9.1 The Conquests of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great's conquests reshaped the ancient world. After taking the Macedonian throne at 20, he launched a series of military campaigns that toppled the Persian Empire and extended his rule from Greece to India.

Alexander's success stemmed from his brilliant tactics, personal leadership, and the strong army he inherited. His conquests spread Greek culture across a vast area, leading to increased trade and cultural exchange that defined the Hellenistic era.

Alexander's Military Campaigns

Conquest of Persia

Top images from around the web for Conquest of Persia

• 

  5g. Alexander the Great | HUM 101 Introduction to Humanities View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:Map-alexander-empire.png - Wikimedia Commons View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Wars of Alexander the Great - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  5g. Alexander the Great | HUM 101 Introduction to Humanities View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:Map-alexander-empire.png - Wikimedia Commons View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Conquest of Persia

• 

  5g. Alexander the Great | HUM 101 Introduction to Humanities View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:Map-alexander-empire.png - Wikimedia Commons View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Wars of Alexander the Great - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  5g. Alexander the Great | HUM 101 Introduction to Humanities View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:Map-alexander-empire.png - Wikimedia Commons View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Alexander the Great assumed the throne of Macedon in 336 BCE at age 20 after the assassination of his father Philip II and quickly consolidated power to begin his military campaigns
• Alexander's first major campaign was against the Persian Empire under Darius III
  • Key battles included the Battle of Granicus in 334 BCE, Battle of Issus in 333 BCE, and the decisive Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE
  • The victory at Gaugamela led to the fall of the Persian capital Persepolis
• After defeating Persia, Alexander pushed further east, conquering Bactria and Sogdiana (modern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan)

Expansion into India

• Alexander's army reached the Indus Valley in India by 326 BCE
• He founded many new cities during his campaigns, often named Alexandria, as centers of Greek culture and administration
  • Major cities included Alexandria in Egypt, Alexandria Arachosia (Kandahar), and Alexandria Eschate (Khujand)
• At its height, Alexander's empire stretched from Greece and Egypt in the west to the Indus River in the east, encompassing Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, and parts of Central Asia and India

Factors for Alexander's Success

Upbringing and Inherited Resources

• Alexander was tutored in his youth by the philosopher Aristotle, providing him with a strong education in politics, philosophy, and warfare that shaped his strategic thinking and leadership
• He inherited a powerful, well-trained army and an experienced cavalry from his father Philip II, as Macedon had already established itself as a major power under Philip's rule

Tactical Innovations and Leadership

• Alexander employed innovative battle tactics, including the use of oblique infantry advances and heavy cavalry charges to break enemy lines
  • His cavalry proved decisive in his major victories (Gaugamela, Hydaspes)
• His army skillfully employed siege engines and mining to capture fortified positions and constructed bridges and causeways to overcome natural obstacles
• Alexander personally led his troops in battle, fighting at the front to inspire loyalty and bravery, even suffering multiple injuries in combat
• He adapted to fighting different enemies - Persians, Scythians, Bactrians, Indians - in diverse terrains from deserts to mountains to monsoon-soaked forests

Impact of Alexander's Conquests

Cultural Exchange and Hellenization

• Alexander's campaigns greatly increased cross-cultural exchange between East and West
  • Greek culture, art, and language spread across his empire, while he adopted elements of Persian dress and court customs
• The Greek language (Koine dialect) became a lingua franca in the Hellenistic world, facilitating communication and trade
• Greek-style cities and architecture spread throughout the conquered lands (Alexandria, Ai-Khanoum)

Political and Economic Transformation

• Alexander's conquests disrupted and transformed political structures in Persia, Egypt, and beyond
  • Local elites were often replaced by Macedonian and Greek administrators, though Alexander also adopted some Persian political practices and imagery
• Economic networks were transformed, with trade routes now stretching from the Mediterranean to India
  • Alexander founded many new cities to facilitate this trade and serve as administrative centers (Alexandria in Egypt, Babylon)
• However, Alexander's campaigns were also destructive, with major cities like Thebes, Tyre, and Persepolis brutally sacked, causing significant loss of life and destruction of local cultural sites

Long-Term Consequences

• In the long term, Alexander's empire fragmented after his death in 323 BCE, but the spread of Greek culture during his rule paved the way for the Hellenistic Period and the rise of successor states (Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Empire)
• The increased interconnectedness of the ancient world, with trade routes and cultural exchanges extending from the Mediterranean to India, laid the foundations for the cosmopolitanism of the Hellenistic era

Political and Cultural Changes under Alexander

Fusion of Cultures

• Alexander sought to legitimize his rule over Persia by presenting himself as the successor to the Achaemenid kings
  • He adopted Persian royal dress and court rituals at times, and even married Persian princesses Stateira and Parysatis
• He increasingly integrated Persians and other non-Greeks into his army and administration, especially after 330 BCE
  • This policy of "fusion" aimed to unify his culturally diverse empire, though it caused resentment among some Macedonian troops

Spread of Greek Influence

• Alexander founded a network of new cities across his empire, often populated by Greek and Macedonian settlers
  • These served as conduits for the spread of Greek culture, administration, and economic practices (Alexandria in Egypt, Seleucia on the Tigris)
• Religious syncretism increased, as Alexander identified foreign gods with Greek counterparts (Amun with Zeus) and performed sacrifices to local deities, setting the stage for the religious diversity of the Hellenistic era

Fragmentation and Hellenistic Kingdoms

• Alexander's empire did not survive long after his early death in 323 BCE
• His generals, the Diadochi, fought for control and divided the empire into successor states: the Ptolemaic, Seleucid, and Antigonid kingdoms, which would dominate the Hellenistic world