CHAPTER 5

Section 5 Notes

Alexander the Great

King Philip of Macedonia brought all of Greece under his control around 338 B.C.

He then wanted to conquer the neighboring Persian empire

However, he was assassinated at his daughter’s wedding

His son Alexander took over the thrown

King Philip

Macedonia Today

The Former Yugoslavia

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

Alexander took the thrown when he was only 20 years old

He was well educated because his tutor had been Aristotle

However, he was a fierce warrior who wanted to conquer the Persian empire

He crossed the Dardanelles---the straight that separates Europe from Asia Minor

Alexander the Great

Alexander won victory after victory capturing Palestine, Egypt, Babylon and other Persian capitals

He continued to push east and crossed the Hindu Kush mountains into northern India

He continued winning battles, however, his troops began to grow tired and refused to continue moving east

Alexander then retreated and headed back to Babylon

Alexander’s Empire

Alexander the Great

While still in Babylon, Alexander contracted a fever and died---he left his empire “to the strongest”

However, no one leader was strong enough to succeed Alexander

Eventually, three generals divided up his empire

Macedonia and Greece went to one general, Egypt to another, and most of Persia to a third

The Legacy of Alexander

Although Alexander’s empire crumbled, he had unleashed changes that would ripple across the Mediterranean world and the Middle East for centuries

His most lasting achievement was the spread of Greek culture

Alexander had founded many new cities that bore his name

Local peoples assimilated Greek ideas

The Legacy of Alexander

Gradually, a blending of eastern and western cultures occurred

Alexander encouraged this blending of cultures by marrying a Persian woman and urged his soldiers to follow his example

He also adopted many Persian customs including dress

Hellenistic culture---combined Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences

The Legacy of Alexander

The heart of the Hellenistic world was located in Alexandria, Egypt

It was located on the sea lanes between Europe and Asia

A Greek architect designed the city Over a million people including

Egyptians, Persians, Hebrews, and others lived there

The most famous sight was the Pharos, an enormous lighthouse that was 440 feet tall

Alexandria, Egypt

Pharos

The Legacy of Alexander

Alexander and his successors encouraged the work of scholars

The great Museum was built in Alexandria as a center of learning

The Museum boasted laboratories, lecture halls, and even a zoo!!!

It had a well-stocked library with thousands of scrolls representing the accumulated knowledge of the ancient world

The Legacy of Alexander

During the Hellenistic period, paintings, statues, and legal codes all show that women were no longer restricted to their homes

Women learned to read and write---some became philosophers or poets

In Egypt, Queen Cleopatra ruled the country ablely

Cleopatra

Hellenistic Civilization

Political turmoil during the Hellenistic age contributed to the rise of new schools of philosophy

Stoicism---founded by Zeno---urged people to avoid desires and disappointments by accepting calmly whatever life brought

Stoics preached high moral standards including the idea of protecting the rights of fellow humans

They taught that all people, including women and slaves, were morally equal because all had the power of reason

Zeno---founder of Stoicism

Hellenistic Civilization

Hellenistic thinkers built on earlier Greek, Babylonian, and Egyptian knowledge

Pythagoras derived a formula to calculate the relationship between the sides of a right triangle (a² + b²=c²)

Euclid wrote The Elements, a textbook that became the basis for modern geometry

Pythagoras

Euclid

Hellenistic Civilization

The astronomer Aristarchus believed the Earth rotated on its axis and orbited the sun (heliocentric solar system that was not accepted until almost 2,000 years later)

The astronomer Eratosthenes showed that Earth was round and accurately calculated its circumference

Hellenistic Civilization

The most famous Hellenistic scientist was Archimedes

He applied principles of physics to make practical inventions

Mastered the use of the lever and pulley “Give me a lever long enough and a

place to stand on, and I will move the world”

Archimedes

Hellenistic Civilization

Hippocrates studied the causes of illnesses and look for cures

His Hippocratic oath set ethical standards for doctors

Physicians swore to “help the sick according to my ability and judgment but never with a view to injury and wrong” and to protect the privacy of patients

Present doctors take a similar oath

Hippocrates

Hippocratic Oath