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THE HELLENISTIC AGEA BLEND OF EAST AND WEST

AFTER THE WAR

- For the next few years, various Greek city states struggled for power

- First Sparta, then Thebes

- The biggest threat to the city states was Northern Macedonia…

Home to……..

THE MACEDONIANS

In 359 BCE Macedonians were still a Greek speaking agricultural society dominated by an aristocracy of horse breeders

Philip II took the throne

- his intentions were to invade Greek territory but he let them weaken themselves internally

- the discovery of gold in his kingdom gave him the ability to create a large army

- he also obtained grain from Thrace and more gold from Thessaly

THE MACEDONIAN PHALANX16 rows of heavily

armoured foot soldiers

each equipped with a 4.5

m long lance

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Alexander’s Conquests

•Alexander faced almost immediately

with revolts in Greece

•Set out to reestablish control

•Used harsh measures to show

rebellion not tolerated

•Crushed Theban army and sold

people into slavery, burned city

Alexander Becomes King

•Philip’s conquests might have

continued, but he was assassinated

•Title, plans for conquests fell to son,

Alexander the Great

•Alexander only 20, but had been

trained to rule almost from birth

•Learned warfare and politics from

father, mother, and Aristotle

EXPANDING THE EMPIRE

Alexander marches through Persia, and conquers the mighty Persian Empire

With defeat of Darius, Alexander the master of Persian world

- Troops marched to Persepolis, a Persian capital, burned it to ground as sign of victory

- But Alexander not satisfied with size of empire

� Led army deeper into Asia, winning more victories

� Led army to the Indus, perhaps to conquer India

� Soldiers had had enough, refused to proceed farther from home

� Alexander forced to turn back to west

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ALEXANDER’S EMPIREALEXANDER’S END

- Unfortunately, all the crazy conquering took it’s toll on Alexander and in 323 BCE, he died

- His reason for death is unknown but some theories include typhoid, malaria, or drunkenness

- his empire was left ‘to the strongest’ on his deathbed

- empire quickly fell apart without his leadership

- but Hellenistic culture spread across the known world

THE END