the Jaxartes, he founded a city, Alexandria Eschate, “the farthest.” Meanwhile, Spitamenes had raised all Sogdiana in revolt behind him, bringing in the Massagetai , a people of the Shaka confederacy. It took Alexander until the autumn of 328 to crush the most determined opponent he encountered in his campaigns. Later in the same year he attacked Oxyartes and the remaining barons who held out in the hills of Paraetacene (modern Tajikistan ); volunteers seized the crag on which Oxyartes had his stronghold, and among the captives was his daughter, Roxana . In reconciliation Alexander married her, and the rest of his opponents were either won over or crushed.

An incident that occurred at Maracanda widened the breach between Alexander and many of his Macedonians. He murdered Cleitus, one of his most-trusted commanders, in a drunken quarrel, but his excessive display of remorse led the army to pass a decree convicting Cleitus posthumously of treason . The event marked a step in Alexander’s progress toward Eastern absolutism, and this growing attitude found its outward expression in his use of Persian royal dress. Shortly afterward, at Bactra , he attempted to impose the Persian court ceremonial, involving prostration ( proskynesis ), on the Greeks and Macedonians too, but to them this custom, habitual for Persians entering the king’s presence, implied an act of worship and was intolerable before a human. Even Callisthenes , historian and nephew of Aristotle , whose ostentatious flattery had perhaps encouraged Alexander to see himself in the role of a god, refused to abase himself. Macedonian laughter caused the experiment to founder, and Alexander abandoned it. Shortly afterward, however, Callisthenes was held to be privy to a conspiracy among the royal pages and was executed (or died in prison; accounts vary); resentment of this action alienated sympathy from Alexander within the Peripatetic school of philosophers, with which Callisthenes had close connections.

In early summer 327 Alexander left Bactria with a reinforced army under a reorganized command. If Plutarch ’s figure of 120,000 men has any reality, however, it must include all kinds of auxiliary services, together with muleteers, camel drivers, medical corps, peddlers, entertainers, women, and children; the fighting strength perhaps stood at about 35,000. Recrossing the Hindu Kush , probably by Bamiyan and the Ghorband Valley, Alexander divided his forces. Half the army with the baggage under Hephaestion and Perdiccas , both cavalry commanders, was sent through the Khyber Pass , while he himself led the rest, together with his siege train, through the hills to the north. His advance through Swāt and Gandhāra was marked by the storming of the almost impregnable pinnacle of Aornos , the modern Pir-Sar, a few miles west of the Indus and north of the Buner River, an impressive feat of siegecraft. In spring 326, crossing the Indus near Attock, Alexander entered Taxila , whose ruler, Taxiles, furnished elephants and troops in return for aid against his rival Porus , who ruled the lands between the Hydaspes (modern Jhelum ) and the Acesines (modern Chenāb ). In June Alexander fought his last great battle on the left bank of the Hydaspes . He founded two cities there, Alexandria Nicaea (to celebrate his victory) and Bucephala (named after his horse Bucephalus , which died there); and Porus became his ally.

How much Alexander knew of India beyond the Hyphasis (probably the modern Beas ) is uncertain; there is no conclusive proof that he had heard of the Ganges . But he was anxious to press on farther, and he had advanced to the Hyphasis when his army mutinied, refusing to go farther in the tropical rain; they were weary in body and spirit, and Coenus, one of Alexander’s four chief marshals, acted as their spokesman. On finding the army adamant , Alexander agreed to turn back.

On the Hyphasis he erected 12 altars to the 12 Olympian gods, and on the Hydaspes he built a fleet of 800 to 1,000 ships. Leaving Porus, he then proceeded down the river and into the Indus, with half his forces on shipboard and half marching in three columns down the two banks. The fleet was commanded by Nearchus , and Alexander’s own captain was Onesicritus; both later wrote accounts of the campaign. The march was attended with much fighting and heavy, pitiless slaughter; at the storming of one town of the Malli near the Hydraotes ( Ravi ) River, Alexander received a severe wound which left him weakened.

