Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great

Theme: Advances in WarfareTheme: Advances in Warfare

Mr. FitzpatrickMr. Fitzpatrick

Philip IIPhilip II

Ruled MacedoniaRuled Macedonia from 359- from 359-336 B.C. and transformed it 336 B.C. and transformed it into a into a powerful military powerful military machinemachine

Moved into northern Greece Moved into northern Greece and and met little resistancemet little resistance due due to the to the Peloponnesian WarPeloponnesian WarBy 338 he had By 338 he had Greece under Greece under

his controlhis control

MacedoniaMacedonia

Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great

Philip intended to use Philip intended to use Greece as a launching Greece as a launching pad to invade Persiapad to invade Persia, but he was , but he was assassinatedassassinated before he could begin his planbefore he could begin his plan

Instead the invasion of Persia would be left for Instead the invasion of Persia would be left for Philip’s son Philip’s son Alexander who was just 20Alexander who was just 20 when when Philip was assassinated ““Alexander inherited from his father the most perfectly Alexander inherited from his father the most perfectly

organized, trained, and equipped army of ancient organized, trained, and equipped army of ancient times.”times.”

J.F.C. FullerJ.F.C. Fuller, The Generalship of Alexander the Great, The Generalship of Alexander the Great

Warfare in the Age of AlexanderWarfare in the Age of Alexander Phalanx: A formation of infantry carrying Phalanx: A formation of infantry carrying

overlapping shields and long spears, developed by overlapping shields and long spears, developed by Philip II and used by Alexander the Great Philip II and used by Alexander the Great

Bucephalus: History’s most famous horse.Bucephalus: History’s most famous horse.

1.1. Read story from the Blue Book (page 126)Read story from the Blue Book (page 126)

2.2. Watch Watch tribute..

Warfare in the Age of AlexanderWarfare in the Age of Alexander

Hoplite Hoplite The main melee The main melee

warrior of the warrior of the Macedonian army. Macedonian army.

Worked mainly in the Worked mainly in the tight phalanx tight phalanx formation, creating formation, creating impregnable lines that impregnable lines that often left the enemy often left the enemy demoralized. demoralized.

Hoplites in ActionHoplites in Action

Warfare in the Age of AlexanderWarfare in the Age of Alexander CompanionsCompanions

Alexander’s elite cavalry, Alexander’s elite cavalry, the offensive arm of his the offensive arm of his army, and his elite guard. army, and his elite guard.

They would be used in They would be used in conjunction with the conjunction with the phalanx. The phalanx phalanx. The phalanx would fix the enemy in would fix the enemy in place and then the place and then the companion cavalry would companion cavalry would attack on the flank. attack on the flank.

Alexander would lead the Alexander would lead the charge with his cavalry, charge with his cavalry, normally in a wedge normally in a wedge formation. formation.

These troops would also These troops would also protect the flanks of the protect the flanks of the Macedonian line during Macedonian line during battle. battle.

Warfare in the Age of AlexanderWarfare in the Age of Alexander

Sieges involved the Sieges involved the surrounding and surrounding and blockading of a town or blockading of a town or fortressfortress by an army trying by an army trying to capture it. to capture it.

A variety of weapons A variety of weapons were built to hurl were built to hurl projectiles over city walls, projectiles over city walls, scale or batter the walls, scale or batter the walls, and transport soldiers and transport soldiers over them.over them.

Siege Tower

Battering Ram

TyreTyre

Old city on the mainland Old city on the mainland was abandonedwas abandoned

New city built on an New city built on an island two miles long and island two miles long and separated from the coast separated from the coast by a half mile channelby a half mile channel Walls were 150 feet Walls were 150 feet

highhigh Had two harbors Had two harbors

(Sidonian and Egyptian)(Sidonian and Egyptian) Alexander originally had Alexander originally had

no ships so he built a no ships so he built a mole across the channelmole across the channel

TyreTyre Mole was designed to be 200 feet Mole was designed to be 200 feet

wide and was built by driving piles wide and was built by driving piles into the bottom and filling in the into the bottom and filling in the space with stones, earth, and woodspace with stones, earth, and wood

Entire trees --- branches, leaves, Entire trees --- branches, leaves, and all -– were thrown beside the and all -– were thrown beside the piles to serve as a breakwallpiles to serve as a breakwall

Stone was hauled in from the old Stone was hauled in from the old citycity

““A city and a forest were exhausted A city and a forest were exhausted to build this wonderful mole.”to build this wonderful mole.” Theodore Dodge, Theodore Dodge, AlexanderAlexander, 330., 330.

