Transcript Macedonia, Philip & Alexander The Great The careful balance of power between the leading Greek poleis, after the Peloponnesian Wars and various hegemonies,

Macedonia, Philip & Alexander The Great
The 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 Thrace
Geography: 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 & Tribes
Greek 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
Philip II: 382-336 (r. 360-336)
• 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 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 Philip
Alexander 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 Alexander
336
334
333
332
331
327-325
326
323
SUCCEEDS PHILIP
RAZES THEBES
INVADES ASIA MINOR:
GORDIAN KNOT
BATTLE OF GRANICUS (DARIUS III ABANDONS HIS FAMILY AND
ALEXANDER TAKES THEM IN)
BATTLE OF ISSUS (DEFEATS DARIUS III AGAIN)
TAKES LEVANT IN EGYPT
FOUNDS ALEXANDRIA
VISITS SHRINE OF AMMON/ZEUS
TAKES MESOPOTAMIA
BATTLE OF GAUGAMELA (DARIUS IS DEFEATED AGAIN)
MARRIES ROXANE
INDIA
REACHES INDUS RIVER
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-Ammon
Alexander 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 leaderDarius 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.