On reaching Patala, located at the head of the Indus delta, he built a harbour and docks and explored both arms of the Indus, which probably then ran into the Rann of Kachchh . He planned to lead part of his forces back by land, while the rest in perhaps 100 to 150 ships under the command of Nearchus, a Cretan with naval experience, made a voyage of exploration along the Persian Gulf . Local opposition led Nearchus to set sail in September (325), and he was held up for three weeks until he could pick up the northeast monsoon in late October. In September Alexander too set out along the coast through Gedrosia (modern Baluchistan), but he was soon compelled by mountainous country to turn inland, thus failing in his project to establish food depots for the fleet. Craterus , a high-ranking officer, already had been sent off with the baggage and siege train, the elephants, and the sick and wounded, together with three battalions of the phalanx , by way of the Mulla Pass, Quetta , and Kandahar into the Helmand Valley ; from there he was to march through Drangiana to rejoin the main army on the Amanis (modern Minab) River in Carmania. Alexander’s march through Gedrosia proved disastrous; waterless desert and shortage of food and fuel caused great suffering, and many, especially women and children, perished in a sudden monsoon flood while encamped in a wadi. At length, at the Amanis, he was rejoined by Nearchus and the fleet, which also had suffered losses.

Alexander now proceeded farther with the policy of replacing senior officials and executing defaulting governors on which he had already embarked before leaving India. Between 326 and 324 over a third of his satraps were superseded and six were put to death, including the Persian satraps of Persis , Susiana, Carmania, and Paraetacene; three generals in Media , including Cleander , the brother of Coenus (who had died a little earlier), were accused of extortion and summoned to Carmania, where they were arrested, tried, and executed. How far the rigour that from now onward Alexander displayed against his governors represents exemplary punishment for gross maladministration during his absence and how far the elimination of men he had come to distrust (as in the case of Philotas and Parmenio ) is debatable; but the ancient sources generally favourable to him comment adversely on his severity.

In spring 324 he was back in Susa , capital of Elam and administrative centre of the Persian empire; the story of his journey through Carmania in a drunken revel, dressed as Dionysus , is embroidered, if not wholly apocryphal. He found that his treasurer, Harpalus , evidently fearing punishment for peculation, had absconded with 6,000 mercenaries and 5,000 talents to Greece; arrested in Athens , he escaped and later was murdered in Crete . At Susa Alexander held a feast to celebrate the seizure of the Persian empire, at which, in furtherance of his policy of fusing Macedonians and Persians into one master race, he and 80 of his officers took Persian wives; he and Hephaestion married Darius ’s daughters Barsine (also called Stateira) and Drypetis, respectively, and 10,000 of his soldiers with native wives were given generous dowries.

This policy of racial fusion brought increasing friction to Alexander’s relations with his Macedonians, who had no sympathy for his changed concept of the empire. His determination to incorporate Persians on equal terms in the army and the administration of the provinces was bitterly resented. This discontent was now fanned by the arrival of 30,000 native youths who had received a Macedonian military training and by the introduction of Asian peoples from Bactria , Sogdiana , Arachosia , and other parts of the empire into the Companion cavalry ; whether Asians had previously served with the Companions is uncertain, but if so they must have formed separate squadrons. In addition, Persian nobles had been accepted into the royal cavalry bodyguard. Peucestas, the new governor of Persis , gave this policy full support to flatter Alexander; but most Macedonians saw it as a threat to their own privileged position.

The issue came to a head at Opis (324), when Alexander’s decision to send home Macedonian veterans under Craterus was interpreted as a move toward transferring the seat of power to Asia. There was an open mutiny involving all but the royal bodyguard; but when Alexander dismissed his whole army and enrolled Persians instead, the opposition broke down. An emotional scene of reconciliation was followed by a vast banquet with 9,000 guests to celebrate the ending of the misunderstanding and the partnership in government of Macedonians and Persians—but not, as has been argued, the incorporation of all the subject peoples as partners in the commonwealth. Ten thousand veterans were now sent back to Macedonia with gifts, and the crisis was surmounted.

In summer 324 Alexander attempted to solve another problem, that of the wandering mercenaries, of whom there were thousands in Asia and Greece, many of them political exiles from their own cities. A decree brought by Nicanor to Europe and proclaimed at Olympia (September 324) required the Greek cities of the Greek League to receive back all exiles and their families (except the Thebans), a measure that implied some modification of the oligarchic regimes maintained in the Greek cities by Alexander’s governor Antipater . Alexander now planned to recall Antipater and supersede him by Craterus , but he was to die before this could be done.

