The Fall of Rome and Alexander the Great - lcps.org · Following Alexander’s Death • His 3 best...
Transcript of The Fall of Rome and Alexander the Great - lcps.org · Following Alexander’s Death • His 3 best...
After the Peloponnesian War
• Sparta and Athens are both weakened – They still continue to fight small battles
• Macedonia is located to the north • They see Greece falling apart
– Philip II able to see it when his son is tutored by Aristotle
– His son is Alexander the Great – Saw this as the chance to overtake Greece
Philip II of Macedonia
• Philip II became king at 21; attacked Greece at 34 • Used the phalanx with sarissas, then a cavalry
– Alexander (at the age of 18) leads the cavalry • Greeks try to defend their cities but will not work together
and are overtaken – Ends Greek freedom and independence
• Philip plans on taking Persia next – Unable to do this due to his assassination – Killed at his daughter’s wedding by a guard
Alexander Comes to Power • Alexander quickly took power
– Smart (tutored by Aristotle) and tough • Thebes tries to rebel - he kills 6000, others are sold into slavery
– Bucephalus is Alexander’s favorite horse – rides him in every battle until the horse is killed attacking India
• Attacks Persia and defeats Darius III – With the win he controlled Anatolia
• Darius tries to cut a deal, he says no – Vows to take the entire empire
• Next goes to Egypt - crowned pharaoh – Seen as a liberator and welcomed in (Egyptians were
under rule of Persians and did not like it!)
Alexander on the Move
• From Egypt he moved into Mesopotamia – Defeats Darius again, takes major cities – After this, the empire is his to take
• Alexander’s armies march towards India – Fought for 11 years, covered 11,000 miles
• When they hit the Indus Valley soldiers wanted to return to their families – Alexander allows it; heads for home (Babylon) – When he returns he dies of a fever
Following Alexander’s Death
• His 3 best generals split the empire • Known for doing many great things • Spread Hellenistic culture
– A mix of Greek culture with Egyptian, Indian and Persian cultures
• Made Alexandria, Egypt the new home of learning and knowledge (not Athens) – Created museums, libraries, other buildings. – Became a meeting place for an international
community of culture
The City of Alexandria, Egypt • New home of learning and knowledge • Had many advancements that made it unique
– Wide streets, split into blocks (Indian influence) – Statues of the gods sculpted in public (Greek) – Famous museum built to house many things
• Named for the Muses – had an observatory, zoo, etc. – Had a lighthouse for ships to navigate at night
• Ships pulling into port at all times and from everywhere – Alexandrian Library
• Housed many works and old papyrus rolls • Promoted works of writers and promoted learning
Achievements of Hellenism • What is Hellenism/Hellenistic??
– Greece used to be called Helles – Hellenism were the ideas/thoughts
that were influenced by the Greeks • Studies of the stars improve
– Observatory built, size of planets, sun, etc.
– Accurately measured size of Earth – Ptolemy comes up with geocentric
universe model (earth is the center) • Advancements in mathematics
– Euclid and Pythagoras- geometry – Archimedes- value of pi, levers,
pulleys, and the screw design
Achievements of Hellenism • Philosophic Advancements
– Stoicism – believed the world was run by a divine power • People should live by natural law and harmony • Do not show emotions or let them rule you
– Epicureanism – world made of atoms and ruled by the gods • Gods do not care about humans • Goal is to seek out what is pleasurable – live modestly and
understand the world around you • Art changes from idealistic to realistic
– Showed emotional faces and new subjects • Thoughts break away from the dependency on religion
and gods and focus more on reason/logic • Hellenistic culture spread until around 150 BC when
Rome became the new place to be.