Lesson 4: Alexander the Great and the Legacy of Greece

The Golden Age:

Despite frequent wars, the Golden Age of Ancient Greece set lasting standards in art, philosophy,
architecture, and literature. Think about the relationship between arts and ideas and the times during
which they are created. Then write brief answers to the questions below and discuss your ideas in class.
✔ After the Peloponnesian Wars, Macedonian rulers took over Greece. How do you think that the
change in rulers might affect arts and ideas?
✔ As Alexander the Great took over much of the Persian empire, he spread Greek culture. How do
you think this might affect the Greek arts and ideas that were spread across Persia?
✔ During the age of Alexander, the Great and afterwards, scholars began to look back at the
accomplishments of earlier empires. How do you think this might affect scholarly progress?
Video
Directions: Review the questions below and think about them as you watch the video.
Take notes that answer these questions as the video plays.

1. How many new Greek-style towns did Alexander the Great found?
What became the common language across his domain?
As far as we know, Alexander founded some twenty towns. Greek became the common language of
elite culture and diplomacy in Western Asia.

2. How did he view the people he conquered?

3. At what age did Alexander die and how?

Alexander became ill after a banquet, and on June 13, 323, he died at age 33. There was much
speculation about the cause of death, and the most popular theories claim that he either contracted
malaria or typhoid fever or that he was poisoned.

Vocabulary/ Use this graphic organizer to write the meaning of the

key terms and picture.

Key Term Meaning picture

Alexander Alexander the Great (356
B.C.–324 B.C.), Philip II’s
the Great son and Aristotle’s pupil, at
age 20 became heir to
Philip’s territories.

Phillip II Philip II (359 B.C.–336

B.C.), restored internal
peace to Macedonia, built
an effective army, and then
formed alliances with many
Greek city-states or
conquered them.

assimilate Absorb or adopt another

culture

Alexandria Alexandria, founded in 332 B.C.

by Alexander the Great, became
one of the greatest cities of the
Mediterranean world. Alexandria
became known for its size, great
markets, huge Pharos lighthouse,
and the Museum, a learning
center with a famous library.
Pythagoras Pythagoras (570 B.C.–c.
490 B.C.), a Greek
philosopher and
mathematician who studied
the meaning of numbers
and their relationships.

heliocentric Based on the belief that the

sun is the center of the
universe

Archimedes Archimedes (c. 287 B.C.–c.

212 B.C.), a famous
Hellenistic mathematician
and inventor from Syracuse,
a Greek colony (now in
Italy).

Hippocrates Hippocrates (c. 460 B.C.–c.

375 B.C.), a Greek
physician traditionally
regarded as the father of
medicine, who studied the
causes of illnesses, seeking
their cures.

The New Era of Alexander the Great: Text 1

2.Identify Steps in a Process: How did Alexander come to replace
Philip II?
In 336 B.C., Alexander's father Philip was assassinated by his bodyguard Pausanias. Just 20 years
old, Alexander claimed the Macedonian throne and killed his rivals before they could challenge his
sovereignty. Victory went to Alexander and the Macedonians. Alexander then headed south and
easily took the city of Sardes.

3.Draw Conclusions Why do you think Alexander’s soldiers refused

to go east from northern India?

Although he never lost a battle, his soldiers were too tired to and refused to go farther east.

4.Analyze Maps: read the captions to answer the question.

Alexander the Great’s ambitions led him to conquer lands across
a vast area. Judging from this map, do you think his empire
would be difficult to keep united? Explain your reasoning.
 Because there was so much area to rule and only one of him, I do believe it would be hard to
keep the empire united.

Alexander’s Legacy: Text 2

5.Identify Central Issues What factors shaped Hellenistic

civilization?

The major factor that shaped Hellenistic civilization was the influence of Greek, Persian, Egyptian and
Indian culture.

6.Infer What do you think helped make Alexandria, Egypt, the

greatest of Hellenistic capitals?
The major factor that shaped Hellenistic civilization was the influence of Greek, Persian, Egyptian and
Indian culture. Archimedes is a Hellenistic scientist and he applied principles of physics to make
practical inventions.

Test your knowledge

Highlight the item that best completes the argument.

Alexander encouraged the blending of cultures by
● A. making his capital in Persia.
● B. adopting Persian customs.
● C. setting up colonies in Persia.
● D. taking up Persian religion.
Hellenistic Arts and Sciences: Text 3

7.Key ideas and details: Use this graphic organizer to summarize

the accomplishments of Hellenistic scientists and philosophers.

Philosopher/Scientist Accomplishment/Theory
Pythagoras Derived a formula to calculate
the relationship between the
sides of a right triangle.
Zeno Urged people to avoid desires
and disappointments by
accepting calmly whatever life
brought.
Eratosthenes Showed the Earth was round
and accurately calculated its
circumference.
Euclid Wrote “The Elements” a
textbook that compiled earlier
works and became the basis
for modern geometry.
Aristarchus Argued that Earth rotated on
its axis and orbited the sun.