In autumn 324 Hephaestion died in Ecbatana , and Alexander indulged in extravagant mourning for his closest friend; he was given a royal funeral in Babylon with a pyre costing 10,000 talents. His post of chiliarch (grand vizier) was left unfilled. It was probably in connection with a general order now sent out to the Greeks to honour Hephaestion as a hero that Alexander linked the demand that he himself should be accorded divine honours. For a long time his mind had dwelt on ideas of godhead. Greek thought drew no very decided line of demarcation between god and man, for legend offered more than one example of men who, by their achievements, acquired divine status. Alexander had on several occasions encouraged favourable comparison of his own accomplishments with those of Dionysus or Heracles . He now seems to have become convinced of the reality of his own divinity and to have required its acceptance by others. There is no reason to assume that his demand had any political background (divine status gave its possessor no particular rights in a Greek city); it was rather a symptom of growing megalomania and emotional instability. The cities perforce complied, but often ironically: the Spartan decree read, “Since Alexander wishes to be a god, let him be a god.”

In the winter of 324 Alexander carried out a savage punitive expedition against the Cossaeans in the hills of Luristan. The following spring at Babylon he received complimentary embassies from the Libyans and from the Bruttians, Etruscans , and Lucanians of Italy; but the story that embassies also came from more distant peoples, such as Carthaginians, Celts , Iberians , and even Romans, is a later invention. Representatives of the cities of Greece also came, garlanded as befitted Alexander’s divine status. Following up Nearchus’s voyage , he now founded an Alexandria at the mouth of the Tigris and made plans to develop sea communications with India, for which an expedition along the Arabian coast was to be a preliminary. He also dispatched Heracleides, an officer, to explore the Hyrcanian (i.e., Caspian ) Sea. Suddenly, in Babylon , while busy with plans to improve the irrigation of the Euphrates and to settle the coast of the Persian Gulf , Alexander was taken ill after a prolonged banquet and drinking bout; 10 days later, on June 13, 323, he died in his 33rd year; he had reigned for 12 years and eight months. His body, diverted to Egypt by Ptolemy , the later king, was eventually placed in a golden coffin in Alexandria . Both in Egypt and elsewhere in the Greek cities he received divine honours.

No heir had been appointed to the throne, and his generals adopted Philip II ’s half-witted illegitimate son, Philip Arrhidaeus , and Alexander’s posthumous son by Roxana, Alexander IV , as kings, sharing out the satrapies among themselves, after much bargaining. The empire could hardly survive Alexander’s death as a unit. Both kings were murdered, Arrhidaeus in 317 and Alexander in 310/309. The provinces became independent kingdoms, and the generals , following Antigonus ’s lead in 306, took the title of king.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Aug 14, 2023

160 likes | 166 Views

Explore the life of Alexander the Great, from his childhood to his conquests and legacy. Learn about his major battles, including the Battle of Granicus and the Siege of Tyre. Discover how he became a legendary figure in history.

Share Presentation

• alexander the great

Presentation Transcript

ALEXANDER THE GREAT As your presented the information from this PowerPoint your job is to keep track of the specific dates and the major event that happened on that date. Don’t worry about taking specific notes…we won’t have time.

AFTERMATH of the PELOPONNESIAN WAR To the north of the Greek city-states, King Philip II of Macedon came to power in 359 B.C. Planning to build and empire, he looked south toward the weakened Greek city-states.

PHILIP CONQUERS GREECE Philip II focused on the Greek city-states, which has been severely weakened during the 50 years since the Peloponnesian War. The Greek city-states were too disorganized and weak to unite against Philip. In 338 B.C., Philip completed his conquest of the Greeks, and Philip became the ruler of mostGreek city-states. His dictatorial rule ended Greek democratic practices. He brought Greek troops into his army and prepared to attack Persia. In 336 B.C, Philip was assassinated at his daughters wedding. They said at the time of his assassination that Philip was a great king. They also said that his son, Alexander was simply great.

ALEXANDER’S CHILDHOOD From the beginning of his life, Alexander was groomed to one day be king. As a child he was tutored by the finest Greek instructors and philosophers in Greece, including Aristotle. He was educated both intellectually and physically, receiving military training from an early age on. Eventually, Alexander became known as one of the finest horsemen in the world. As a child, he encountered and tamed a horse that would be by his side for much of his life. At the age of 16, his father King Philip II put Alexander in charge of military campaigns. Alexander proved himself to be a courageous fighter and inspirational leader. His fellow troops loved him and followed his lead. Alexander’s horse, Bucephalus, rode with him through many battles.

