HISTORY 140/141 * FALL, 2010 CAROL SYMES Tuesday, 21 September Alexanders Worlds: A Short-Term Empire and Its Long-Term

Effects
KEY QUESTIONS Why did the tiny kingdom of Macedonia come to dominate Greece in the 4th century B.C.E.? What strategies made Alexanders empire possible? And how do we account for his remarkable success? TERMS INTRODUCED IN LECTURE Theban Sacred Band Macedonian phalanx, sarissa satraps biography (bios + graph = life writing) SOME EVENTS RELEVANT TO THIS LECTURE 401 end of Peloponnesian War: restoration of Athenian democracy (?) at the expense of her Empire the Athenian soldier Xenophon and 10,000 other Greek hoplites become mercenaries in Persia trial and execution of Socrates Plato begins to disseminate Socratic philosophy, using the dramatic format of dialogue beginning of the Theban hegemony under the leadership of Epaminondas the young Philip of Macedon, son of King Amyntas III, is sent as a hostage to Thebes Philip becomes king of Macedon, reigning as Philip II; his son Alexander is born on 20 July Aristotle, a pupil of Plato, becomes tutor to the young Alexander in Macedon Battle of Chronea: Thebes and Athens are defeated by Philip and Alexander (aged 17) assassination of Philip; Alexander (aged 19) reigns as Alexander III Alexander (aged 21) crosses the Hellespont with a united Greek force; he visits Troy Alexander advances through Persia and defeats Darius III at the Battle of Issus Alexander is crowned Pharaoh at Memphis in Egypt Alexander founds the city of Alexandria in the Nile Delta Alexander advances into Bactria (now Afghanistan) and marries Roxane Alexander campaigns in western India following the rebellion of his Macedonian army, Alexander retreats to Babylon Alexander dies at Babylon on 10 June, forty days before his 33rd birthday

399 396 371 368 356 343 338 336 334 333 332 331 327 326 325 323

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ADDITIONAL SOURCES CITED IN LECTURE LOST lives of Alexander, by his own contemporaries: Ptolemy (d. 284 B.C.E.), Pharaoh of Egypt schines Socraticus (c. 387-322 B.C.E.), Athenian statesman LOST account of Alexanders campaigns, by a Roman historian Diodorus Siculus (90-21 B.C.E.), Universal History (ending in 60 B.C.E.) SURVIVING account of Alexanders campaigns, by a contemporary of Plutarch Arrian (86-160 C.E.), Anabasis Alexandri (Alexanders Inland Expedition) Excerpts from the Life of Alexander by Plutarch (46-120 C.E.) , which he paired with the biography of Julius Csar in his Parallel Lives, written for Greek-speaking Romans over 400 years after Alexanders death (see also Perspectives, pp. 175-180): A. Because it is my purpose to write the lives of Alexander the king, and of [Julius] Caesar . . . and because the multitude of their great actions covers so large a field, I would be at fault if I did not (by way of apology) warn my reader in advance that I have chosen to emphasize the most famous parts of their stories, rather than attempting to dwell on every particular detail. For it must be borne in mind that my goal is not to write histories, but life stories. And the most glorious exploits do not always provide us with the clearest examples of virtue or vice in men; sometimes a matter of much less importance, an expression or a joke, tells us more about their characters and motivations, than the most famous sieges, the greatest war-plans, or the bloodiest battles. So just as portrait-painters are more exact when they trace the lines and features of the face in which the character of a man is displayed than when they draw other parts of the body, so I must be allowed to give more particular attention to the marks and indications of mens souls, since I endeavor by these to portray their lives, and should therefore be free to leave more weighty matters and great battles to be discussed by others. B. While he was yet very young, he entertained the ambassadors from the King of Persia, in the absence of his father, and entering much into conversation with them, gained so much upon them by his affability, and the questions he asked them, which were far from being childish or trifling for he inquired of them the length of the ways, the nature of the road into inner Asia, the character of their king, how he carried himself to his enemies, and what forces he was able to bring into the field that they were struck with admiration of him. C. He was naturally a great lover of all kinds of learning and reading; and . . . he constantly laid Homers Iliad this was the copy corrected by Aristotle, called the casket copy -- with his dagger under his pillow, declaring that he esteemed it a perfect portable treasure of all military virtue and knowledge. . . For among the treasures and other booty that was taken from Darius, there was a very precious casket, which being brought to Alexander for a great rarity, he asked those about him what they thought fittest to be laid up in it; and when they had delivered their various opinions, he told them he should keep Homer's Iliad in it. D. Alexander began to adapt his own style of living more closely to the country, and tried to reconcile Persian and Macedonian customs; he believed that if the two traditions could be blended and assimilated in this fashion his authority would be more securely established when he was away, since it would rest on goodwill rather than on force.