Alexander’s Ambitions Grow

Lesson 16 Alexander – Empire Builder part 4

Shaken by his defeat, Darius tried to negotiate a peace settlement. He offered Alexander the western third of his empire. Alexander’s advisers urged him to accept.

• However, the rapid collapse of Persian resistance fired Alexander’s ambition. He rejected Darius’s offer and confidently announced his plan to conquer the entire Persian Empire.

Battle of Tyre

Marching down through Syria and Phœnicia, Alexander took the cities of Damascus and Sidon, and came at last to Tyre, a prosperous commercial city built on an island at a short distance from the shore.

• The Tyrians would not open their gates and surrender, so Alexander prepared to besiege the city.

• As he had no fleet, he began to build a great causeway out to the island.

• While his men were building it, they were greatly annoyed by showers of arrows, stones, and spears from the walls of the city and from the decks of the Tyrian vessels.

The obstinate resistance of Tyre made Alexander so angry, that he celebrated his final victory by crucifying a large number of the richest citizens.

Then Alexander marched into Egypt, a Persian territory, in 332 B.C.

• The Egyptians welcomed Alexander as a liberator.

• During his stay, he visited the temple of the god Zeus-Ammon. Alexander was crowned pharaoh.

            

                    

• Alexander also founded the city of Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile.