PELOPONNESIAN WAR 431 – 404 B.C.•Athens grew in wealth, prestige, & power during the Golden Age

•Resulted in a CIVIL war between Athens and SPARTA

•Athens had a stronger NAVY - Sparta stronger ARMY

•Turning point in the war – plague struck Athens killing Pericles

•SPARTA was victorious but unable to UNITE all of Greece

•Main Impact of the war – weakened Greece as a whole

•Left it vulnerable and allowed it to be CONQUERED

MACEDONIA•Kingdom located just NORTH OF GREECE•Looked down on by the Greeks- thought they were UNCIVILIZED

•HAD FEARLESS KINGS

PHILLIP II (359 BC- 336 BC)•Conquered the PERSIAN EMPIRE in 338 BC•Used PHALANX formation to defeat enemies in battle

•Respected CULTURE of Greece•Assassinated by FORMER guardsmen at his daughters wedding

•ALEXANDER takes over when Phillip II is murdered

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

•Alexander had been a student of ARISTOTLE•Alexander earned the title "the Great" due to his success as a military commander

•He never lost a battle - despite typically being outnumbered

•This was due to use of terrain - phalanx and cavalry tactics - bold strategy - fierce loyalty of his troops

ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE

•Became KING of Macedonia at age 20•Spent entire ruling career IN BATTLE CONQUERING LANDS; made it as far as INDUS RIVER (BABYLONIA) before the troops demanded to return home

•Upon Alexander’s death, MACEDONIAN generals fought for and gained control of HIS EMPIRE

HELLENISTIC CULTUREAlexander wanted: meld conquered cultures with Greeks

“BEST of the BEST of the EAST with the WEST” {Alexander himself took a Persian wife}

Period of mixing cultures (cultural DIFFUSION) became known as the HELLENISTIC AGE

HELLENISTIC CULTURE mixture of: Blending of Greek culture with Egyptian, Persian, & Indian influences

After Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, Greece Greek and led to the Greek of Greek

Macedonia split after Alexander•Antigonus- became KING of Macedonia and took over the Greek city-states

•Ptolemy- took control of EGYPT; became a pharaoh•Seleucus- created Seleucid kingdom (site of the old PERSIAN Empire)