Alexander the Great
Who is he?
• Alexander, known as the Great Greek, was not Greek. He was a Macedonian prince.
• Macedonia was an empire located to the north of Greece.
Alexander the Student
• Alexander had many teachers– Aristotle – Aristotle was also born in Macedonia.
• However, Aristotle lived in Greece for a really long time.
• He believed in the Greek gods.
• knew Greek history and the Greek language and Greek theatre.
Aristotle and Alexander
• Aristotle thought the Greeks were clever and interesting and talented, and he spoke of his admiration for the Greeks many times to his student, the young prince, Alexander
Alexander and war…
• Alexander had other teachers, – teachers that taught him how to wage war and how to
conquer other people.
• His teachers tried to teach him that a Macedonian king was not merciful. – But Alexander disagreed.
• When his father died, and Alexander became king, he allowed every culture he conquered the opportunity to rule themselves
Alexander and war…
• All he asked was that they be loyal to Alexander.
• He taught all the people he conquered about the ancient Greeks – he shared their stories, their myths, their gods,
their language - just as he had been taught.
Alexander and war…
• Alexander never lost a battle
• By the age of 32, he conquered the entire Mediterranean region, and into the Indus River region.
• He probably would have kept going, but one day, he became ill and died. He was only 32 years old.
Alexander’s Legacy
• Alexander spread Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean. – Without Alexander, that culture might not have
survived.
