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A LOOK BACK
Why did these wars begin, who won the battles,
and what were the big consequences of the wars?
• 499 BCE Greek cities revolt against Persian rulers; Athens helps The Greeks
• 490 BCE Darius (Persian) invades Greece: Persian Wars begin
490 Marathon
480 Thermopylae and Salamis
479 Plataea
• 431 BCE Peloponnesian War begins- between Athens (and allies) and Sparta (and alli
Macedonia: from weak
agricultural kingdom to
SUPERPOWER
•
Macedonia was north of Greece. The Macedonians were mostly
farmers.
•
•
•
Then PHILIP II came to power in 359 BCE.
Philip II had lived in Greece and admired Greek culture and military skill.
When he became king, he created a strong army. He planned to
unite the Greek city-states and destroy the mighty Persian Empire.
• The Greek city-states had been divided and weakened by the
Peloponnesian War.
•
One by one, Philip’s powerful army took control of the city-states:
Some, he defeated.
Some, he bribed to surrender.
Some volunteered to join Macedonia.
More Opposition to Philip’s Plans
•
An Athenian lawyer and public speaker, Demosthenes, warned the Greeks that Philip was a threat to Greek
freedom. He urged the city-states to join together to fight the Macedonians:
“Remember only that Philip is our enemy, that he has long been robbing and
insulting us… that the future depends on ourselves, and that unless we are
willing to fight him there we shall perhaps be forced to fight here… You need
not speculate about the future except to assure yourselves that it will be
disastrous unless you face the facts and are willing to do your duty.”
Orations of Demosthenes
~ Athens joined with Thebes and a few other free city-states and battled Philip’s army, but it was too late.
~ In 338 BCE the Greeks and the Macedonians fought their final battle at Chaeronea (kehr uh NEE uh).
Philip’s army crushed the Greeks.
The Kingdom of
Macedon
(Macedonia) at
the Death of
Philip II
Like Father, Like Son?
• Before Philip could carry out his plan to
wage war against the Persian Empire, he
was killed.
• Alexander, his son, became king.
• Alexander was 20 years old, but he was
already well trained; he had served as a
commander in the army at 16 and was
admired for his bravery and military skill.
• Alexander was ready to fulfill his father’s
dream and prepared to invade the Persian
Empire.
The March Begins
• Spring of 334 BCE
Alexander led
about 40,000 Macedonian and
Greek soldiers into Asia Minor.
• They met and fought the Persian
army at Granicus (now
northwestern Turkey).
• Alexander’s cavalry crushed the
Persian forces.
• The march continued east, freeing
Greek city-states along the way.
• November 333 BCE
Alexander's army
fought against the
Persians at Issus, in
Syria.
• The Persian king
Darius III fled, and
Alexander’s army
were victorious.
• Instead of pursuing
Darius, Alexander
and his troops moved
south, marching to
Egypt.
The sarissa or sarisa was a 13–23 ft. long spear
Alexander as Pharaoh
• Early 331 BCE Alexander conquered Egypt.
• The Egyptians offered Alexander the double crown
and proclaimed him pharaoh.
• He built a new city and named it after himself:
Alexandria. Alexandria became one of the most
important cities of the ancient world for business and
trade.
• Late 331 BCE, Alexander’s army headed back north,
and then eastward toward Mesopotamia.
• At that time, Mesopotamia
was ruled by the Persians.
• Alexander’s army destroyed
Darius’s forces at Gaugamela
(gaw guh MEE luh) near the
Tigris River.
• After this victory, Alexander’s
army took over the rest of the
Persian Empire.
• Was Alexander satisfied?
Would he take his troops
and go home to enjoy his
victories?
Ancient mosaic of Alexander and Darius III…. Alexander is at the
left, and Darius is at the right with something on his head
No.
•
327 BCE Alexander marched his army into
northwestern India. There they fought a
number of bloody battles.
•
Alexander was ready to move on, but his
soldiers refused. They were tired of
constant fighting and wanted to go home.
•
As they headed back west, the troops
crossed a desert, and thousands of soldiers
died from heat and thirst.
•
323 BCE Alexander returned to Babylon,
now under his control.
•
The hardships of the journey had wrecked
his health. He died from wounds and fever
at 32 years old.
“I am dying with the help of too many physicians.”
Alexander the Great
Although Alexander died, his legacy
lived on.