BATTLE OF THEBES: 335 B.C.E Alexander was only 20 years old when his father, King Philip II, was assassinated. He was told that his father had been murdered by Persian spies. Some historians claim that it was Alexander’s own mother who ordered Philip’s assassination. Details of Philip’s death remain a mystery to this day. Alexander’s main goal was to honor his father’s legacy and destroy the Persian Empire. Before Alexander could attack Persia, the Greek city-state of Thebes rebelled. Alexander used cruel tactics to put down the rebellion. The other Greek city-states feared Alexander and did not try to rebel. As a result of his siege of Thebes, 6,000 were killed and over 30,000 were captured. Alexander destroyed everything except the temples.

THE BATTLE OF GRANICUS RIVER: May 334 B.C.E Alexander’s first major battle against the Persian Empire took place at the River Granicus. Alexander’s Macedonian forces numbered around 32,000 against an Persian army of around 50,000 that was aided by Greek mercenaries. The battle was an overwhelming Macedonian victory which saw upwards of 6,000 Persian casualties. Despite the victory this battle proved to be the closest Alexander came to dying in battle as he was specifically targeted by the Persian leaders. https://safeshare.tv/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSEHuK6p_xoc

BATTLE OF ISSUS: November 333 B.C.E Alexander’s Macedonian forces, which now numbered over 40,000 took on a Persian force that numbered upwards of 100,000 and was led by the Persian King, Darius III. Alexander led the Macedonian Calvary strait into the Persian lines inflicting heavy losses on the Persians. Darius III fled from the battlefield. The Persians suffered upwards of 20,000 casualties, while the Macedonians suffered around 7,000 casualties. Darius III left his wife and daughters behind. The women were captured by Alexander, who eventually married one of the daughters. This was the first time the Persians were defeated when led by king Darius III>

SIEGE OF TYRE: 332 B.C.E Tyre was a strategic Persian coastal base in the Mediterranean Sea. Alexander besieged the walled city for 7 months. Alexander ordered a causeway to be built that stretched almost a whole kilometer to reach the city walls. Alexander was furious at the civilians of Tyre for defending their city. He ordered the destruction of the city including the massacre of upwards of 8,000 Tyrian civilians. Upwards of 30,000 men, women, and children were subsequently sold into slavery. 2,000 Tyrians were crucified on beach at the order of Alexander.

ALEXANDER IN EGYPT: 332 B.C.E Following Tyre, Alexander marched his forces into Egypt and conquered the country. Egypt had been ruled by the Persian Empire harshly for many years and welcomed Alexander, crowning him their new Pharaoh. During his months spend in Egypt, Alexander founded the most famous of his cities of Alexandria, which included the famed lighthouse, a building considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After some time in Egypt, Alexander decided the time was right to continue his campaign into the heart of the Persian Empire.

BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA: October 1st, 331 B.C.E https://safeshare.tv/x/sj-CNmJfcc8 Gaugamela is considered by many historians to be the most important battle fought in ancient history. Modern estimates describe the Persian forces, led by King Darius III, to have numbered around 250,000 men, compared to Alexander’s army of around 47,000. Alexander’s forces crushed the Persians, and only lost around 1,100 men during the battle. Some historical estimates claim the Persians lost as many as 100,000 men during the battle. King Darius III again fled from the scene.

BATTLE OF THE PERSIAN GATE: January, 330 B.C.E Alexander led a portion of his military into the Persian territory to conquer the capital city of Persepolis. Historians compare this battle to Thermopylae, only this time it was the Persians who desperately tried to fight off invasion at the hands of the Greeks. The Persians fought valiantly but could not stop Alexander and his forces. Alexander moved his army to the Persian capital, which at the time held the largest concentration of wealth in the world and now guaranteed Alexander financial independence. Alexander later allowed his men to loot the city, kill all the men and enslave all the women. Alexander had accomplished his father’s dream of conquering the Persian Empire.

ALEXANDER CROSSES THE HINDU KUSH In the Spring of 329 B.C.E., Alexander did the unthinkable and successfully marched his army through the Hindu Kush mountain range and entered India. India had long bee rumored to be even wealthier than Persia, and Alexander had his sights set on expanding his growing empire.

BATTLE OF HYDASPES: 326 B.C.E In the next 3 years, Alexander pushed his armies eastward to conquer parts of Central Asia. In 326 B.C., the reached the Indus River Valley and India. No invading army had ever conquered India. Alexander’s army encountered the Indian King Porus in what would become the final battle for the Macedonian king and his army. Widely considered the bloodiest battle ever fought by Alexander’s army, the battle ended with neither side gaining control. Alexander’s army retreated back and King Porus was left to rule. It was said that Alexander was greatly impressed with the military tactics of King Porus. Alexander urged his troops to press forward. They refused. Alexander’s army had been away from home for 11 years and had marched thousands of miles. Many thousands had been killed through numerous battles or to disease. Alexander was forced to turn back and return home.

