Macedonia, Philip & Alexander The GreatThe careful balance of power between the leading Greek poleis, after the Peloponnesian Wars and various hegemonies, was upset by a new force from the north – The kingdom of Macedonia.Location: North of Thessaly and West of ThraceGeography: Costal plains and mountains – rulers want to keep the nation unified, but it is hard! Kings’ power is less strong in hinterland (mountains).Government: Kings, Court & TribesGreek or Not? The Court was educated in Greek and Macedonian kings could go to Olympics (an only Greek event), but otherwise is not Greek.

Macedonia Maps:before & after Philip

• Several kings tried to unite Macedonia, and defeat their neighbors. Philip II was a key figure in this success.

• Philip was a hostage of the Greeks for 3 years, and learned battle tactics from his captors.

Philip II: 382-336 (r. 360-336)

Philip focused on defense & expansion

-While Philip was a prisoner he used his time to study Greek military tactics, especially the phalanx! He modeled the Macedonian army on this, but made changes. -The Macedonian phalanx wore less armor. Philip also added a long pike/spear. He created a professional Macedonian army with cavalry and flexible units.-This army defeated the southern Greeks at the Battle of Chaeronaea in 338. The Greeks were subjugated by the Macedonians and ruled by a single leader for the first time.

DIPLOMACY – Philip made alliances, and chose the ‘right time’ to fight (i.e. when he had enough power, and others were doing badly).

One way he made alliances and defended boarders was through multiple marriages. One wife, Olympias, was the mother of Alexander the Great (356 BCE).

Before Philip could launch an attack east, he was assassinated by one of his own officers. His son Alexander succeeded him at the age of 20 in 336.

The Greeks assumed Alexander would not continue to contain them, and tried to revolt. Alexander consolidated his power by razing Thebes. He then forged east, never to return to Europe. In a decade, he conquered the Near East, India and part of Egypt.

336 Alexander succeeds PhilipAlexander became king at age 20. He was the son of a king (royal

lineage), and he believed that he descended from Achilles on his mother’s side, and Heracles on his father’s side (divine lineage).

In his youth, he broke-in a wild horse that no human could master. Only Alexander could ride Bucephelus.

He took Bucephelus on his journeys east, and even founded a city named after him!

"I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well." --Alexander the Great [7]

Selected events for Alexander336 SUCCEEDS PHILIP

RAZES THEBES 334 INVADES ASIA MINOR:

GORDIAN KNOTBATTLE OF GRANICUS (DARIUS III ABANDONS HIS FAMILY

AND ALEXANDER TAKES THEM IN)333 BATTLE OF ISSUS (DEFEATS DARIUS III AGAIN) 332 TAKES LEVANT IN EGYPT

FOUNDS ALEXANDRIAVISITS SHRINE OF AMMON/ZEUS

331 TAKES MESOPOTAMIA BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA (DARIUS IS DEFEATED AGAIN) MARRIES ROXANE

327-325 INDIA 326 REACHES INDUS RIVER323 DIES IN BABYLON

The Gordian Knot – myth & history

- Gordius became king by fulfilling an oracle that the first person to Zeus’ temple in a wagon would be king. He dedicated his wagon to Zeus, and placed it near the temple. He tied the yoke to a pole with an intricate knot.

- Another oracle declared that anyone who succeeded in untying the knot would be the conqueror of all Asia!

- Many great men tried, and they all failed. Alexander knew the prophecy and decided to try his luck! Sure enough, the knot was so tight and complicated that Alexander could not untie it. Alexander drew his sword and cut through the knot, thus unraveling it! Some considered this cheating, but he believed that his conquests in Asia confirmed that Zeus honored Alexander’s initiative.

Zeus-AmmonAlexander led an expedition to the Oasis of

Siwah (in Egypt) in order to visit the famous oracular shrine of Zeus Ammon.

His march through the desert was said to have been assisted by groups of snakes and birds who showed the way through.

When Alexander arrived, he was greeted as the son of the god (a normal greeting for Pharaohs). From this point, Alexander claimed divine parentage, identifying himself with Zeus-Ammon, even among his Greek and Macedonian troops. Embassies from various Asian cities soon affirmed the declaration of

Zeus-Ammon, The Greek & Macedonians, however, were not accustomed to/comfortable with identifying human

rulers as gods.

Battle of Gaugamela

Battle of Gaugamela• A year prior, Darius was building up a massive army, more than

250,000 soldiers (including more than 42,000 cavalry) against approximately 47,000 Greek soldiers (including around 8,000 cavalry).

• Just before the Battle of Issus, Darius offered Alexander a generous peace agreement---he would cede half of the entire Persian Empire provided Alexander cease his invasion of Persia.

• Alexander declined the offer without any consideration at all. One of Alexander's generals, Parmenion, said that if he were Alexander, he would gladly accept the more-than-generous offer. Alexander replied, "And I would too, if I were Parmenion”—Alexander was a cocky SOB!

• Took place in 331 BC between Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia.

• The battle, which is also called the Battle of Arbela, resulted in a decisive victory for the Macedonians and led to the fall of the Persian Empire.

A softer side of A to the G

• After the Persians lost the battle, the Empire was split into 2---East and West. Each headed by a different leaderDarius III and Bessus.

• In a nut shell..Bessus murdered Darius before fleeing eastwards. • When Alexander discovered Darius murdered, he was saddened

to see an enemy he respected killed in such a fashion• He gave Darius full burial and ceremony at Persepolis, and

angrily pursued Bessus, eventually capturing and executing him the following year. The majority of the remaining satraps (Persian Army) gave their loyalty to Alexander and were allowed to keep their positions. The Persian Empire is traditionally considered to have ended with the death of Darius.

The Indus River

Alexander wanted to conquer the known world, and then push even further – the furthest known eastern point was India.

Alexander's geographers believed that just beyond India was Ocean (the body of water that encircled the world).

The Greeks had never encountered anything to prepare them for India – the terrain, the monsoons, the fierce tribes and the elephants (All combined with the long years of campaigning that took the heart out of the Macedonians)!

Despite all this, Alexander defeated Porus, killing his two sons, and forced Porus into an alliance. Alexander would have gone even further, but his troops revolted.

The Cosmos

Mutiny• Having secured the upper Indus River valley, Alexander began

to push into the interior of India. The land became dry, but the cities and kingdoms were formidable. As they pressed on, the locals spoke of endless kingdoms to the east, and another great river, and still more kingdoms beyond that. No one knew of any end to them.

• At last, his men refuse to go any further. • Alexander’s party headed home. Alexander fell sick in

Babylon and died June 10, 323. He never got home. His kingdom was divided among his generals (the diadochi), Antipater, Peridiccas, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Antigonus and Lysimachus.

• This catalyzed the spread of Hellenistic (Greek not Macedonian) civilization through language, culture, & military. The empire was then subjugated by Rome.