Alex the Great Lecture Notes
Lecture notes on Alexander the Great.
IN 338 Philip of Macedon defeated the Greek city-states. His son, Alexander, extended the imprint of Greek culture far beyond its Mediterranean homeland. In a series of whirlwind campaigns between 334 and 323 BCE., Alexander gained control of Syria and Egypt and then destroyed the might of Persia. He took his armies east to the Indus and north to central Asia, but died at the age of 33 in Babylon.
Map pg 154 (overhead)
Alexander the Great was no stranger to warfare. He fought along side his father for the previous two years. After his father, Philip, was assassinated in 336, Alexander succeeded to the throne without any opposition and with full approval of the army. He continued in the conquests that his father had started. Over the next twelve years, Alexander would conquer some 22,000 miles of land, becoming the largest and greatest empire known up to this time in history (he also declared himself a god).
His governing policies:
Like his father and the Persian Emperor Darius I, Alexander followed a policy of benevolent despotism (kind, nice, tyranny, absolutism, or dictatorship). HOWEVER< he only implemented this kind of policy once his power was demonstrated.
Testing the waters:
Shortly after Alexander becomes emperor, he had marched north to the Danube River to suppress revolts in Thebes. While on his way north rumors were reported back to Thebes that he was killed in a battle. As a result, revolts started against the local government. Alexander returned back to Thebes and sacked the revolt (killing 6000 and selling 20000 into slavery).
Alexander desired to build the most powerful empire. In 323 BCE he returned to Alexandria after his troops mutinied against his conquering more ground in the Indian territories. He contracted a fever and due to his being weak (from war and being a heavy drinker) he died at the age of 33.
Some say he was poisoned, some go far even to say that the person who
IN 338 Philip of Macedon defeated the Greek city-states. His son, Alexander, extended the imprint of Greek culture far beyond its Mediterranean homeland. In a series of whirlwind campaigns between 334 and 323 BCE., Alexander gained control of Syria and Egypt and then destroyed the might of Persia. He took his armies east to the Indus and north to central Asia, but died at the age of 33 in Babylon.
Map pg 154 (overhead)
Alexander the Great was no stranger to warfare. He fought along side his father for the previous two years. After his father, Philip, was assassinated in 336, Alexander succeeded to the throne without any opposition and with full approval of the army. He continued in the conquests that his father had started. Over the next twelve years, Alexander would conquer some 22,000 miles of land, becoming the largest and greatest empire known up to this time in history (he also declared himself a god).
His governing policies:
Like his father and the Persian Emperor Darius I, Alexander followed a policy of benevolent despotism (kind, nice, tyranny, absolutism, or dictatorship). HOWEVER< he only implemented this kind of policy once his power was demonstrated.
Testing the waters:
Shortly after Alexander becomes emperor, he had marched north to the Danube River to suppress revolts in Thebes. While on his way north rumors were reported back to Thebes that he was killed in a battle. As a result, revolts started against the local government. Alexander returned back to Thebes and sacked the revolt (killing 6000 and selling 20000 into slavery).
Alexander desired to build the most powerful empire. In 323 BCE he returned to Alexandria after his troops mutinied against his conquering more ground in the Indian territories. He contracted a fever and due to his being weak (from war and being a heavy drinker) he died at the age of 33.
Some say he was poisoned, some go far even to say that the person who