In 323 B.C., Alexander and his armies returned to Babylon. While they paused there, Alexander fell ill with a fever and died within days. He was 32 years old. Although he did not live to an old age, he managed to create a great empire. Alexander however did not have time to unify his empire. Not one of Alexander’s generals was strong enough to take control of the entire empire. Eventually, three key generals divided it.

ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE Alexander and his armies carried their culture and customs everywhere they went. As Alexander conquered one land after another, he set up colonies. He also built cities based on Greek culture. He named many of them Alexandria, after himself. It is thought that there were 70 different Alexandria’s established during his conquests.

A BLEND OF CULTURES Alexander left Greeks behind to rule his lands. Greek became the common language in the lands he controlled. At the same time, Alexander adopted Persian clothing styles and Persian customs. He urged his armies to do the same. Some of the Greek settlers married Persian women and adopted Persian ways. In Egypt, the Greek rulers accepted Egyptian culture and blended it with Greek styles. In India, the same blending occurred. This blend of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian styles and customs became known as HELLENISTIC culture. This Hellenistic culture influenced the lands of the empire for hundreds of years. Learning was especially effected by the blending of cultures. The combined knowledge made new discoveries possible in science and medicine. http://safeshare.tv/w/OIYZtTItES

• More by User

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great. King and Conqueror. 356 BC – 323 BC. Philip, His Father. Olympius, His Mother. Bucephalus, His Horse. A Boy and His Horse. With His Loving Mother. With Mom, Again. Aristotle, His Teacher. “My father gave me life, but Aristotle taught me the art of living”.

1k views • 20 slides

Alexander the Great. IMAGE 1. Aim/Goal: Was Alexander the Great a hero or a villain? Do Now: Look at the images and explain what you see in a few sentences.

1.03k views • 11 slides

Alexander the Great. Philip II of Macedon. Became king of Macedon in 359 BC Began growing empire south Athenian Demosthenes spoke out against him in the Three Philippics Battle of Chaeronea 338 BC – with son Alexander, defeated Athens and Thebes (The Sacred Band)

378 views • 27 slides

Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great. Tommy & Chris. The Beginning of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great also known as Alexander III of Macedon was born on July 20, 356 BCE. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedon He is the son of the king Phillip II of Macedon, and the father of Alexander IV of Macedon.

816 views • 16 slides

Alexander the Great. What he was like. Alexander III was 20 years old in 336. There are Roman copies of art perhaps originally executed during his lifetime. He appears clean-shaven and young. They may be true likenesses, or idealized based on extant descriptions of Achilles.

764 views • 37 slides

Alexander the Great. The Rise of Macedonia. After the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta the two city-states just tried to control each other. While fighting continues amongst them a new empire called Macedonia is on the rise.

407 views • 15 slides

Alexander the Great. Section 3 Overview. This section discusses Alexander the Great, his wide-reaching empire, and how his conquest spread Hellenism throughout southwest Asia. Alexander the Great. Locating Places. Macedonia ( MA ·suh·DOH·nee·uh ) . Chaeronea ( KEHR ·uh·NEE·uh) .

390 views • 11 slides

Alexander the Great . One of the most brilliant military minds in human history. Childhood. Born in Macedonia in the city of Pella 356 BC Father King Philip: Drank heavily Fought with wife, Olympia Tutored by Aristotle. Childhood cont. Great talent for horses:

278 views • 9 slides

Alexander the Great. Background. Son of Philip II King of Macedonia His father plans to conquer Greece then Persia Alexander is tutored by Aristotle becomes educated in many areas. Background. After Philip II is killed Alexander takes the throne Learned to be a great soldier as a boy

252 views • 9 slides

Alexander the Great. From the beginning of his reign (336 BCE) to the Battle of the Granicus River (334 BC). Death of Philip. Philip murder by Pausanius , a disgruntled lover, in 336 BC

194 views • 9 slides

Alexander the Great. Background Information. Phillips II reorganized Macedonian army to the point where it became an actual threat. He was extremely cunning in his diplomatic maneuvers, specifically his marriages, which helped Macedonia rise is power.