Alexander’s original mole has grown over the centuries and is now a broad landbridge with roads and buildings on it.

The Siege of TyreThe Siege of Tyre

Part 1- Alexander’s Plan – Messengers killedAlexander’s Plan – Messengers killed

Part 2 – Alexander sets an example – Alexander sets an examplePart 3 - Part 3 - Land bridge beginsLand bridge begins

Part 4Part 4Part 5 – Ship protected catapult towersPart 5 – Ship protected catapult towersPart 6 – The FinallyPart 6 – The Finally

TyreTyre

After a seven month After a seven month siege, Tyre fellsiege, Tyre fell

8,000 Tyrians were 8,000 Tyrians were killed in the fightingkilled in the fighting 2,000 more were hung 2,000 more were hung

afterwardsafterwards

400 Macedonians 400 Macedonians were killed in the were killed in the siege and just 20 in siege and just 20 in the assaultthe assault

Battle of IssusBattle of IssusDarius III

Alexander

Alexander wins and Darius turns and runs away.

Gaugamela (Arbela)Gaugamela (Arbela)

At Issus, Alexander At Issus, Alexander captured Darius’ captured Darius’ family and was family and was holding them hostage holding them hostage but treating them wellbut treating them well

Darius needed to Darius needed to rescue themrescue them Seal of King Darius

Gaugamela (Arbela)Gaugamela (Arbela)

Darius had assembled a Darius had assembled a huge army from all the huge army from all the Persian nationalitiesPersian nationalities Estimates range from Estimates range from

200,000 to a million infantry 200,000 to a million infantry and 45,000 to 100,000 and 45,000 to 100,000 cavalrycavalry

200 scythed chariots200 scythed chariots 15 elephants15 elephants

Alexander had about Alexander had about 40,000 men40,000 men

He wanted to capture He wanted to capture Darius to replace him as Darius to replace him as king of Persiaking of Persia

Darius III, King of Persia336-330 B.C.

GaugamelaGaugamela

Alexander Psyches his men upAlexander Psyches his men upThe End of the BattleThe End of the Battle

After Gaugamela After Gaugamela

Darius ran away, AGAIN!!!Darius ran away, AGAIN!!! His escape frustrated Alexander because it His escape frustrated Alexander because it

prevented him from full claim to being king of prevented him from full claim to being king of PersiaPersia

Eventually Darius’ followers assassinated himEventually Darius’ followers assassinated him As Alexander became king of Persia and As Alexander became king of Persia and

continued to advance east, he took on an continued to advance east, he took on an increasingly increasingly Eastern attitudeEastern attitude

The End of the EmpireThe End of the Empire

"The Marriage of Alexander the Great

and Roxanna" by Ishmail Parbury

AlexanderAlexander Married Roxanna and had his men Married Roxanna and had his men

also intermarryalso intermarry Adopted Eastern dress and habitsAdopted Eastern dress and habits Publicly insisted upon his descent Publicly insisted upon his descent

from the godsfrom the gods Began giving key positions to Began giving key positions to

PersiansPersians The Macedonians were tired of The Macedonians were tired of

campaigning and campaigning and resented the resented the changes in Alexander’s behaviorchanges in Alexander’s behavior and become mutinousand become mutinous

Alexander died in June 323, Alexander died in June 323, perhaps as a result of poisoning, perhaps as a result of poisoning, perhaps Malariaperhaps Malaria

After AlexanderAfter Alexander After Alexander died, After Alexander died,

his generals jockeyed his generals jockeyed for power and by 275 for power and by 275 they had they had divided up his divided up his kingdom into three large kingdom into three large statesstates Antigonus took Antigonus took

Greece and Greece and MacedonMacedon

Ptolemy took EgyptPtolemy took Egypt Seleuces took the Seleuces took the

former Achaemenid former Achaemenid empireempire

The period of Alexander The period of Alexander and his successors is and his successors is called the called the Hellenistic Hellenistic period to reflect the period to reflect the broad influence of broad influence of Greek culture beyond Greek culture beyond Greece’s bordersGreece’s borders

Alexander’s Legacy

• He spread Western (Greek) Culture all over the known world.