Alexander the Great Macedonia Attacks Greece Main Idea: King Philip II of Macedonia united the Greek city­states. Macedonia lay north of Greece. The Macedonians were warriors. They raised sheep and horses, and farmed. By 400 B​.C.,​ Macedonia was almost as powerful as the Greek city­states. A Plan to Win Greece In 359 B.C., Philip II became king of Macedonia. He wanted to defeat the Persian Empire. But to do that, he needed to increase Macedonia’s military strength. His plan was to take over Greek lands, so he could gather more soldiers. Philip trained his army to fight like the Greek hoplites. King Philip also started training soldiers to fight on horseback. These soldiers made up his cavalry unit. Philip knew the cavalry would give him a military advantage over most Greek armies. So, one by one, he began to take over the Greek city­states. He took some city­states over by force, bribed other leaders to follow him, and others united with his kingdom after he discussed his plans with them. Some of Athens’ great public speakers warned that King Philip threatened their freedom. Government leaders urged Athens and other city­states to fight the Macedonians. But the Greeks were weak, divided, and exhausted from the Peloponnesian War. The Peloponnesian War was a bad time for Greece as Athens and Sparta fought each other for control of Greece. Greece’s weakness was good news for Philip. The Athenians tried to fight Philip’s army, but they could not stop him. In 338 B.C., the Macedonians crushed the Greeks at the Battle of Chaeronea near Thebes. With this victory, King Philip now controlled all of Greece. Alexander Builds an Empire Main Idea: Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and spread Greek culture throughout other parts of the world. Alexander was a prince, the son of the king of Macedonia. He was born in Macedonia in July 356 B.C. Between the ages of 12 and 13, Alexander was taught by the great Greek philosopher named A​ ristotle.​ Aristotle was also born in Macedonia, but he lived for a long time in Athens (Greece). It was Aristotle, more than any other teacher, who taught Alexander to greatly respect the Greek way of life. Alexander spoke Greek.

He knew Greek history. He believed in the Greek gods. When he was a boy, Alexander dreamed of teaching everyone, everywhere, about the wonderful Greek culture he knew and loved so much. But Alexander was also trained to be a ruler ­ a king, a warrior, and a leader of men. He was taught that his job was to expand the Macedonian empire, and to rule at all times with a firm hand. Alexander's father, King Philip II, had conquered most of the Greece by 337 B.C. But, before Philip could conquer the Persian Empire, he was murdered in 336 B.C. His son Alexander took over. Alexander was only 20, but he had already been in battle many times. When Alexander became king of Macedonia, he also inherited his father’s ambition. Alexander’s goal was to defeat the Persian Empire and help spread Greek culture to new areas.

Alexander’s Conquests Alexander invaded Asia Minor in 334 B.C. He had about 37,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 warriors on horseback (his cavalry). At the Battle of Granicus, he destroyed the local Persian army. At that time, the Persians ruled many Greek cities in Asia Minor. During the next nine months, Alexander freed those city­states. He also defeated a large Persian army at Issus. Then Alexander went south. By the winter of 332 B.C., he had captured Egypt and Syria. He built the city of Alexandria in Egypt. It became famous for trade, science, and education. In 331 B.C., Alexander went east. He defeated the Persians at Gaugamela, near Babylon. Then his army took over the rest of the Persian Empire. His father’s dream was fulfilled. But Alexander did not stop. He marched east for the next three years. His army got as far as modern Pakistan. In 326 B.C., Alexander and his army crossed the Indus River and fought many battles in India. His soldiers grew tired of war, so Alexander agreed to go home. Going home, the army crossed a desert in what is modern Iran. There was very little water. Heat and thirst killed thousands of soldiers. When soldiers found some water, they gave it to Alexander in a helmet. Alexander poured the water on the ground. He showed his soldiers that he was willing to suffer the same thirst and pain that they did. Alexander arrived back in Babylon in 323 B.C. He wanted to invade southern Arabia, but he died 10 days later. He was only 32 years old.

Alexander’s Legacy Alexander was a great and brave military leader. Sometimes he rode into battle before his army. Some considered this foolish, but his bravery inspired his soldiers. Alexander always tried to copy his hero, Achilles. Achilles was one of the warriors in the epic poem called T​he I​liad, w​ritten by Homer. When he died, Alexander was the most powerful ruler in the ancient world. That is one reason we call him Alexander the Great. A legacy is what a person leaves to other people when he or she dies. Alexander’s legacy was a world that knew about Greek culture. Wherever Alexander and his army went, they spread the Greek language, ideas, and art. There is another reason that Alexander is “Great.” Alexander also learned things in Asia and Africa. He took those ideas with him as he traveled, spreading them to new areas. Alexander began the Hellenistic Era. Hellenistic means “like the Greeks.” The Hellenistic Era is the time when Greek ideas spread to people who were not Greek.

The Empire Breaks Apart Alexander wanted the Macedonians, the Greeks, and the Persians to become one cultural group. He used Persians as local officials and encouraged his soldiers to marry Asian women. After Alexander died, his empire fell apart. His generals could not decide on who should become the next king, so they fought amongst themselves. It became four separate Hellenistic kingdoms: Macedonia, Pergamum, Egypt, and the Seleucid empire. Greek was the official language of these kingdoms. And the kings often gave jobs to a Greek or Macedonian. By 100 B.C., Alexandria was the largest city in the Mediterranean world. The Hellenistic kings built many other cities, too. These cities needed many workers. They needed architects and engineers. They also needed philosophers, artists, and artisans. The kings asked Greeks and Macedonians to move to these cities. These colonists helped to spread the Greek culture as far east as modern Afghanistan and India.