Download Alexander the Great (5e)

Ancient Greece
http://www.ushistory.org/civ/5.asp
Name____________________________#_______Date_____________Due____________Period_______
Instructions: Read the introduction to Greece (section 5). The questions you will be answering will be
found in the Ancient Greece, section 5 link to the Ancient Civilizations website (see above). Several
questions require you to link to a secondary website. When this occurs note the URL and CITE IT!
Rise of City-States: Athens & Sparta (5a)
1. (5a): Why did each polis develop independent of the others? What is an example of this
occurring?
2.
(5a): Why is Athens described as the “Think Tank”? Provide an example to support your
response.
3.
(5a): Describe 2 characteristics unique to each Athens & Sparta.
Athens
1.
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2.
Sparta
2.
4. (5a): which environment would you rather live in? Why?
5. (5a): Describe the cause and the outcome of the Peloponnesian War, (431-404 B.C.E.)
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Democracy is Born (5b)
6. How was the Athenian democracy different from modern democratic government? Who did
democracy exist for (what group of people)?
7. Nevertheless, regarding the circumstances in question 6, this is important because . . . (Respond
with quoted text).
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(cite: http://www.ushistory.org/civ/5b.asp )
8. What was the purpose of the agora?
9. What is meant by pure democracy? Why was it possible in Athens?
Greek Literature (5d)
10. With regards to Greek dramas what did citizens of Athens believe?
11. What is tragic literature?
12. What was the Age of Pericles (461 – 429 B.C.E.)? Give 3 examples of ancient Greek authors and
provide a description (genre/style) of their writing.
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Art & Architecture (5e)
13. What fundamental principle of their culture did Greek art incorporate? Include definition.
14. Click on the link (left side of web page) The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, describe this temple and
its significance with 3 – 5 detailed sentences.
15. From question #14 website (above), search links to Ephesus and find out the information below.
(click on the following: Ephesus and Artemis then scroll to: Ephesus
a. As one of the 4 biggest cities of the ancient world, it had a population of more than
__________________________________, people.
b. Explain how geography played a role in the development of this city.
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c. What was significant about Ephesus during ancient times?
16. What is the Parthenon? Why was it built?
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17. Sketch examples of each of the 3 different types of columns found in ancient Greek architecture.
Define each type of column. You may need to use your Social Studies book or internet search for
definitions of each type.
Doric:
Ionic:
Corinthian:
Thinkers (5f)
18. Read about Socrates, one of Ancient Greece’s philosophers. Take 10 notes to describe his
influence.
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19. Plato: Write 3 questions with answers to describe Plato’s influence in Ancient Greece. Questions
should be analysis and evaluation style questions.
1.
2.
3.
20. Complete the chart with 2 – 3 points for each row. What these thinkers contributed to ancient
Greece and subsequently to modern times?
Aristotle
Hippocrates
Pythagoras
Euclid
Archimedes
Herodotus
Thucydides
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Alexander the Great (5e)
Instructions: Highlight, margin notes and respond to the prompt: Was Alexander the Great really
great? Make sure you use CT,QCAC with 2 pieces of quoted material from the reading. You will be
typing this on a separate sheet of paper. You will also be paired with a Meet Me at Partner.
Alexander the Great was so impressed by the Indian use of elephants in battle, that he immediately
enlisted them into his army. Elephants were particularly effective against horses, which would often
bolt away in fear at the presence of the enormous beasts.
Was Alexander the Great really great?
A great conqueror, in 13 short years he amassed the largest empire in the entire ancient world — an
empire that covered 3,000 miles. And he did this without the benefit of modern technology and
weaponry. In his day, troop movements were primarily on foot, and communications were face to
face. Not bad for a kid who became the King of Macedon at the age of 20.
Many of Alexander's accomplishments were made possible by his father, Philip of Macedon. Macedon,
which existed roughly where the modern country of Macedonia lies today, was a kingdom located that
lay geographically north of the Greek city-states.
Alexander the Great’s tutor was the Greek philosopher Aristotle.
In 338 B.C.E., King Philip of Macedon invaded and conquered the Greek city-states. Philip took
advantage of the fact that the Greek city-states were divided by years of squabbling and infighting.
Philip succeeded in doing what years of fighting between city-states had not done. He united Greece.
Conquering the World
Philip's next goal was to defeat Greece's age-old enemy to the east: Persia. For years, the massive
Persian Empire threatened the very existence of the Greek way of life. But before he was able to
pursue his second goal, Philip was assassinated.
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This map shows Alexander the Great's massive empire and the route he took to conquer it.
When his son, Alexander, took the throne in 336 B.C.E., he vowed to complete the plans of his father.
In 334 B.C.E., Alexander invaded Persia, which lay across the Aegean Sea in Asia Minor (modern-day
Turkey).
After three grueling years of warfare and three decisive battles, Alexander smashed the Persian
armies at the Tigris River and conquered the mighty Persian Empire, including the legendary city of
Babylon. For many Greeks, this victory marked a moment of sweet revenge against a bitter foe.
(© 2000 by John J. Popovic, 1stMuse.com)
Alexander was an amazing soldier who led his army to conquer much of the known world.
At this point, at the age of 25, Alexander ruled an expansive empire. Nevertheless, his ambitions were
not satisfied. While fighting the Persians, Alexander conquered Egypt and founded a city at the mouth
of the Nile River. This city, which he named Alexandria after himself, became a cosmopolitan, diverse,
bustling center of trade, the arts, and ideas.
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But Alexander was not done. He continued his campaign, driving farther east, until he reached India
and the Indus River in 326 B.C.E. At this point, his exhausted troops refused to fight further. They told
Alexander that a truly great leader knows when it is time to stop fighting.
Without the support of his army, Alexander had no choice but to turn back and begin consolidating
and organizing his far-flung empire. On his way home, Alexander died from disease in 323 B.C.E.
Though he was an unquestionably skilled and highly respected military leader, Alexander the Great was feared by
those around him for his paranoia and dangerous temper.
Alexander in Hindsight
Alexander the Great's legacy is both far reaching and profound. First, his father was able to unite the
Greek city-states, and Alexander destroyed the Persian Empire forever. More importantly, Alexander's
conquests spread Greek culture, also known as Hellenism, across his empire.
In fact, Alexander's reign marked the beginning of a new era known as the Hellenistic Age because of
the powerful influence that Greek culture had on other people. Without Alexander's ambition, Greek
ideas and culture might well have remained confined to Greece.
Many historians see Alexander the Great in a different light. Although Alexander was both intelligent
and handsome, he also had a darker side. He possessed a ferocious temper and from time to time
would arbitrarily murder close advisors and even friends. Also, toward the end of his many campaigns,
he senselessly slaughtered thousands whose only crime was being in his way.
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