263 views • 9 slides

Alexander the Great. Jacqueline Cornejo. Biography . Born on July 20, 356 B.C in Pella, Macedonia Parents were King Philip II and Queen Olympia Rarely saw his father and grew up to resent him Before being taught by Aristotle he was first taught by Leonidas and Lysimachus

229 views • 11 slides

Alexander the Great. Philip II of Macedonia. Philip comes to power in 359 BC, building a powerful army Desires to unite all Greece Conquers Greece in 338 BC Assassinated two years later. Alexander. Becomes king at age 20 in 336 BC Student of Aristotle

244 views • 10 slides

Alexander the Great. Do Now (U3D11). Read, “Do Now: Alexander as a Young Boy” Answer the two questions Homework: Finish your flow charts and bring to class tomorrow. Pivotal Question. What are the consequences of Alexander’s conquests?. Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) .

333 views • 9 slides

Alexander the Great. Meet Alexander the Great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvRWUCfAPs0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUCfMLm60XV0-fdKED6nYsAQ. Macedonia Conquers Greece.

422 views • 26 slides

Alexander the Great. And Hellenistic Greece. Macedonians. Live north of the Greek peninsula and even spoke a Greek dialect Most Macedonians were farmers and shepherds , so they had not achieved the same cultural feats as the Greeks . Macedonians.

307 views • 17 slides

Alexander the Great. IDENTIFY. Philip Alexander the Great Phalanx Siege Tyre. Philip II. Ruled Macedonia from 359-336 B.C. and transformed it into a powerful military machine Moved into northern Greece and met little resistance due to residual effects of Peloponnesian War

680 views • 37 slides

Alexander the Great. (356 BCE-323 BCE). conquered most of the ancient world from Asia Minor to Egypt and India began the Hellenistic culture which was a blending of Greek, Persian, Indian, and Egyptian influences. Augustus. (63 BCE – 14 CE). First emperor of Rome (27 BCE – 14 CE)

840 views • 54 slides

Alexander the Great. Who was Alexander the Great?. A warrior by the age of 14 A general by the age of 18 A king by the age of 20. Alexander’s Father. His father was King Philip II of Macedon. Another Picture of Philip. Philip’s Kingdom. The Phalanx. Alexander’s Childhood.

556 views • 34 slides

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. Greece’s neighbor to the north is Macedonia. Macedonia.

230 views • 20 slides

Alexander The Great. Mr. Anders & Ms. Lee. Macedonia. Phillip II of Macedon. Ruled Macedonia from 359-336 B.C. and transformed it into a powerful military machine Moved into northern Greece and met little resistance due to residual effects of Peloponnesian War

288 views • 17 slides

Yes, just 5 % like Topic history. Look at this slideshow about Alexander The Great.

4 views • 9 slides

• My presentations

Auth with social network:

Download presentation

We think you have liked this presentation. If you wish to download it, please recommend it to your friends in any social system. Share buttons are a little bit lower. Thank you!

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Leadership Analysis: Alexander the Great

Published by Kenneth Wood Modified over 5 years ago

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Leadership Analysis: Alexander the Great"— Presentation transcript:

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ANCIENT GREECE

Important Leaders in Ancient Greece and Rome

Alexander’s Empire.

Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic CULTURE

Alexander the Great In this lesson, students will identify the contributions of Alexander the Great to world history. Students will be able to identify.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

Alexander the Great and The Hellenistic Age. Early Life Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC – As a young boy, he was tutored by the great philosopher.

Aim: What effects did Alexander’s conquests have on the world?

Alexander’s Empire Chapter 5, Section 4.

Ruler of the World Comenius Project -Space Teds Adventures Around Europe-Dimotiko sxoleio Dispiliou kastoria Greece.

Alexander the Great Ruler of the World. Why “the Great”? Created world’s largest empire Took only 10 years Spread Greek culture throughout known world.

World History Chapter 5D Alexander’s Empire. Philip Builds Macedonia’s Power Macedonia is north of Greece and under the leadership of Philip II-he defeats.

Alexander the Great and Dad

Alexander the Great and His Empire. The Peloponnesian War For decades after the Persian Wars, tension built between Athens and its allies and Sparta and.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT I can explain how Alexander the great conquered the Persians and expanded the Macedonian empire. Your job through this power point.

Alexander the Great Born in 356 B.C.E. Living until 323 B.C.E.

Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great’s Conquests Page 83 Warm Up: Alexander the Great Reading and Fill- In Sheet (Tape fill-in sheet here) Page 84 Class Work: Date: A.

Alexander the Great! Hero or Villain?

Chapter 6 Section 3 Alexander the Great.

About project

© 2024 SlidePlayer.com Inc. All rights reserved.